Are you sick of IPAs like I am? While I have been no stranger to the craft beer progression of IPAs then stouts then sours and now lagers and pilsners, I now seem opt for Mexican lagers most days. If you are anything like me, then Town Brewing in Charlotte has collaborated with Jon G’s Barbecue for an easy drinking beer that thus far has had two drops this year in collaboration with a Jon G’s food truck visit. Behold:
This beer is a Carolina Gold Lager brewed in Collaboration with Jon G’s and comes in at a very session-able 4.9%, which means you can knock back a few without worrying about a bad hangover the next day. And it comes in a very handsome label with the Jon G’s branding I happen to love.
Whether you’re watching football, having a few driveway beers, eating something smoked, or smoking a pig (as you may be aware I did last month), this is a fitting beer for any of those occasions. So far, they have timed the beer drops with the food truck appearances at the brewery but there may still be some six-packs available.
Monk: The back half of the year saw a little less barbecue than normal for me, but nonetheless I still had some great bites in 2024. In no particular order, here are the 11 best things I ate this year:
Beef Cheek from Palmira Barbecue in Charleston (review)
I’m not the only fan of Palmira Barbecue, as Daniel Vaughn named them the best Texas barbecue outside of Texas. But I got to check them out a few weeks after opening their West Ashley restaurant in January of this year, and left impressed.
Sweet and savory kolaches at Jon G’s Barbecue in Peachland
My love for Jon G’s is well documented, but I really love the kolaches they now serve for breakfast at their restaurant in Peachland while you wait.
Barbecue Hash over Carolina Gold Rice from City Limits BBQ at the Carolina BBQ Festival (recap)
I have been meaning to get to City Limits Q for years, and in 2025 I will remedy that at the earliest. I did at least get a taste at this past spring’s Carolina BBQ Festival.
Smoked Burger from Southern Smoke at the Carolina BBQ Festival (recap)
A smoked burger served by Matthew Register and the rest of the Register family? Well you can hardly beat that.
Beef tenderloin over campfire in Deep Gap, NC
More of the “live fire cooking” variety versus traditional barbecue, but the beef tenderloin cooked over a campfire while camping with the youngest Monkette and a bunch of neighborhood dads was definitely one of the highlights of my year.
Beef Fat Caramel Wings from Lawrence Barbecue at the Jon G’s Jubilee (recap)
These wings were the best things I ate this year, hands down.
Whole Hog from Elliott Moss at the Jon G’s Jubilee (recap)
The brewery and smokehouse is still under construction in Florence, SC, but I got to have Elliott Moss’ whole hog not once but twice this year. This was a pleasant surprise.
Union Barbecue is my new favorite Charlotte barbecue joint, and I will be their biggest cheerleader in 2025. HEY EVERYBODY, COME WITH ME TO UNION BARBECUE’S NEXT POP-UP, WHEREVER THAT MAY BE.
Texas Trinity at Matt’s BBQ in Portland, OR (review)
I look forward to checking out more from Fumar in the new year. This Frito pie will be a must order just about every time from now on, though.
Whole hog from Live Fire Feasts
For our neighborhood pool here in Charlotte, I hosted a whole hog party in October catered by Craig Morrow and the fantastic crew at Live Fire Feasts out of Rock Hill, SC. Highly recommend checking them out if you like delicious food cooked over live fire in the Charlotte metro area.
Monk: Thank you for your continued reading of Barbecue Bros. While we may have slowed down in the back half of the year, we are still committed to posting in 2025. And before I forget, Happy New Year from the Barbecue Bros!
With that out of the way, here’s our 2024 by the numbers:
16 reviews posted: 1 joint with all 3 Bros, 3 Speedy solo, 12 Monk solo (link)
1 five-hog review in 2024: Pecan Lodge in Dallas, which Speedy visited in January
Here are some of our favorite posts from the year:
Festival Recaps
Just a couple of barbecue festivals this year with both of them being local. The second annual Jon G’s Jubilee was held with some great friends like N. Sea Oyster Co. and Lawrence Barbecue and a surprise last minute announcement of Elliott Moss cooking whole hog. Keep an eye out for next year’s edition.
Lewis Donald keeps expanding the Carolina BBQ Festival and this year, it was part of the larger Charlotte Shouts festival in downtown Charlotte. With the demonstrated talent he is able to bring in every year, I think this is one for every serious barbecue fan within driving distance to watch out for . Early bird tickets for 2025 are now on sale.
Much of this original content first appeared in The Smoke Sheet, a weekly barbecue publication to which I regularly contribute and to which I think you should subscribe to. Because if you don’t step up now, then who knows it could be too late. I was really proud of this article that rounded up just some of the many relief activities in western NC from the barbecue community.
Monk: For this year’s edition of the Charlotte top 5, the biggest change was probably the closing of Firehawk Brewpub in Mount Holly in August. In its closing, not only did Charlotte lose another brewery but also a rarity in a wood-fired barbecue joint. I can’t help but wonder if the business model of a brand new brewery plus the labor needed for a wood-fired barbecue place was a bit more than the ownership could handle. I love the idea, and hate that it couldn’t happen.
I was also set to include Resident Culture on the list after finally checking them out this summer, but they abruptly ended their barbecue program just a few months after bringing Edmar Simoes on to lead it. He now continues to work with live fire, albeit in a different fashion, at Flour Shop in Charlotte.
In terms of additions to the list, the trend would be a more pronounced Tex-Mex or Mexican influence in both Fumar and Union Barbecue. Also – these days Midwood Smokehouse’s menu is reflecting more of a Tex-Mex influence as well.
Before we dive into this year’s edition, here’s the list from a year ago for reference.
Fumar arose from Brandon Belfer’s previous barbecue pop-up Smoke Show but showcases the Tex-Mex flavors that Belfer grew up around in San Antonio. That means barbacoa, tacos, and tortas (for which he will soon be baking his own rolls). Definitely don’t sleep on the Frito Pie though. Food truck instagram.com/fumar_clt
4. Midwood Smokehouse
Midwood Smokehouse years ago become the ever-reliable above-average chain barbecue in Charlotte, and has continued to evolve the menu towards Tex-Mex after Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex Barbecue in Austin consulted with them back in 2020; he even has his own queso on the menu named simply enough “Miguel’s Queso.” But the proteins are still there. Multiple locations midwoodsmokehouse.com
3. Sweet Lew’s BBQ
In addition to continuing to evolve Sweet Lew’s BBQ with specials like turkey legs, creative house made sausages, wings in addition to the staple menu, Lewis Donald is also leading the Carolina BBQ Festival, which is quickly becoming a can’t miss festival each spring in Charlotte. 923 Belmont Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205 sweetlewsbbq.com
2. Union Barbecue
Since last year, Union Barbecue has become the clear #2 for me, and between it and Jon G’s there is a clear tier between them and the rest. This is yet another example of Mexican-inspired barbecue with a rotating menu that tends to include barbacoa, al pastor sausage, carnitas, and brisket but also some of the best and most creative barbecue sides I’ve had in a long time; I tried the smoky sweet potato with fixins and a golden beet salad on my visit. Food truck instagram.com/union.barbecue
1. Jon G’s Barbecue
Jon G’s Barbecue remains top of the list, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. In addition to their must-experience Barbecue Saturdays, I would urge folks to consider going to the next edition of the Jon G’s Jubilee where I had some of the best bites all year from them but also friends of Jon G’s like Elliott Moss, Lawrence Barbecue, and N. Sea Oyster Co. For more, check out the post below. 116 Glenn Falls St, Peachland, NC 28133jongsbarbecue.com
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