At Lexington Barbecue, a plate of course chopped barbecue is prepared in the kitchen on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 in Lexington, N.C.
A barbecue joint ranks as the best in North Carolina — again.
Lexington Barbecue is No. 1 on an annual list of the state’s top places to eat smoked meat paired with sauce, according to results Southern Living published March 6.
The restaurant won a South’s Best award after the magazine worked with researchers at Proof Insights to conduct an online survey. More than 20,000 readers voted on their favorite barbecue joints and other Southern destinations from July 12 to Aug. 23, 2023, the magazine told McClatchy News in an email.
“This time around, they seem to be in something of a traditional mood,” the magazine wrote in its report. “A parade of new, highly-acclaimed barbecue restaurants have opened all over the South in recent years, but the 2024 picks lean toward the tried-and-true.”
Lexington Barbecue, which got its start in 1962, said it sticks “with the true barbecue cooking tradition” of preparing meat over wood. The restaurant is in Lexington, a place synonymous with a regional style of barbecue.
The style — also called “Piedmont” or “Western” — uses “meat from the pork shoulder with a vinegar, ketchup and spice-based sauce.” Meanwhile, Eastern style barbecue incorporates the “whole hog” and skips the tomatoes, according to posts on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Visit North Carolina websites.
What makes the BBQ joint special?
As the latest rankings add fuel to the state’s age-old barbecue debate, Southern Living praised Lexington Barbecue for being “perhaps the quintessential practitioner” of Piedmont-style barbecue, which gets its start over wood or coals.
“The finished meat is chopped or sliced and dressed in the thin vinegar and tomato sauce that locals call ‘dip,’” the magazine wrote. “Pair it up with the region’s unique red-tinged slaw and some golden brown hushpuppies on the side and you have all the makings of a classic North Carolina treat.”
Lexington Barbecue received the statewide recognition for at least the second year in a row. In 2024, the runners-up are:
- Wilber’s Barbecue in Goldsboro, at No. 2
- Stamey’s Barbecue in Greensboro, at No. 3
- Sam Jones BBQ in Raleigh and Winterville, at No. 4
- B’s Barbecue in Greenville, at No. 5
Lexington is roughly 20 miles south of Winston-Salem.
Simone Jasper
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