Linkdown: 9/20/23 – The Two-Meat Plate Edition

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Monk: Robert Moss dropped his annual top barbecue joint list for Southern Living, and of the 50, eight were North Carolina barbecue joints while another nine were from South Carolina. The North Carolina joints were:

  • Prime Barbecue, Knightdale
  • Barbecue Center, Lexington
  • Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge
  • Sam Jones BBQ, Winterville
  • Stamey’s Barbecue, Greensboro
  • Grady’s Barbecue, Dudley
  • Lexington Barbecue, Lexington
  • Skylight Inn, Ayden

Even with some decent representation from the Carolinas, there were a few I felt could’ve made the list based on what Robert Moss had written previously; Jon G’s Barbecue and Lawrence Barbecue in particular.

A Texas barbecue joint made the #1 spot on the list, and while I won’t spoil just who it was just know it is a very familiar joint to most. You just know that Texas Monthly Barbecue Editor Daniel Vaughn would have to gloat:

Have you read the list yet? Who else should have made it, be it from North Carolina or elsewhere?

Native News

Mike D’s BBQ Smokehouse & Retail in Durham is one of Eater Carolinas’ hottest restaurants in September

Meet Sweet Lew next Monday through Unpretentious Palate

Robert Moss stopped by Prime Barbecue recently for some lechon whole hog

Do you know the difference between western and eastern NC barbecue?

Non-Native News

J.C. Reid on the two-meat plate

John Tanner has some thoughts on the recent Southern Living Top 50 List

Congrats to Lewis Barbecue Greenville on 1 year open

The origin story of Fox Brothers Barbecue, who recently celebrated 22 years

NC Weekend Checks Out Prime Barbecue and Its “Full-Blown Barbecue Campus”

Monk: NC Weekend’s been pumping out the barbecue content lately, and in a recent visit host Deborah Holt Noel took a visit to Knightdale to sit down with owner/head fire maker Christopher Prieto for a tour of the restaurant and to try a little bit of everything on the menu.

Description: See why Prime Barbecue is drawing huge crowds to its popular spot in Knightdale.

Linkdown: 8/2/23 – The Fat-Washed Bourbon Edition

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Monk: Daniel Vaughn, BBQ Editor of Texas Monthly, made an epic barbecue road trip through South Carolina and Georgia for the past two weeks. Here are some highlights:

First off, Daniel doesn’t appear to be a huge fan of mustard sauce

City Limits in West Columbia was a favorite. He even posted about it twice!

In addition to City Limits, he also enjoyed Fork Grove Barbecue in Anderson and Slow Fire in Savannah

A couple of Charleston recommendations

Besides Slow Fire in Savannah, here are the other places he hit in Georgia:

And finally, in case you had any illusions to the glamorous realities of being a BBQ editor:

Native News

Wyatt Dickson has sold Picnic to Chris Holloway, recent partner and former bassist of the band Collapsis

The 39th Lexington Barbecue Festival will be on Saturday, October 28, 2023

As of early July, Hickory has a new wood-smoked barbecue joint named Hughes Q

Prime Barbecue is in the middle of taking a well deserved week off

Speedy’s also has some planned vacation coming up

A re-introduction to Kelly and Garren from Jon G’s

Bunn’s Barbecue in Windsor has closed, but the owner’s hope is that it will be temporary

Non-Native News

Eater Carolinas goes looking for pulled pork sandwiches in Charleston

Fat-washed bourbon?

Linkdown: 6/7/23 – The Agent ‘Cue Edition

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Monk: Queen City Nerve goes deep on the roots of the newly opened Firehawk Brewpub in Mount Holly. While I haven’t made it out there myself (and couldn’t make the media opening due to family commitments), I do plan to make the trip very soon. After reading this article about the barbecue restaurant/fish camp/brewery, I’m even more excited.

Native News

Dana Hanson is a Meat Scientist at NC State and runs their annual barbecue camp, modeled after Texas A&M

Sweet Lew’s BBQ and The Smoke Pit are two vendors for this weekend’s Taste of Charlotte

Looks like Christopher Prieto and Prime Barbecue will be on UNC-TV soon

New Sam Jones BBQ merch just in time for Father’s Day

Non-Native News

John Tanner enjoyed Randy’s Ribs , a carry-out place on Route 5 in Maryland

Fresh off retirement from the competition circuit, Melissa Cookston weighs in on 14 barbecue myths

Congrats to Kevin Bludso on the James Beard win for his latest cookbook;

No barbecue pitmasters or chefs won this year and the Carolinas were also shut out, but here’s the full list of winners