The Carolinas
While barbecue in most places might mean a choice of meats, in the Carolinas it means pretty much one thing: pig. It's often either pork shoulder or a whole pig slow cooked and then rendered into one of two staples of Carolina barbecue-chopped or pulled pork. What's the difference? One is chopped into a virtual pig hash, while the other is literally "pulled" from the pig in long stringy bits.
Highway 43 and B's Barbecue Rd.
Greenville, NC
This well-reviewed barbecue joint is known for having no listed business phone and frequently running out of food. But get there early, get lucky, and you're likely to get a very good meal.
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2609 Spring Rd.
Hickory, NC
828-256-2275
Offering a solid chopped pork with just a hint of mustard.
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4172 U.S. Highway 70 E
Goldsboro, NC
919-778-5218
Goldsboro is off the beaten path, but Wilber's is reputed to make it worth the trip.
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3921 Fayetteville St.
Durham, NC
919-544-1587
South Carolina–style pork (read that: mustard-based sauce) served in a charming North Carolina town.
>> Visit the Web siteUnlike much of the rest of the country, barbecue sauce in the Carolinas is all about vinegar-often leavened with some salt, cayenne, brown sugar, garlic, or whiskey. In the western part of North Carolina one might find (gasp!) a small amount of tomato paste, and further south (that would be South Carolina) don't be surprised to find mustard as the dominant flavor. But wherever you go in this famous barbecue zone, the sauce will always be quite thin relative to the thick oozing richness you'll find further west. (Our thanks to Kent Craig of Kent's North Carolina Barbecue Site for sharing a few of his recommendations.)
