These North Carolina BBQ Joints Locals Swear Have The Best Pulled Pork
There’s nothing that sparks fiercer debates in North Carolina than barbecue, and I’m not just talking about the sauce. Eastern versus Lexington style, chopped versus pulled, vinegar versus tomato…ask ten locals and you’ll get ten passionate answers.
As a Carolina native, I’ve spent years chasing down the perfect pulled pork: that smoky, tender meat that practically melts on your fork and leaves you craving the next bite.
Every town has its ride-or-die BBQ joint, the place folks will happily drive an hour for, arguing the whole way about why theirs is the best. The eight spots that follow aren’t just restaurants; they’re institutions, built on generations of pit mastery and family recipes.
1. Skylight Inn BBQ
The first time I walked into Skylight Inn, the aroma nearly knocked me off my feet! Since 1947, this humble joint with its distinctive capitol dome has been serving what many consider the purest form of Eastern NC barbecue.
Whole hogs cook slowly over oak wood, creating that signature vinegar-pepper flavor that makes Eastern-style BBQ so special. The Jones family hasn’t changed their recipe in over 70 years, and locals wouldn’t have it any other way.
Don’t expect fancy fixings here – just perfect chopped pork, cornbread, and slaw served on paper trays. That simplicity is exactly why it’s legendary.
2. Sam Jones BBQ
“Y’all ain’t lived till you’ve tried Sam’s pork!” declared my uncle on a sweltering July afternoon. As the grandson of Skylight Inn’s founder, Sam Jones carries on his family legacy while adding his own contemporary touch to Eastern Carolina traditions.
The pitmasters here smoke whole hogs for 16 hours over oak and hickory. What results is barbecue perfection – tender, smoky meat with that signature vinegar tang that makes your taste buds dance.
Unlike his grandfather’s place, Sam’s joint offers a full bar and expanded menu, but that classic pulled pork remains the undisputed star of the show.
3. Midwood Smokehouse
My Charlotte friends wouldn’t stop bragging about Midwood until I finally caved and made the trip. Boy, am I glad I did! This urban smokehouse brings serious barbecue cred to the Queen City, blending traditional techniques with city sophistication.
Their pork shoulder spends hours in custom smokers before being chopped and lightly dressed in Eastern-style vinegar sauce, achieving that perfect balance of smoke-kissed exterior with melt-in-your-mouth tenderness inside.
While purists might raise eyebrows at their multiple sauce options (including a mustard-based one!), even the most traditional BBQ lovers can’t deny the quality of their perfectly smoked pork shoulder.
4. Pik N Pig BBQ
Landing a Cessna just to grab lunch might sound extreme, but pilots do it regularly at Pik N Pig! Nestled beside a small airstrip in Carthage, this quirky spot serves up some of the juiciest pulled pork I’ve ever tasted.
The owner’s grandmother’s recipes form the backbone of their menu, with pork shoulders smoking low and slow over hickory wood. heir vinegar-forward Eastern-style sauce has converted many Western NC sauce devotees I know, though hours are limited so check before you go.
Half the fun is watching small planes take off and land while you dig into a heaping tray of their hand-pulled pork. It’s a totally unique BBQ experience you won’t find anywhere else!
5. Little Richard’s Barbecue
“Get the large portion – you’ll thank me later,” advised the elderly gentleman behind me in line. Little Richard’s has been a Winston-Salem institution since 1991, but their recipes taste like they’ve been perfected over centuries.
Their Lexington-style pork shoulders come with that distinctive red hue from slow-smoking over hickory. The slightly sweet, slightly tangy tomato-based sauce perfectly complements the smokiness of the meat.
What makes their pulled pork special is the perfect balance of tender interior meat and those addictive crispy exterior bits they call “outside brown.” I’ve driven two hours just for a sandwich more times than I care to admit!
6. Grady’s Barbecue
Last summer, I followed a hand-painted sign down a country road and discovered barbecue heaven! Grady’s might be the most authentic wood-fired BBQ joint left in eastern North Carolina, with Steve and Gerri Grady still cooking whole hogs the old-school way.
The tiny cinder-block building houses pits where pork shoulders slowly transform into tender, vinegar-kissed magic. Everything here is made from scratch daily – from the cornbread to the sweet tea that somehow tastes better than anyone else’s.
Cash only, limited hours, and sometimes they sell out early. But trust me, the pulled pork with its perfect pepper-vinegar kick is absolutely worth planning your day around!
7. Stamey’s Barbecue
My grandpa swore Stamey’s hadn’t changed a bit since he first visited in the 1950s! This Greensboro landmark has been perfecting Lexington-style barbecue since 1930, making it one of the state’s oldest continuously operating BBQ joints.
The Warner Stamey pit-cooking method involves smoking pork shoulders over hickory coals for hours until the meat develops that signature pink smoke ring. Their distinctive dip (never call it sauce!) has that perfect Western NC tomato-vinegar balance.
Sitting at their formica tables with a tray of hand-chopped pork feels like stepping back in time. The restaurant might have expanded, but the recipes and techniques remain gloriously unchanged.
8. Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge
“Red would be proud,” whispered the waitress as she set down a tray piled high with some of the most beautiful pulled pork I’ve ever seen. Since 1946 (becoming Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge in 1949), the Bridges family has been smoking meat over hickory in brick pits at this Shelby institution.
Their Western-style pork shoulders cook for 10 hours before being hand-pulled into tender strands. The slightly sweet red sauce perfectly balances the rich smokiness of the meat.
The retro dining room with wood-paneled walls hasn’t changed in decades, and locals wouldn’t have it any other way. When three generations of families still eat at the same restaurant, you know they’re doing something right!