14 Classic North Carolina Comfort Foods That Locals Still Can’t Get Enough Of
North Carolina’s culinary landscape tells a delicious and meaningful story shaped by history, culture, and deep regional pride.
From the smoky barbecue pits of the east to grandma’s hearty Sunday dinner table in the mountains, the state’s iconic dishes have warmed hearts and nourished communities for generations.
Growing up in the Tar Heel State, I witnessed firsthand how food brings people together—whether it’s gathering for holidays, enjoying a summer cookout, or sharing biscuits at breakfast. These meals spark lively debates about which style reigns supreme, but beyond taste, they create lasting traditions, cherished family moments, and unforgettable memories.
1. Smoky Pork Paradise: North Carolina-Style Barbecue
Lord have mercy, there’s nothing that sparks more passionate debate among North Carolinians than our barbecue traditions! Eastern-style brings whole-hog cooking with that tangy, pepper-flecked vinegar sauce that’ll make your taste buds dance. Over in Lexington, they focus on pork shoulders with a slightly sweeter, tomato-tinged dip.
My grandpa swore by Eastern-style, claiming the vinegar cut through the fat “just right.” Meanwhile, my cousin from Lexington wouldn’t touch it without that tomato kick. Family reunions became barbecue battlegrounds!
Either way, expect tender, smoky meat that’s been cooking low and slow, usually served with slaw (mayo or vinegar-based, another heated debate) and hushpuppies.
2. Loaded Happiness: Carolina-Style Cheeseburgers & Hot Dogs
Y’all haven’t lived until you’ve bitten into a proper Carolina-style burger or hot dog! The magic formula? A grilled all-beef patty or dog topped with homemade chili (no beans, please!), creamy coleslaw, diced onions, and a squiggle of yellow mustard.
My first Carolina burger came from a roadside stand outside Raleigh. The juice ran down my arm, the slaw added cool crunch, and that slightly spicy chili tied everything together perfectly. I was hooked for life!
These messy masterpieces require at least three napkins and deliver pure comfort with every bite. Local joints often serve them wrapped in wax paper, ready to satisfy cravings that fancy food just can’t touch.
3. Golden Treasures: Calabash Seafood
Named after the tiny fishing town on NC’s southern coast, Calabash seafood is our claim to crispy, golden perfection. The secret’s in the light cornmeal breading and quick frying that leaves shrimp, flounder, and oysters with a delicate crunch while keeping the seafood tender and sweet.
Summers at my aunt’s beach house meant Friday night Calabash feasts. We’d pile plates high with fried shrimp, devour hushpuppies dipped in honey butter, and compete to see who could eat the most oysters.
Calabash-style restaurants typically serve massive platters with french fries, coleslaw, and those addictive little hushpuppies. The best places are often unassuming buildings with hand-painted signs and lines out the door.
4. Cherry-Red Nostalgia: Cheerwine
That first sip of Cheerwine hits you with wild cherry flavor and enough bubbles to make your nose tingle! This ruby-red soda has been bottled in Salisbury since 1917, making it a true North Carolina treasure.
During summer cookouts, my dad would fill a washtub with ice and Cheerwine bottles. The neighborhood kids would come running when they heard that distinctive cap pop. Nothing washed down barbecue better!
The extra-fizzy, slightly medicinal (in the best way) flavor profile makes it instantly recognizable. Locals use it in everything from barbecue sauce to chocolate cake. You haven’t experienced North Carolina until you’ve had a cold Cheerwine with your pulled pork sandwich on a hot summer day.
5. Melt-in-Your-Mouth Magic: Krispy Kreme Donuts
The glowing “Hot Now” sign at Krispy Kreme is practically a state symbol! When that neon beacon lights up, North Carolinians drop everything and make a beeline for Winston-Salem’s greatest gift to the world – those impossibly light, perfectly glazed donuts.
My high school basketball team celebrated every victory with a dozen hot originals. Watching them glide under that waterfall of glaze on the conveyor belt was hypnotic. The first bite always dissolved on your tongue in sugary bliss!
Founded in Winston-Salem in 1937, these pillowy circles of joy have a paper-thin crust that gives way to airy, warm dough. The signature glaze crackles just slightly before melting completely – an experience no other donut has managed to replicate.
6. Earthy Delights: North Carolina Sweet Potatoes
North Carolina grows more sweet potatoes than any other state, and we’ve turned cooking them into an art form! From Thanksgiving casseroles topped with marshmallows to savory roasted wedges with rosemary, these orange beauties appear on tables year-round.
Grandma Ruth’s sweet potato pie was legendary in our family. Her secret was boiling the potatoes with the skin on, then adding a splash of orange juice to the filling. The kitchen would fill with cinnamon-spiced warmth that meant holidays had officially begun.
Our state’s sandy soil creates the perfect growing conditions for these nutritional powerhouses. Local farmers markets overflow with varieties you won’t find in supermarkets – purple-fleshed, white, and petite fingerlings that showcase the vegetable’s versatility beyond the casserole dish.
7. Tangy Tradition: Mount Olive Pickles
From the tiny town of Mount Olive comes North Carolina’s most famous pickle! Since 1926, these crisp, tangy cucumber creations have been adding the perfect crunch to sandwiches and burgers across the South.
Saturday lunches at my house always featured a pickle plate. Dad would slice Mount Olive dills into spears while telling us about the annual New Year’s Eve Pickle Drop. We’d giggle at the thought of a giant pickle descending as the clock struck midnight!
