'Cue Queue

You'd never know it from the weather we've been having, but the word on the street is that summer is headed our way soon. And in my neighborhood, that means barbecue season will soon be upon us.

Before getting the grill ready (and trying out some of the newer offerings around town), I thought I might look for some inspiration from the source: in this case, Lexington, North Carolina. Who knows, I might even claim this blog as a business, get lucky with the I.R.S., and write off my trip there as a tax deduction.

I've been thinking about Lexington barbecue since last summer, when a brief trip to Charlotte (and the amazing Bill Spoon's Barbecue there) left me wishing I had the time to explore further: namely, the North Carolina Barbecue Society's Historic Barbecue Trail. For those of you unfamiliar with this particular slice of pork pit pleasure, North Carolina barbecue consists almost entirely of the shoulder, although you can get different parts of the shoulder depending on the joint (no pun intended), and your tastes.

This year, I went to Greensboro and managed to check out four of the Trail's 25 spots (pictures here).

First on the list was Little Richard’s Bar-B-Que, in Winston. As it seems to be the case with a lot of other prominent 'cue joints in the area, Little Richard's shares its name with several other restaurants, none of which have anything to do with each other. It's probably a bit like the whole Patsy's pizza thing in New York, except that the Little Richard in question here apparently has an unfortunate tendency to fall asleep at the switch and burn his joint down every so often.

That's not quite what happened on my trip, but the heat could have probably used a little taming nonetheless. We ordered our 'cue chopped coarse, which I hoped would lead to a moister meat. Unfortunately, no such luck; the bland dip (a more watery, slightly vinegary take on barbecue sauce) was no help, but the cole slaw (vinegar-based in these parts of the country) was truly extraordinary. Crisp, sharp, tangy, and slightly herb-y, it might just make me reconsider mayo-based cole slaw for my next picnic. They also had some delightful onion rings, even if they were sliced a bit thick.

Next on the list was Speedy Lohr's, in Arcadia. Though apparently only staffed by 15-year-olds and 65-year-olds, this was definitely the friendliest of the lot (although being friendly in a barbecue joint apparently consists of stopping by every three minutes and asking if you need anything), and offered the best dip: a little molass-y, and a little vinegary. The meat was a little on the non-memorable side, but they did do a nice job of not over-frying the hush puppies. Once other nice touch: the smoking section is at least twice as large as the non-smoking.

We were running a little low on time, so we took out order from The Barbecue Center to go, but not before I snapped a shot of the requisite cannibalistic animal logo. The Center had the moistest meat of the bunch, so I was sorry I didn't stick around. But I had the Lexington Barbecue on my mind, and they didn't disappoint. My two friends who were with me disagreed, but I found the meat here to be the most satisfying, thanks to a strong smokiness that clung to the pork's generous fat. The sauce tasted a bit like it might have been made by the same folks who make that awful Gravy Master stuff, but I found myself somehow liking it anyway, as it added a salty punch (and a modest heat) to all that smoke.

And the best part? The platter, which includes the meat, the slaw, and the side, never cost more than $7,

Little Richard’s Bar-B-Que, Winston-Salem
4885 Country Club Rd.
Winston-Salem, NC 27104
(336) 760-3457

Speedy Lohr’s BBQ of Arcadia
8000 N. Hwy 150 – Enterprise Rd.
Lexington, NC 27295
(336) 764-5509

The Barbecue Center, Inc., Lexington
900 N. Main Street
Lexington, NC 27292
(336) 248-4633

Lexington Barbecue, Lexington
10 Hwy 29-70 South
Lexington, NC 27295
(336) 249-9814