Monk: After over 200 episodes of Tales from the Pits, in this episode we get to know the guys behind the podcast a little better. And what better way for that to happen than for them to interview each other? Andrew and Bryan each pose 10 questions to each other that neither was aware of before hitting record.
The questions start off predictably around barbecue before delving into more personal stories about celebrity encounters and favorite concerts, which is where there listener gets an even better sense of them as people outside the context of barbecue.
While technically this is the first time they’ve done a podcast in this format, I do feel like that its along the lines of the conversations they’ve been having over the past seven year. And that’s not a bad thing by any means.
Description: In this episode we do something we’ve never done: interview each other. We chose ten random questions to ask one another with neither of us having any indication as to what the questions would be before recording.
This is a fun one that goes off on some tangents and includes a challenge we hope Daniel Vaughn takes us up on!
Name: Lechon Latin BBQ and Bar Date: 9/8/24 Address: 5959 Triangle Town Blvd Ste. 2121, Raleigh, NC 27616 Order: Lechon with crispy skin, Argentine Sausage, elite, plaintains (link) Pricing: $$
Monk: Sometimes in the barbecue game, it’s a matter of having the right expectations. While I had heard of Lechon Latin BBQ since it opened two years ago in the somewhat forgotten Triangle Town Center mall in North Raleigh, I hadn’t really done much research before I made a recent visit while in town for the weekend.
Despite landing on Eater Carolinas’ 11 Best Barbecue Restaurants in the Triangle list from 2023, had I done a little more due diligence, I’m not sure I would have made the trip. I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, and it seems as if the Latin flavors are appreciated by folks who apparently have come from hours away to eat there. I will note that this did not seem to be the case on this Sunday, however, with the restaurant just a third full.
The lechon, or pulled pork, had a distinct lack of smoke and was a touch on the greasy side. And the crispy skin (also known as cuero) wasn’t all that crispy. My hunch is that located in the giant carcass of a suburban strip mall, this was roasted pork cooked in an oven.
The Argentine sausages were on the dry side and rather unremarkable. The plantains and elote salad were better than the meats but didn’t nearly make up for the meal.
While I can appreciate the different flavors, simply put I wouldn’t call this place a barbecue restaurant. Lechon Latin BBQ and Bar is for those who crave the Peruvian, Argentinian, Cuban, and Latin flavors, and I’m happy they have a place like this. Unfortunately, speaking as a fan of barbecue, it misses the mark.
Good news: the Annual Mallard Creek Barbecue returns for its 93rd iteration on Thursday, October 24! And after a couple years hiatus, dine-in eating returns! Mark your calendars.
Native News
File under “things you love to see”: Old Colony Smokehouse in Edenton has added whole hog barbecue to its daily menu
Speaking of whole hog, the Carolina Barbecue Festival is hosting a new fall event: the Fall Pig Pickin’ will take place on Sunday, October 6th from 12-4
Name: Union Barbecue Date:Â 8/17/24 Location: N/A Order: Carnitas, brisket, Smoky Sweet, Golden Beet Salad, The Big Deborah Pricing: $$
Monk: In recent years, the Charlotte barbecue scene has seemingly embraced Mexican or Tex-Mex flavors into Texas-style barbecue. Way back in the before times of January 2020, Midwood Smokehouse brought Miguel Vidal of Valentina’s Tex-Mex Barbecue in Austin to Charlotte for a few days for some consultation and their current menu is a reflection of that between the Yucatan ribs, taquitos appetizer, and their updated offerings of “Tex-Mex Tacos.”
There’s also Fumar (which is the rebrand of Smoke Show Barbecue) from Chef Brandon Belfer, who offers “taco packs” with beef cheek barbacoa and home made tortillas alongside specials that can include brisket tortas and Frito pies.
Then, earlier this year a new food truck called Union Barbecue from Chefs Holden Sasser and Chase Young burst onto the Charlotte barbecue scene with “new school barbecue” and “Mexican flavors.” They even got a mention from Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn in a February post on his NC travels that praised their “smoky and spicy” beef cheek barbacoa.
Sasser recently relocated from San Francisco (where he was where he working by day in the food technology industry and spending nights and weekends doing barbecue pop-ups) to Charlotte, but he is no stranger to the city as he is the son of Tom Sasser who owns the Burke Hospitality Group whose restaurants include longtime Charlotte staples such as Mimosa Grill and the recently departed Harper’s. But make no mistake about it, Holden and Young can smoke their version of Tex-Mex barbecue well. At a recent food truck stop at Birdsong Brewing, I finally got a chance to try their wares.
For this stop, their protein menu consisted of barbacoa, al pastor sausage, carnitas, brisket, and a smoked pork chop. Seeing as I was with the wife and kids, I had a hard time picking two that I know would make up a sensible lunch order so I went with the brisket and carnitas. Based on the success of these, I’ll be trying each of their other proteins next time around.
The carnitas came in a boat and were topped with salsa verde and pickled onions. Put this into a homemade tortilla and you’ve got a great taco but its also quite good on its own.
The brisket order came with a slice of both fatty and lean, which I was happy to see was the default. Both slides were perfectly moist with a peppery bark. There was a big vein of fat running through the fatty slice that could have been a little more rendered but by no means was it disqualifying. Magnificent brisket.
Don’t sleep on the sides, as both the Smoky Sweet potato topped with smoked crema, pepitas, sunflower seeds, and tajin and the Golden Beet Salad served cold were some of the best barbecue sides I’ve had in recent memory.
And especially don’t sleep on The Big Deborah if you’re a fan of oatmeal cream pies. It’s the best dessert I’ve had all year and its a great value for just $4.50.
In last week’s review of Resident Culture Brewing’s barbecue program, I noted how it was helping to expand the top tier of Charlotte barbecue. Well, with Union Barbecue, it has solidly displaced some of the top joints in the city. Behind only Jon G’s Barbecue, for me it is the best barbecue in Charlotte. Seek it out and you won’t be disappointed.
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