Best bbq in the south

No mention of Redneck BBQ Labs? How about Low and Slow in Smithfield?

I like Gary's in Salisbury and a little holding the wall in Fletcher (Asheville) Little Pigs.

Midwood Smokehouse in Charlotte is a modern pub style place, but they spent a lot of time researching and investing in a $30,000 smoker. I casually knew the owners through other business. They do multiple styles depending on the meat. Chicken is SC mustard style, brisket is TX style, ribs are St.Louis and the regular chopped pork is mostly eastern NC vinegar based. They do a decent job. You just don't get that Olde BBQ shack atmosphere. Most people dont take them seriously until they try it.
Hey, it was good enough for Hillary.


Looks like they have a Raleigh location now.

Not only is Lexington BBQ way over hyped, when I was there several years ago, they had a big gunbuster sign on the door. Is it still there?

tod0987 said:

So what is yall's favorite mustard to use for your sauze? Heinz or French's

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It's OK to use a little mustard as a binder to get the rub to stick to the meat. After that, mustard has no place even near BBQ.

Slimer said:

The correct answer has been posted.

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That is Fake News.

When I was a young'n, I remember Stamey's (the one near the coliseum, not the other one) as being very good. I haven't been there since my Grandad and I quit going to the big gun show there maybe 30-35 years ago. Maybe it has declined since then but it was some of the best I had had to that point in my life.

Climberman said:

I think these lists are written by National level people, who have probably never even been to the major places they list. They just heard about them. And they don’t write about other places because they don’t know the area. It’s just name recognition.

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I have given this some thought. I think that they give subjective points for nostalgia and 'remember when.' Wilber's is almost on every list, and without a doubt it is probably one of the most iconic, most recognized, most celebrated BBQ joints in the south. But the quality is a shell of its former self. Stamey's, same. I don't think either are bad, just nowhere as good as it used to be.

Wonder if the quality has gone downhill because the original owners have stopped being active or the want to not tell a potential customer "sorry we ran out" caused them to rush and make subpar meat.

I really loved sandfly bbq in downtown Savannah but if you did not show up before 1pm you were not getting brisket, ribs, and sometimes Brunswick stew. They cooks told us they have one smoker and they do what they can but it takes x hours to cook and that's all we can do in a day sorry come back and try again tomorrow.

Squanchy said:

Wonder if the quality has gone downhill because the original owners have stopped being active or the want to not tell a potential customer "sorry we ran out" caused them to rush and make subpar meat.

I really loved sandfly bbq in downtown Savannah but if you did not show up before 1pm you were not getting brisket, ribs, and sometimes Brunswick stew. They cooks told us they have one smoker and they do what they can but it takes x hours to cook and that's all we can do in a day sorry come back and try again tomorrow.

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I know in Wilber's case, Wilber retired and hung up his apron after some health issues plus some financial issues which closed the joint down for a bit.

B's in Greenville, when they are out, they are out. Sorry, folks, come back tomorrow. Sounds like Sandfly.

Some of the best BBQ joints in which I have eaten rarely make lists, they tend to be dives or 'low end.' When I travel I ask the locals. Not BBQ but that how my sons and I ended up at this cheesesteak place in Atlanta last weekend. We were not in a good part of town (is there one in ATL? I don't know), and we were the only white faces in a sea of locals. But the food was amazing, the staff was very friendly.

Curmudgeon said:

No mention of Redneck BBQ Labs? How about Low and Slow in Smithfield?

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Went there back earlier in the summer after a day trip to the coast for Brits doughnuts. Food wasn’t bad. We got there around 2 and they were out of a lot of things so I didn’t get to try as much stuff.
Their competition sawse is a staple in our fridge. When we first found it at lowes foods, they would order it for us a case at a time

Last time at Skylight was like eating saw dust with bbq sauce on it. Last time at BBQ Center, pretty good roast pork but it wasn't bbq. Smoke Pit in Salisbury is hit and miss but usually really good. Better when they were dwn twn with no parking. Have never liked Lexington BBQ otherwise known as Honey Monk. My in laws thinks it's tops.

tod0987 said:

So what is yall's favorite mustard to use for your sauze? Heinz or French's

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Yall didn't take the bait too much. I'll save the nanner puddin' comments for tomorrow.

I live south of Greenville, NC about 9 minutes from Skylight and 5 minutes from Sam Jones and I'll go to Skylight every time for pork. Sam Jones does have a pulled chicken sandwich that is pretty good and ribs are hit/miss.

B's was good in the 90s and early 2000s when the old family owned it, now it is just meh and living on the coattails of years past, but better than G-ville Parkers.

