Monk: My dad spent 3 years at Eastern Carolina University in the early 1970’s before transferring back home to Raleigh to finish up his studies. His last time there was approximately 4 years before Bill McLawhorn set up a barbecue restaurant in a former grocery store on the edge of town. Nearly 52 years later on a Saturday morning in mid April, I was happy to introduce him to the majesty of B’s Barbecue.
Of course, I’m no expert when it comes to B’s, having been for the first time just four years ago. But knowing his tastes when it comes to barbecue I knew he’d be a big fan. Him and my mom were coming from an overnight stop in Wilson and we were staying a mile down the road for a gymnastics meet so I told him to meet me there at 8:30 Saturday morning to put us in good shape for the line that would eventually form. Turns out that put us first in line by a good 10-15 minutes before anyone else started showing up.
Dad put me in charge of the order for everyone (including a couple of pounds to bring back west) and we took it back to the lobby of our hotel to eat a good old fashioned eastern Carolina barbecue breakfast.
But not before I snapped a few photos in the smokehouse, which I didn’t do last time but the guys were more than happy to let me do. I get the feeling that this isn’t a unique request by visitors.
My dad was rather taken by the barbecue and ate it up, with some contented sighs along the way. It was every bit as good as I recalled and I was happy I was able to introduce it to him. I don’t know how much longer the McLawhorn daughters will keep the business running as they have since their dad retired early 2000’s but I hope to get another time or two in myself. Truly a 5 hog meal.
Name: City Limits Barbeque Date: 6/14/25 Address: 1119 Methodist Park Rd, West Columbia, SC 29170 Order: Quarter pound brisket, half pound chopped pork, chopped pork sandwich with crispy skins,1 mild sausage link, hash and rice, sweet beans, collards, shells and cheese, jalappeno pimento cheese (link to menu) Pricing: $$
Monk: Have you been to a James Beard-nominated barbecue joint? There are only but a few of those around, so chances are you might not have. How about one that’s been nominated as a semifinalist twice in two years, believed to be the only joint to have that distinction? Well if you’ve been to City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia, SC, you can say that you have. It may also hold the distinction to be perhaps the only James Beard nominee to display their nomination next to a loaf of Wonder Bread:
My visit to City Limits had been years in planning before I finally made the trip. I had previously met owner and pitmaster Robbie Robinson through Garren Kirkman of Jon G’s but had only tried his food once before: his barbecue hash over Carolina Gold rice at last year’s Carolina Barbecue Festival in Charlotte. It was one of my favorite bites of the festival and on this day was a close second to my favorite bite of the day and possibly the year.
Speaking of which, the chopped pork sandwich with crispy skins mixed in holds that particular distinction. Robinson smokes pork shoulders as well as pork bellies over direct heat with just a salt rub and chops them together. You can choose whether to have the skins mixed in or not, but I beg you to please get the crispy skins mixed in. It’s then placed upon a nice hefty bun that can withstand the generous portion and you won’t be disappointed. I certainly wasn’t.
In addition to being a James Beard nominee, City Limits also has the distinction of being one of the top 50 Texas barbecue joints outside of the state of Texas according to Texas Monthly. I tried a slice of the fatty brisket and while Robinson wasn’t thrilled with the look of the slice I got when I spoke with him at the register, it was more than solid. Being a Texas-style joint, there were a couple of house made sausages on the menu, and I went with the mild hot link which was above average like the brisket. A few days later, I put these two leftovers together into a fold over on a piece of white bread with a dill pickle and had a great snack.
All of the sides at City Limits are scratch made, and there wasn’t a miss in any of the ones I selected: sweet (pinto) beans, shells and cheese, and collards which were Mrs. Monk-approved. I can’t forget to mention the jalapeno pimento cheese, which we saved to eat a few days later during our week at the beach.
Robinson likes to say that it’s better than the pimento cheese at the Masters, and after visiting myself earlier in the year for the first time I can’t disagree. My only complaint was that I didn’t buy a bigger tub of it; it’s a must get.
Unfortunately, Robbie and team (all of which were able to attend the awards ceremony in Chicago with him in person) did not take home the award for Best Chef: Southeast last Monday; instead it went to Jake Howell of Peninsula in Nashville. However in this case it’s not cliche to say that it’s an honor just to be nominated; particularly when its twice in two years.
If you get there during or just prior to the lunch rush at City Limits Barbeque, be prepared for roughly a two hour wait; that was our experience getting there at 10:30am Saturday before an 11am open. Another potential approach would be to wait until 2 or 3pm once the rush has died down. You may risk some items being sold out, but this past weekend I saw someone was still able to nab a beef rib so you never know.
In any case, don’t be a dummy like me and delay your visit to City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia.