The company still uses a traditional brining process that gives their pickles that distinctive snap. Beyond the classic dill, they make everything from sweet gherkins to hot and spicy chips. True pickle aficionados know that a proper Carolina cookout isn’t complete without that iconic green jar on the table.
8. Fruity Comfort: Surry County Sonker
Sonker defies easy description – part cobbler, part deep-dish pie, all delicious! This rustic fruit dessert from Surry County was born of necessity, stretching seasonal fruits into a filling, sweet treat for hardworking farm families.
My first sonker experience came at a church potluck in Mount Airy. An elderly woman brought a blackberry version in a well-worn rectangular pan. “It ain’t pretty, but it’ll stick to your ribs,” she promised. She wasn’t wrong!
Traditional sonkers feature whatever fruit is abundant – blackberries, peaches, sweet potatoes, or apples – baked with a pourable batter or dough. The signature touch is the “dip” – a sweet, milky sauce poured over the top while still hot. Each family guards their recipe like treasure.
9. Sweet Morning Bliss: Moravian Sugar Cake
Winston-Salem’s Moravian heritage gifted us this heavenly breakfast treat! Imagine a pillowy yeast dough pressed with little wells filled with melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon – simple ingredients transformed into something magical.
Easter mornings weren’t complete without Moravian sugar cake in our house. Mom would pick one up from the bakery the day before, and the aroma of warm cinnamon would fill the kitchen as she heated it slightly before serving.
The Moravians, who settled in the Piedmont region in the 1700s, brought this recipe from their European homeland. The traditional version features those signature sugar-filled dimples that caramelize during baking. One bite of this tender, buttery cake explains why it’s remained a beloved tradition for centuries.
10. Savory Simplicity: Moravian Chicken Pie
Don’t you dare call it pot pie! This Moravian specialty contains no vegetables – just tender chunks of chicken enveloped in rich gravy between two perfect layers of flaky pastry crust.
Grandma made these for Sunday dinners, serving thick wedges with mashed potatoes on the side. The crust would shatter delicately with each forkful, revealing steaming chicken pieces swimming in savory gravy. No carrots or peas to get in the way of pure chicken goodness!
The Moravian settlers who brought this recipe to the Winston-Salem area prized simplicity and quality ingredients. Modern versions sometimes add a sprinkle of herbs, but purists insist on the traditional chicken-only filling. Local church fundraisers often sell these pies by the hundreds, with loyal customers placing orders weeks in advance.
11. Warming Wonder: Chicken Mull
When winter winds howl across eastern North Carolina, locals warm up with chicken mull – a velvety, comforting stew that’s like a hug in a bowl! This simple combination of chicken, broth, butter, and milk or cream gets thickened with crushed saltine crackers.
Uncle Jim would make enormous pots of mull for family gatherings at his farmhouse. We’d gather around the woodstove with steaming bowls, dipping cornbread into the creamy mixture while catching up on family news.
Traditional mull festivals still happen in small communities, with cooks competing for the best recipe. Served in Styrofoam cups with saltines on the side for extra crumbling, this humble dish represents community spirit and making something special from basic ingredients – the essence of North Carolina cooking.
12. Cornmeal Cloud: Southern Spoonbread
Hovering magically between cornbread and soufflé, spoonbread is the feather-light side dish that elevates any Southern meal! This custardy cornmeal creation gets its name from the spoon required to serve its soft, pudding-like texture.
My first attempt at making spoonbread was for a potluck dinner. The recipe came from my great-grandmother’s handwritten cookbook, yellowed with age and spotted with cornmeal. Everyone asked for seconds, and I felt connected to generations of Carolina cooks before me.
Made with cornmeal, eggs, butter, and milk, traditional spoonbread puffs up gloriously in the oven before settling into its signature texture. Some cooks add cheese or herbs, but purists prefer the simple version that lets the sweet corn flavor shine through alongside smoky barbecue or savory greens.
13. River Bounty: Crispy Fried Catfish
From the Catawba to the Cape Fear, North Carolina’s rivers have long provided bountiful catfish for Friday fish fries and summer gatherings! The perfect catfish has a cornmeal coating seasoned with salt and pepper, fried until golden but still moist inside.
Fishing with my grandfather meant the possibility of fresh catfish for dinner. He’d clean them riverside, and by evening, the fish would be sizzling in Grandma’s cast-iron skillet. The anticipation was almost as delicious as the first crispy bite!
Local fish camps serve catfish with all the fixings – hushpuppies, coleslaw, and tartar sauce. The best places use farm-raised North Carolina catfish with sweet, clean flavor. Some add a sprinkle of hot sauce or squeeze of lemon, but good catfish needs little embellishment.
14. Soulful Greens: Slow-Cooked Collards
A pot of collard greens simmering on the stove signals comfort is coming! These sturdy leaves transform through long, slow cooking with smoked ham hocks, becoming tender, flavorful, and absolutely essential to any North Carolina Sunday dinner.
My grandmother would start her collards after church, letting them bubble away all afternoon. The kitchen would fill with that distinctive aroma – earthy, smoky, and promising. We’d sop up the potlikker (cooking liquid) with cornbread, not wasting a drop of that vitamin-rich goodness.
Traditional North Carolina collards cook until silky-soft, seasoned with vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. The greens absorb the smokiness from the meat, creating complex flavor from simple ingredients. Nothing represents our state’s agricultural heritage and resourcefulness better than a perfect pot of collards.