BBQ Places in Charlotte (preferably NC style) (Gastonia, Lexington: house, buying)

[Metallisteve]

Originally Posted by superk

Cochran Commons, where the Harris Teeter, Caribou Coffee, Bear Rock, Cold Stone, etc. are. It used to be a pizza place, then a burrito place.

The BBQ next to Northern Tool, Bert N' Gert's BBQ, closed a while back.

Oh...dang it. I always wanted to try it out. Guess I should have while I could have!

[car421]

The Rock Store BBQ in Stallings is great. I think they just opened a 2nd store in Mint Hill.

[LLN]

Gary's -- China Grove

[Megax]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

Oh...dang it. I always wanted to try it out. Guess I should have while I could have!

You'd better go quick if you wanna try it out, because it probably won't be open for long. I'm not from NC, but judging by what they are passing off as BBQ pork and BBQ chicken that just ain't gonna fly around here.

I got a pound of pork 'to go' and was disappointed that it was still fatty, very over-cooked and still in rather large pieces. I'm not a BBQ snob or someone who is complaining about the nuances - the pork was simply tough to chew through, like leather. I was envisioning pork served the same way as either Bubba's or Smithfields....or Sonny's for that matter. Oh yeah - their BBQ pork is served without BBQ sauce......totally plain.

The toast was also a decent idea, like a previous poster mentioned, however when you put it inside a polystyrene box with the steaming pork, it's gonna be soggy, so straight into the trash.

I went back a week later and tried their BBQ chicken sandwich. This was served in 2 pieces of their toast, but again the chicken was not BBQ's at all - it was totally plain. And rather than the chicken being chopped or pulled, it was more like little chicken pellets. Really strange.

On the plus side, their mac'n'cheese and hush puppies were passable.

Dunno if you listed this place already, but BobbeeO's BBQ on Old Statesville Rd/Harris Blvd is another local option.

[Akhenaton06]

I tried Elliott's BBQ once. That was a waste of gas.

I think that I'll just stick to picking up some BBQ whenever I go back home to SC (and the next time, thankfully, will be tomorrow!). Nothing like that good ol' mustard-style 'cue with a side of hash and rice, cole slaw, a slice of red velvet cake, and sweet tea!

[Metallisteve]

Originally Posted by lumbollo

This is where they hold the yearly Mallard Creek BBQ...

The Mallard Creek BBQ is held here: Click Here

The Oehler's Mallard Creek BBQ is here: Click Here

They might cater the Mallard Creek BBQ annual event, but their place of business is different than the event.

[mullman]

Trust me on this.
Take a little road trip and enjoy the backroads to Rockwell, NC (about 50 mins from CLT).

Darrell's BBQ
117 E Main St
Rockwell, NC 28138

If that is too much of a small town for you, then try my second favorite:

Richard's Bar B-Q
522N Main Street
Salisbury, NC 28144

I won't steer you wrong.
Some stuff around town is great, esp Kristophers in Matthews (THU only).
But the places I am telling you about have great hushpuppies, sauce, and small town NC BBQ ambiance as well.
Try them, these are the real deal.

[lumbollo]

Originally Posted by Metallisteve

....
They might cater the Mallard Creek BBQ annual event, but their place of business is different than the event.

I seem to remember them having to have it at a different location due to the size. Go try the other place that I pointed out in that topic. You will like it and it is in Charlotte. i.e. you won't need to drive across 1/2 the Piedmont to get there.

[nchiker]

Wow this is great information!

My real frustration with bbq in Charlotte is that finding NC style is difficult -- many of the places here seem to cater to other styles (Texas, KC, etc.), as I guess people are more familiar with them, particularly those that have moved to the area from other parts of the country.

A book I recently read -- and highly recommend -- is Holy Smoke, which discusses the history, impact, and current state of NC BBQ. It argues that in NC there are really only 2 types of BBQ (ALWAYS pork) that are native to the state: Eastern style, and Piedmont/Lexington style. The sweet thick sauces that you see in so many places in Charlotte and the mountains and other tourist spots are imports from other parts of the country.

[arbyunc]

Sorry, but the best barbecue in Charlotte can only be found about 3 hours' drive to the east. Some would suggest that you can find good barbecue in Lexington, or even Shelby, but those people have lived too far inland for way too long.