Name: Pecan Lodge Date: 1/6/24 Address: 2702 Main St., Dallas, TX Order: “The Trough” (1 beef rib, 1lb of pork ribs, 1lb brisket, 1/2 lb of pulled pork & 2 sausage links), half pound turkey, collards, fried okra (Link To Menu) Price: $$$
Speedy: On my second day of Dallas, it was time to return to Pecan Lodge, a barbecue mecca that I had not visited since 2018. Arriving at around 10:50 AM, ten minutes prior to opening, my group of three was greeted with a small line of maybe a dozen people ahead of us, far shorter than the last time I visited, in the before times (aka in 2018). After a short wait, it was our turn to order.
When it comes to ordering at Pecan Lodge, you only have to make two decisions: 1) what sides do you want? (we went with collards and okra); and 2) what meat(s) do you want in addition to The Trough (we went with turkey)? I cannot stress this enough – you must order the Trough at Pecan Lodge, regardless of how many people you are with. The only exception is if you have a big group and need to order two or more Troughs. Not that we’ve settled that, let’s talk about the food.
The brisket was just as I remembered – peppery and flavorful – and remains the top dog at Pecan Lodge. There’s not much to say about it other than it remains in my top tier of brisket ever tasted, the likes of which you would be hard pressed to find outside of Texas.
The other 5 hog item from my last review was the beef rib. I’m sorry to report that the beef rib did not quite live up to those 5 hog expectations next time. The rib was still very good – meaty, cooked well, and tender, but I felt it was a little under seasoned this time.
The other meat that I was slightly let down by (mostly due to crazy high expectations) was the pulled pork. While tender, the pork was a little dry this time around, and frankly needed some sauce. Thankfully, there was plenty of vinegar sauce available to remedy this, but the pork was probably my least favorite part of the meal.
On the positive end of the spectrum were the ribs. In my latest review on Terry Black’s Barbecue, I went on the great rib rant of 2024, only for the barbecue gods to deliver me two good rib experiences in a row. I had previously been disappointed by the ribs at the Lodge, but on this date, they were meaty, perfectly cooked, seasoned well, and delicious. I would put them a notch behind Terry Black’s (that glaze was good!) but still very good.
The sausage and turkey were both above average, and the sides were everything I remembered (aka really good); recommended all around.
All of that was a lot of food, which meant tons of leftovers. Which means, dear reader, it’s time for a new category – reheatability.
Monk: Wait a minute, I thought we needed to take a vote to introduce a new category…
Speedy: …I’ve found that reheating barbecue can be a hit or miss activity, causing dry meats to become inedible and otherwise damaging meats that are not seasoned appropriately. None of that was a problem for anything at Pecan Lodge. I’m not sure how they did it but every meat (and the okra!) from Pecan Lodge re-heated wonderfully with 20 minutes in the oven. It was honestly as good heated up later as it was at the restaurant. 5 hogs!
One challenge about going back to the scene of a heavenly barbecue experience is that expectations have changed. There is no surprise left, and anything that is less than perfect is magnified.
Monk: That was…beautiful, Speedy.
Speedy: That said, the meal at Pecan Lodge was still an amazing experience, and among the best meals I’d had in a long time. If you’re in Dallas, it’s still a must visit.
Name: Stamey’s Barbecue Date: 11/25/22 Address: 2206 High Point Road, Greensboro, NC 27403 Order: Chopped pork plate (extra brown) with red slaw, hush puppies, and Cheerwine (link to menu) Pricing: $
Monk: While I had in recent years visited Stamey’s Barbecue in Greensboro via the drive-thru, it’s hard to believe that the last in-restaurant visit took place way back in 2013. That’s unacceptable, and I will make it a point to visit more often going forward. Especially, after my most recent meal for a crowded lunch the Friday after Thanksgiving where lots of other families had a similar idea.
I might be surprised that my order this time was the exact same as in 2013 – a chopped plate with extra brown and a Cheerwine – but really that’s the order I would suggest to anyone else so I probably shouldn’t be all that surprised. And while I didn’t order the Brunswick stew that Rudy highly recommends, I did at least get it last time.
The chopped pork was delicious and smoky as I would have expected, but it was nice to get confirmation. The hush puppies were fresh and a perfectly golden color. The red slaw provided the necessary crunch an contrast. It’s beauty is in its simplicity. Throw in the requisite Cheerwine and its a five hog meal, no doubt.
Leaving after lunch, the smokehouse was pumping out barbecue smoke tinged with the fat of the pork dropping onto the wood coals that wafted into the surrounding industrial area and Greensboro Coliseum complex. A simple but extremely effective form of advertising.
If someone you missed the smoke, the giant woodpile taking up multiple parking spots was another tipoff. Staff smartly bypassed the metal wood racks and just piled directly onto the asphalt.
After 92 years, Stamey’s Barbecue continues to pump out destination-worthy barbecue. Make it a point to stop in next time you’re in the area – I plan to.
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