Name: Bill Spoon’s Barbecue
Date: 7/14/17
Address: 5524 South Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28217
Order: Large chopped pork plate with slaw, baked beans, hush puppies, and sweet tea (link to menu)
Price: $13
Monk: As I was compiling the latest Charlotte Big Board update in March, I noticed a disturbing lack of NC-centric barbecue joints on the list. Four of the top 5 are Texas-style joints (Jon G’s Barbecue, Midwood Smokehouse and Smokeshack, and The Smoke Pit), and Boone’s doesn’t adhere to either eastern or Lexington-style tradition. Clearly, it was time to revisit some NC joints around town.
First on my list (once I got around to it a few months later) was Bill Spoon’s Barbecue, a whole hog eastern NC joint that is not all that inconvenient for me but which I tend to overlook. The last time we checked in was in 2015 and Speedy focused on the ribs which were a new menu item at the time. I considered the ribs but between the fact that the two-meat combo is a bit pricey and that Speedy wasn’t blown away by them last time, I steered clear and stuck with the large pork combo.
Looking back at old reviews, I think we underrated the pork at Spoon’s just a little bit. The chopped pork was tangy, flavorful, and moist. As I recalled, it was good on its own but was enhanced nicely by the table vinegar sauce. I gotta say, it was a nice change of pace to only get pork for once instead of getting all of the meats and having tons of leftovers.
The hush puppy basket was late in arriving, coming after our plates had come. But that likely saved me from overeating on the delicious, slightly-sweet cornmeal pups. I have come to appreciate the mustard-based slaw, even if it will never be my favorite style. And the beans were fine.
Me and the Monkettes got some naner pudding to go and if I’m being truthful, it was half the reason why I wanted to revisit Spoon’s. Just ridiculously good.
I left the meal full and satisfied, with a thought in my head. Bill Spoon’s Barbecue has been around for 54 years and will (hopefully) be there for many more, but on a Friday night the dining room hovered between 25-50% occupied. If I have anything to do with it, we need to make Bill Spoon’s more of a thing.
For more reviews, check out:
Marie, Let’s Eat! (2009)
Marie, Let’s Eat! (2016)
Big Wayner’s BBQ (2011)
Our original review in 2012
Speedy’s review in 2015
Ratings:
Atmosphere – 4 hogs
Pork – 4 hogs
Sides – 4 hogs
Overall – 4 hogs
By coincidence I was there this past Friday with a date. I picked Spoon’s specifically *because* I knew it wasn’t trendy and thus unlikely to be crowded. This proved to be the case – – after the first 20 minutes, we were the only diners in the place – – on a Friday night during the peak dining hour of 7 o’clock! I can only hope that Spoon’s does fabulous lunch business to compensate for this dismal dinner crowd.
I had the pork sandwich with slaw – – best way to eat Spoon’s BBQ, IMO. Had onion rings for a side (average) and the hush puppies (a bit dry and bland).
I hope they do good lunch business as well. I seem to recall they started doing dinner only within the past 5-7 years, right?
Spoon’s does decent enough at lunch to keep the doors open. And you are correct, only past few yrs they’ve opened at night. Mr Spoon was a true gentleman, and his son’s seem to be carrying on the tradition. Location really doesn’t help their cause, as it’s not in the “trendy” neighborhoods…
Thanks for the comment. Location could probably be better for sure, but if its good enough (and I think it pretty much is) people will go out of their way for good barbecue. Charlotte just needs to rediscover Spoon’s.