Remember folks Parker's in Wilson on 301 is not the same as Parker's in Greenville. The Q from the Greenville 3 isn't fit to eat but the fried chicken and corn sticks are. Parker's in Wilson is much better. I think it is a different family that runs it.

tod0987 said:

Yall didn't take the bait too much. I'll save the nanner puddin' comments for tomorrow.

I live south of Greenville, NC about 9 minutes from Skylight and 5 minutes from Sam Jones and I'll go to Skylight every time for pork. Sam Jones does have a pulled chicken sandwich that is pretty good and ribs are hit/miss.

B's was good in the 90s and early 2000s when the old family owned it, now it is just meh and living on the coattails of years past, but better than G-ville Parkers.

Remember folks Parker's in Wilson on 301 is not the same as Parker's in Greenville. The Q from the Greenville 3 isn't fit to eat but the fried chicken and corn sticks are. Parker's in Wilson is much better. I think it is a different family that runs it.

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So, you don't actually like Maurice's? 😁

georgel said:

So, you don't actually like Maurice's? 😁

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nah. I was just stirring the pot. Seeing who was on the sauce lol.

Skylight inn is good.
Grady's is good
Sam Jones should quit selling bbq, they suck.

I'm sure there's others that should be on the list

tod0987 said:

Yall didn't take the bait too much. I'll save the nanner puddin' comments for tomorrow.

I live south of Greenville, NC about 9 minutes from Skylight and 5 minutes from Sam Jones and I'll go to Skylight every time for pork. Sam Jones does have a pulled chicken sandwich that is pretty good and ribs are hit/miss.

B's was good in the 90s and early 2000s when the old family owned it, now it is just meh and living on the coattails of years past, but better than G-ville Parkers.

Remember folks Parker's in Wilson on 301 is not the same as Parker's in Greenville. The Q from the Greenville 3 isn't fit to eat but the fried chicken and corn sticks are. Parker's in Wilson is much better. I think it is a different family that runs it.

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Parker's in Wilson was terrible the last time I was there. My buddy says Marty's is the place to go in Wilson.

Bo’s is tops. Nuff said

I've eaten at most if not all of the NC joints listed. Lexington and Stameys are both garbage, IMHO. Maybe they've just had an off day every single time I have been there or maybe they used to be good in the past, but took their foot off the gas - I don't know. Skylight, B's and Grady's are my tops for NC joints. Scotts in SC is very, very good. Rodney Scott's in Charleston is similar to, but much better than, Sam Jones BBQ. The food at Southern Soul in St. Simons is generally very good, but their BBQ is just okay. I always get their smoked sausage and Brunswick Stew. Both are fantastic. Dreamland in Tuscaloosa is amazing. Their ribs are insanely good. You get a slab of ribs and a loaf of white bread to sop up the sauce. It is worth the trip.

DC Bigdaddy said:

Skylight inn is good.
Grady's is good
Sam Jones should quit selling bbq, they suck.

I'm sure there's others that should be on the list

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Isn't Sam Jones and Skylight one and the same just different locations? I've eaten at both and think there are quite a few that are better by far in NC.

brud720 said:

Isn't Sam Jones and Skylight one and the same just different locations? I've eaten at both and think there are quite a few that are better by far in NC.

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I think it’s a father/son thing between the different locations

Curmudgeon said:

No mention of Redneck BBQ Labs? How about Low and Slow in Smithfield?

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I went to Low and Slow once. Pork rinds were tastey. I can’t even remember the rest. I wouldn’t go back.
When we went last year they wouldn’t take cash. Weirdest thing I ever heard of for an NC BBQ restaurant. Many won’t take a credit card. That I get

Mine is the best, and if it is not whole hog, cooked over wood, it isn’t BBQ. This knocks a lot of those “bbq” restaurants out. Most all restaurants are either not cooked on wood, not whole hog, too smoky, not enough smoke, dirty (gristle, fat, skin) and/or dry

Jimbob78 said:

if it is whole hog, cooked over wood, it isn’t BBQ

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You probably need to edit that.

GoWolfpack said:

You probably need to edit that.

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My phone wasn’t moving as fast as my fingers, it was still asleep, that’s my story anyways

Chuckman said:

I know in Wilber's case, Wilber retired and hung up his apron after some health issues plus some financial issues which closed the joint down for a bit.

B's in Greenville, when they are out, they are out. Sorry, folks, come back tomorrow. Sounds like Sandfly.

Some of the best BBQ joints in which I have eaten rarely make lists, they tend to be dives or 'low end.' When I travel I ask the locals. Not BBQ but that how my sons and I ended up at this cheesesteak place in Atlanta last weekend. We were not in a good part of town (is there one in ATL? I don't know), and we were the only white faces in a sea of locals. But the food was amazing, the staff was very friendly.

