North Carolina Barbecue Trail and the Lexington Barbecue Festival

North Carolina has two barbecue traditions, and a road trip is the best way to taste both. The North Carolina Barbecue Society publishes a Historic Barbecue Trail that links long-running smokehouses across the state, and the town of Lexington holds a festival every October that draws crowds from all over the Southeast. Here is how the trail works, what the festival is and how to plan a trip without a wasted drive.

What is the North Carolina Barbecue Trail?

The Historic Barbecue Trail is a route created by the North Carolina Barbecue Society to point visitors toward old-school smokehouses that cook pork the traditional way. The stops mix the eastern and Lexington styles, and the trail begins in Ayden in the east. The trail is not a single road, so you plan your own route and check each stop. The list is updated from time to time, so use the Society's own page for the current stops.

What is the difference between eastern and Lexington style?

Eastern barbecue uses the whole hog, chopped with the white and dark meat mixed together and seasoned with a thin vinegar and pepper sauce, with no tomato. Lexington style, also called Piedmont or western, uses only the pork shoulder, with a sauce, sometimes called a dip, that adds ketchup or tomato to the vinegar. Lexington places serve red slaw, made with that same dip in place of mayonnaise, while eastern places lean toward a white mayonnaise slaw. Both serve hushpuppies, the fried cornmeal balls, and sweet tea.

Why is Lexington called a barbecue capital?

Lexington, in Davidson County, is often called the Barbecue Capital of the World, and the title reflects the number of smokehouses in a small town and the long habit of cooking over wood or coals. Several places in and around the town appear on the trail. A town of this size supporting so many restaurants that cook the same dish shows how seriously people there take it, and locals will gladly tell you which one is their favorite.

When is the Lexington Barbecue Festival?

The festival is held in uptown Lexington in late October each year and draws crowds from all over the Southeast. The streets close to traffic, booths sell barbecue sandwiches and plates alongside funnel cake and crafts, and there is live music. Local restaurants often run special events in the weeks leading up to it.

How do you plan a smokehouse road trip?

Pick a region, not the whole state. The east, around Ayden and Goldsboro, is a day's drive from the Triangle. The Piedmont stops around Lexington and Salisbury are an easy trip from Charlotte or Greensboro. Check opening days, because many traditional smokehouses close on Sunday and Monday, and some sell out and close when the pork runs out. Bring a cooler for takeout, and plan for a lunch crowd, since this food is a midday meal in most places.

Pair each smokehouse with a second stop so the day is more than one meal. In the east, that might be a stop at a roadside stand for sweet potatoes or a walk in a small downtown. In the Piedmont, it might be a visit to a museum or a lake. Print a paper map or download directions in advance, because cell service can be patchy on country roads, and bring a cooler with ice if you plan to buy pork by the pound. Fill the gas tank in a larger town, since the best smokehouses are often in places with few services.

What should you order and expect?

A tray or plate usually comes with chopped or sliced pork, slaw, hushpuppies and a side such as boiled potatoes or collards. A sandwich is a bun with chopped pork and slaw on top. Many places ask whether you want outside brown, the crispy bark, mixed into the pork. Sauce is on the table. Prices are modest, and some places take cash only, so ask. Some smokehouses are plain buildings with a counter and few tables, and that is part of the experience.

If you are unsure, ask the person at the counter what most people order and say that you want to try the local style. Most are glad to help. A good first order is a chopped pork sandwich with slaw, a side of hushpuppies and a sweet tea. If you are with a group, order one tray of each style and share, so everyone can taste the difference.

What about vegetarians, allergies and children?

Traditional smokehouses are pork-centered, and sides are often cooked with meat, so vegetarians should ask about beans, greens and slaw. Hushpuppies are fried and may share oil with other foods. Children usually enjoy a plain pork sandwich and hushpuppies. For allergies, ask what the cooks use in the dip and the slaw.

How do you eat barbecue when you cannot travel?

Many cities across the state have places that cook with wood, even if they are not on the trail. Look for a smoke pit, a pile of split wood and a short menu. If you are in a city, a local list from this year will help you find a pitmaster who cooks over coals and not a gas smoker, if that matters to you.

How do you remember the best barbecue on a North Carolina road trip?

Three smokehouses in one day and two sauces on every table blur into one long lunch. Mosey is a food app for finding, rating and sharing places to eat, and it rates by the dish, so the chopped pork sandwich, the hushpuppies and the red slaw each get a score and a tag such as Must-Try or Hidden Gem.

Keep a smokehouse list, share its invite link with the friends in the car and let them add their own stops. Follow people who drive the trail every year, and the next route plans itself.

Rate your best tray of the trip in the Mosey app.

More guides to read next:

• Where to eat in Chapel Hill and Carrboro: Franklin Street and the market
• Livermush, Cheerwine and sweet potatoes: North Carolina food words
• Restaurants open on Thanksgiving and Christmas in North Carolina (2026)

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.