8 North Carolina Barbecue Sauce Styles Locals Will Always Argue About
Nothing sparks a heated debate among North Carolinians quite like barbecue sauce.
I’ve witnessed family reunions nearly fall apart over which sauce deserves the crown as the state’s finest.
Each region fiercely defends its signature style, with recipes passed down through generations like precious heirlooms.
Whether you’re a vinegar purist or a tomato-base defender, these nine sauce styles represent the delicious battleground where barbecue traditions collide.
1. Eastern Vinegar Sauce: The Original Purist’s Choice
My great-grandpa would roll in his grave if he heard anyone call anything else “real Carolina sauce.” This crystal-clear concoction packs a wallop with its simple ingredients: white vinegar, crushed red pepper, and maybe a touch of salt and black pepper. Nothing else.
Devotees claim this minimalist approach lets the true flavor of slow-cooked whole hog shine through without masking the meat’s character. The sharp, tangy bite cuts through fatty pork perfectly, creating that signature Eastern Carolina barbecue experience.
During family cookouts in Greenville, heated arguments would erupt whenever someone suggested adding even a drop of tomato. “That’s not sauce—that’s just seasoned vinegar!” outsiders sometimes claim. Eastern sauce loyalists just smile and take another bite.
2. Lexington-Style: The Compromise That Pleases Nobody
First time I brought my Eastern NC girlfriend to a Lexington barbecue joint, she nearly disowned me. “There’s ketchup in this!” she whispered in horror. Lexington-style sauce (also called Western or Piedmont) adds a modest amount of ketchup to the vinegar base, creating a slightly thicker, reddish sauce with a hint of sweetness.
Lexington folks have perfected the art of chopped shoulder meat (never whole hog) dressed with this sauce. The subtle tomato addition balances the vinegar’s sharpness while maintaining that essential tang.
Despite being perhaps the most famous North Carolina style nationally, it somehow manages to anger purists from both extremes. Eastern folks call it “contaminated,” while heavy-tomato Western fans find it too watery.
3. Western Heavy Tomato: The Sweet Red Revolution
“That ain’t sauce, that’s ketchup!” my Eastern Carolina uncle would scoff whenever we’d visit family in Asheville. Western Heavy Tomato sauce boldly embraces what other regions consider barbecue blasphemy—a thick, sweet, tomato-dominant base that resembles what most Americans outside NC recognize as barbecue sauce.
Influenced by neighboring states, this style incorporates brown sugar, molasses, and sometimes even Worcestershire sauce. The consistency is thicker, clinging to the meat rather than soaking in.
Mountain folks defend their sweet creation fiercely, arguing it complements their preferred pork cuts perfectly. At cross-state family reunions, I’ve learned to set up separate sauce stations to prevent the inevitable sauce-based showdowns that once ruined Aunt Mabel’s wedding reception.
4. South Carolina Gold: The Border-Crossing Mustard Magic
“You brought WHAT to my cookout?” my neighbor bellowed when I unveiled this golden concoction at his Wilmington backyard gathering. Though technically from across the state line, South Carolina’s mustard-based sauce has infiltrated southern North Carolina counties, creating fierce border disputes about barbecue allegiance.
German settlers influenced this distinctive golden sauce, which blends yellow mustard with vinegar, brown sugar, and spices. The result is tangy, slightly sweet, with a complex depth unlike any other regional style.
Border county residents often maintain dual sauce citizenship, keeping both Eastern vinegar and mustard sauces on hand. My cousin married into a South Carolina family, and their holiday gatherings now require a United Nations-style negotiation about which sauces are allowed on the table.
5. Piedmont Dip: The Sandwich Specialist
“Don’t you dare call it mop sauce!” barked the pitmaster at a legendary Lexington barbecue joint when I made that rookie mistake. Piedmont Dip might look similar to regular Lexington-style sauce, but locals insist it’s a distinct creation specially formulated for the region’s famous chopped barbecue sandwiches.
Slightly thinner than standard Lexington sauce, this vinegar-ketchup blend gets absorbed into the iconic red slaw and white bread that define a proper Piedmont barbecue sandwich. The balanced acidity cuts through fatty pork while the subtle tomato sweetness enhances rather than overpowers.
I once witnessed two childhood friends nearly come to blows over whether this qualified as its own sauce category or was “just watered-down Lexington sauce.” In North Carolina, these distinctions matter more than sports rivalries.
6. Spicy Red Pepper Vinegar: The Heat Seeker’s Dream
“Careful with that one,” my grandmother warned as I reached for the unmarked bottle at our family reunion in Greenville. This Eastern region variant cranks up the heat factor of traditional vinegar sauce by doubling or tripling the crushed red pepper flakes and often adding hot sauce or cayenne.
Not technically a separate style but more of an “extreme version” of Eastern sauce, this fiery concoction has developed its own dedicated following. The intense heat builds gradually, leaving your lips pleasantly tingling long after the meal ends.
At every pig picking I’ve attended, there’s always that unmarked mason jar that only the bravest souls dare to use liberally. My uncle’s version reportedly caused my cousin’s hiccups to last three days, though that story grows more dramatic with each retelling at family gatherings.
7. Modern Fusion Sweet Heat: The New School Upstart
“That’s not Carolina barbecue!” huffed my traditionalist uncle when my cousin unveiled his award-winning sauce at the family reunion. Younger generations of North Carolina pitmasters have created controversial new hybrid sauces that blend traditional elements with modern influences like fruit juices, bourbon, coffee, or Asian spices.
These sweet-heat combinations often incorporate honey or maple syrup balanced with chipotle, habanero, or other exotic peppers. The result is complex, layered flavors that horrify purists but delight adventurous eaters.
I’ve watched heated debates unfold at barbecue competitions when these innovative sauces win over judges. My food blogger friend had his Carolina citizenship symbolically revoked by his grandfather after publishing a peach-bourbon-chipotle sauce recipe that—scandalously—went viral and attracted national attention.
8. Alabama White Sauce Invasion: The Controversial Outsider
“That’s just fancy mayonnaise!” declared my great-uncle in disgust when this alabaster interloper appeared at our church barbecue. The most controversial entry on this list isn’t even originally from North Carolina, but the mayo-based Alabama White Sauce has been making alarming inroads into our state’s barbecue culture, particularly with chicken and turkey.
Creamy, tangy, and pepper-spiked, this sauce divides North Carolinians like nothing else. Some progressive restaurants now offer it alongside traditional options, causing traditionalists to mutter about “barbecue treason.”
Last summer, my cousin’s wedding reception nearly erupted into chaos when the caterer provided white sauce without warning. The bride’s family (Eastern NC purists) and the groom’s family (culinary adventurers) engaged in a sauce debate that overshadowed the actual marriage ceremony in family retellings.