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I love the BBQ places that run out of BBQ. This is because they tend to focus on cooking their meats for the day properly instead of trying to cook their meats to match any given day's customer traffic.

Pick something else they're not out of yet, or something else not BBQ off the menu and come back another day.

brud720 said:

What sauce? South Carolina BBQ ain't BBQ.

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It's not about the sauce. It's about the meat and how it's cooked.

If it's about the sauce, then you might just as well stick a straw in the sauce bottle and drink it straight from there.

If the barbeque itself sucks, then it'll still suck no matter the sauce.

John said:

Not only is Lexington BBQ way over hyped, when I was there several years ago, they had a big gunbuster sign on the door. Is it still there?

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So, what you're saying is their BBQ sucks?

Freedom is an essential ingredient!

RetiredUSNChief said:

It's not about the sauce. It's about the meat and how it's cooked.

If it's about the sauce, then you might just as well stick a straw in the sauce bottle and drink it straight from there.

If the barbeque itself sucks, then it'll still suck no matter the sauce.

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Absolutely, that’s why I cook with pecan/hickory and use cherry/apple/peach/pecan shells for the smoke, a softer sweeter smoke. Sauce is to cover up the mess ups.

Headed to Speedy’s in Lexington today. I haven’t been since they closed for the move. I hope they still give ya a pound of crinkle cut fries 🤗

Jimbob78 said:

Absolutely, that’s why I cook with pecan/hickory and use cherry/apple/peach/pecan shells for the smoke, a softer sweeter smoke. Sauce is to cover up the mess ups.

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Sauce, properly used, compliments the BBQ. It doesn't matter what the sauce is, either. The choice in sauce is dictated by a variety of factors, not the least of which is the type of meat, how it was cooked, and personal preference.

A good BBQ can stand alone. A good BBQ can be enhanced with a good sauce.

But a bad BBQ? That can be a total waste of meat.

Jimbob78 said:

Mine is the best, and if it is not whole hog, cooked over wood, it isn’t BBQ. This knocks a lot of those “bbq” restaurants out. Most all restaurants are either not cooked on wood, not whole hog, too smoky, not enough smoke, dirty (gristle, fat, skin) and/or dry

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My cousin, now well into his 70s, used to do pig pickin's for family events, reunions, etc. As the family has gotten older, scattered, died off, etc., he has not done this in a decade maybe. His was the best BBQ I ever, ever had. Just succulent. And his homemade sauce was the bomb, too.

RetiredUSNChief said:

Sauce, properly used, compliments the BBQ. It doesn't matter what the sauce is, either. The choice in sauce is dictated by a variety of factors, not the least of which is the type of meat, how it was cooked, and personal preference.

A good BBQ can stand alone. A good BBQ can be enhanced with a good sauce.

But a bad BBQ? That can be a total waste of meat.

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I have to somewhat disagree, a good bbq can’t stand alone, great bbq can. Bbq is only one type of meat, pork.

Jimbob78 said:

I have to somewhat disagree, a good bbq can’t stand alone, great bbq can. Bbq is only one type of meat, pork.

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Pork BBQ as we know it is very much a Johnny-come-lately, going back to the 1700s. People have been barbecuing everything (low and slow) around the world far before that. Yeah, in NC we're biased in that BBQ is a noun and a verb, but really, it's a verb.

tod0987 said:

So what is yall's favorite mustard to use for your sauze? Heinz or French's

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Great Value

Chuckman said:

Pork BBQ as we know it is very much a Johnny-come-lately, going back to the 1700s. People have been barbecuing everything (low and slow) around the world far before that. Yeah, in NC we're biased in that BBQ is a noun and a verb, but really, it's a verb.

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Oh the great debate that divides the country and even families, but being in eastern NC, there is only one definition of BBQ.

Jimbob78 said:

I have to somewhat disagree, a good bbq can’t stand alone, great bbq can. Bbq is only one type of meat, pork.

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You keep this cr*p up and Imma gonna completely leapfrog over meringue/Cool Whip & sweet/unsweet tea and go straight to chili.

It is, after all, Friday!

😁😁😁

Jimbob78 said:

Oh the great debate that divides the country and even families, but being in eastern NC, there is only one definition of BBQ.

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"What" BBQ is is as a verb not an opinion. "What" BBQ is as far as protein definitely is. I was born/raised in eastern NC with a metric crap-ton of family still on that side of 95, so I am also quite biased.

RetiredUSNChief said:

You keep this cr*p up and Imma gonna completely leapfrog over meringue/Cool Whip & sweet/unsweet tea and go straight to chili.

It is, after all, Friday!

😁😁😁

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Beans or no beans

Fake news ... they left B's BBQ off the list, so there is no way it was an inclusive sample and therefore not an accurate finding of results 😁