As I am traveling through much of the South this June and July, this post picks up with samples from North Carolina and Virginia. The first one covered Louisiana and Texas. The second post covered, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. This is a very unscientific sampling taken from doing a search on the likely places we might stop for a meal. We consulted the Southern BBQ Trail, as well as doing simple searches.
This first is Anderson’s Grill in Tar Heel, North Carolina. It was not reselected but we drove past it as we went through town. It looked appealing so we forgot our Fayetteville pick, The Barbecue Hut, and turned around and went back. We were rewarded for our decision with some wonderful Eastern Carolina pulled pork. The sides were slaw and onion rings, along with hush puppies. What more could you ask for? Then I saw the road sign below for fried squash for $1.60 and added that to our order. It was another good decision. I have not had fried summer squash like this before. It is located at 14311 NC Highway 87 W, Tar Heel, NC 28392, Cross Streets: Between Robeson St and 2nd St. (910) 862-7717
The Pit, our Raleigh pick, was given to us from some knowledgeable residents of the state, well know for its cue. We also had a good article in the Our State magazine for additional reference. Then we found out our friends in Raleigh had made a reservation there before we even mentioned it. The Pit offers the whole hog and pit cooker cue. “The pigs used to produce the barbecue are all raised in North Carolina using free-range farming practices, and the freshest of the state's bountiful produce is featured in the starters, sides and desserts.”
It was the opposite of Anderson’s in terms of fame as it has been featured in national magazines and all the major TV networks as well as the Food Network. We shared some Brunswick Stew, Skillet Cornbread, Carolina Ribs, Chopped Pork (Eastern Carolina Whole Hog style), Brisket, Fried Okra, Slaw, Creamed Corn, and Sweet Potato Fries. All were good. The meat dishes were the best we have had so far on this trip. The Pit is located at 328 W. Davie St. in a “contemporary setting in a beautifully restored 1930s meatpacking warehouse.” 919-890-4500.
On our way North we made the last stop on this leg of the BBQ tour. It was Smoking Bones in Fredericksburg, VA. This was another squeaky clean place in a suburban mall but the food was still good. We have to be more astute in our searches. However, this one gave us a wide spectrum in the three places featured in this post. We had ribs two ways. The smaller Baby Back ribs were a bit over cooked and tough. However, the larger St. Louis ribs were quite good, as was the smoked wings we started with. The onion rings were fine but likely came from a frozen package as they looked like supermarket rings.
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