North Carolina barbecue: eastern whole hog versus Lexington style

Barbecue in North Carolina means pork, almost always, cooked slowly over wood or charcoal. The state has two main traditions, divided roughly down the middle: the east and the Piedmont, or west. People in each half have strong opinions, and they are happy to tell you theirs. If you are visiting, knowing the difference helps you order well and understand the conversation at the next table.

What is eastern North Carolina barbecue?

In the eastern part of the state, pitmasters traditionally cook the whole hog on an open pit over coals, then chop the meat, mixing the light and dark meat together with crisp bits of skin. The sauce is vinegar and pepper, with no tomato. It is thin, tangy and spicy, and it soaks into the meat rather than coating it. Many food writers regard the sauce as the original from which later American barbecue sauces developed, though the history is debated. Plates are typically served with collard greens, coleslaw and cornbread or hush puppies.

What is Lexington or western style, and which is older?

In and around Lexington, in the Piedmont, cooks barbecue bone-in pork shoulders, often several at a time, over hickory or oak. The sauce, called a dip, is vinegar-based like the eastern version but with ketchup added, which makes it redder, sweeter and thicker. The slaw is often red slaw, colored and flavored with the same dip, and plates come with hush puppies and French fries. Nobody can say exactly when the ketchup arrived.

The eastern vinegar sauce is generally thought to be the older, and the Lexington style developed after ketchup became an American condiment in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Both styles have deep roots and longtime restaurants.

How do you order at a barbecue restaurant?

Most places sell a plate: chopped or sliced pork, two sides and hush puppies or bread. Choose a size, such as a small or regular plate. Sandwiches are chopped pork on a soft bun with slaw on top, a local habit. Ask for sauce on the side if you want to taste the meat first. Many restaurants offer a tray for groups, sold by the pound, with sides in pints. Sweet tea is the standard drink.

What are the usual sides?

Expect coleslaw, collard greens, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, Brunswick stew (a thick tomato stew of meat and vegetables), boiled potatoes, fried okra and cornbread. Hush puppies, fried balls of cornmeal batter, appear everywhere. Banana pudding or peach cobbler may close the meal. Vegetarian diners can usually build a plate from sides, although many are cooked with pork.

Where should you go?

Head for the smaller towns of the east, such as Goldsboro, Ayden and Wilson, and Lexington itself in the Piedmont, which holds a barbecue festival each October. Charlotte, Raleigh and the Triangle have restaurants in both styles, and a few that blend them. Many old barbecue restaurants have limited hours, often closing mid-afternoon or on Sundays and Mondays, and some are cash only. Call or check their pages before you drive. A whole hog cooked overnight can sell out by early evening.

What about health and dietary concerns?

Barbecue is heavy and salty, and many sides contain pork fat. People who avoid pork for religious or health reasons will find limited choices at traditional places; chicken and turkey are offered at some restaurants. Allergens such as dairy, gluten and mustard may appear in sides and sauces. Ask staff what is in each dish.

How does it compare to other barbecue?

Texas barbecue favors beef brisket, Kansas City uses sweet tomato sauces and a variety of meats, and Memphis is known for ribs, but North Carolina is about pork and vinegar. If you like tangy, peppery pork with crunchy slaw, you will find a lot to enjoy. If you prefer thick sweet sauce, ask for the Lexington dip or a place that offers a sweeter table sauce.

What should you ask when you walk in?

Ask what the specialty is, and whether the pork is chopped, sliced or pulled. Ask about the skin, which some places mix in and others serve as a separate cracklin on the side. Ask for a taste if you are unsure; most counters will oblige. Ask which sauce is on the table, and whether the slaw is mayonnaise or vinegar based. If the restaurant has a window for to-go orders, call ahead on a weekend. Be prepared for a line out the door on a Saturday at noon, and for sold-out signs by mid-afternoon. A good barbecue restaurant will smell of smoke from the parking lot, and that smell is the best review you will get.

If you are planning a barbecue trip, build it around lunch, because many smokehouses cook in the morning and sell out. Go early, expect a line at the best-known places, and ask what is ready now, since the freshest pork is often the best. Many barbecue restaurants are plain, family-run and cash-friendly, so carry a little cash. Order a tray with slaw and hush puppies if you want to compare styles, and ask for the sauce on the side the first time. Hours vary, and some places close on Sundays or Mondays, so call before you drive.

How do you settle the eastern versus Lexington argument for yourself?

Taste both, then write it down. In the Mosey app, rate the chopped plate and the sandwich as separate dishes, and say in the note which sauce was on the table, whether the slaw was red and how the hush puppies held up. After three or four smokehouses you will know which side of the state you belong to, and your ratings show it.

Start a list called Pit stops, give each place a line about when to arrive, since the best pork sells out, and send the invite link to the friend driving. Tags such as Quick Service and Great Value help you search later for the plain counter where the line is out the door. Tag the people at your table and each of you can rate the same plate, which is how a family settles a barbecue argument.

On your next barbecue run, rate the plate in the Mosey app before the sweet tea is gone.

More guides to read next:

• Where to eat in Chapel Hill and Carrboro: Franklin Street and the market
• Where to eat on North Carolina's Crystal Coast: Beaufort and Morehead City
• Where to eat in Greensboro and Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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