Discovering BBQ

[jogoode]

My friends want to drive from NJ to Florida for some beach fun. I only agreed to drive with them if they stopped for BBQ along the way. I'm looking for recommendations in NC, SC, and Georgia. I'm not limiting myself to BBQ so more general recs would be great too. To keep the discussion as specific as possible, I'd prefer restaurants in the eastern part of each state.

[Holly Moore]

I've got you pretty well covered for North Carolina. At someone's recommendation on eGullet, the bbq joints on HollyEats.Com now have the Interstate designation with the listing.

My favorite of the bunch, Sweatman's BBQ just outside Holly Hill SC.

Carolina BBQ at HollyEats.Com

[joler]

I have not checked out the site, but unless you stop in Lexington, NC for Barbecue, you haven't experienced it yet...

[Robin Meredith]

If you're looking for some fun reading to go along with your journey, pick up a copy of Smokestack Lightning by Lolis Eric Elie (available from Amazon). He only devotes one chapter to the Carolinas, but he discusses some specific joints in a fair amount of detail, and the rest of the book is a great read. If memory serves, I think he also covers one or two places in Georgia.

Have a great trip!

[Varmint]

Here are some barbecue links from the early days of eGullet.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=28&t=5661

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=28&t=5645

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=28&t=6168

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...ST&f=28&t=12901

Enjoy!!!

[Holly Moore]

I have not checked out the site, but unless you stop in Lexington, NC for Barbecue, you haven't experienced it yet...

I assume you're talking about Lexington #1. Excellent BBQ but way out of the way, off of I-85 instead of I-95.

For the record, my three favorite BBQ's in the Carolina's are Allen and Son in Chapel Hill, Sweatman's in Holly Hill and Lexington #1. But only Sweatman's if close to I-95

I've heard great things about The Skylight Inn in Ayden NC, about 50 miles off I-95. Some very knowledgable folk claim it to be the best in the state.

[Varmint]

Please also note that Holly has barely made a dent in the hundreds of barbecue joints in the Carolinas. Give him a few more years, however!!!

[Holly Moore]

What is amazing about BBQ in the Carolinas, especially NC, is that there is at least one good to great BBQ joint in just about every town, big or small, that you pass through.

[Andrew Fenton]

What is amazing about BBQ in the Carolinas, especially NC, is that there is at least one good to great BBQ joint in just about every town, big or small, that you pass through.

Amen to that. My best results for finding 'cue in North Carolina all came from pulling into a small town and asking the guys sitting outside the gas station where to find the stuff.

That's how we found Lane's Family Barbecue and Seafood in Edenton. Excellent barbecue, but probably out of your way.

In Charleston, Bessinger's is a solid, mustard-based barbecue. Their hush puppies and onion rings are terrific, too.

In Savannah, try Wall's BBQ (get the Brunswick stew.) Carey Hilliard's is a local chain that's always reliable. Also very good is Johnny Harris; there, you also get to eat in a cool hexagonal-shaped room with murals and lights in the ceiling meant to look like stars...

[jogoode]

Thank you all so much for the suggestions. The more suggestions I get the more arduous this trip will be for my beach-bound buddies.

In your responses, I heard only one mention of mustard based BBQ. I heard that was all there was in the CArolinas. What's the deal?

[Holly Moore]

Mustard based is South Carolina Style though it occasionally slips across the border to North Carolina.

North Carolina has two styles. Eastern NC and Western NC. Eastern Style uses the whole hog. The sauce is vinegar based, no tomato products added. Western Style uses the pork shoulder and the sauce has ketchup added.

I like the mustard kick in SC style. Sweatman's is SC style.

I believe also that Eastern NC style also throws some mustard into their cole slaw.

[nerissa]

It has been 10 years since my daddy and I did a bbq trip, heading up from Charleston, but I remember a great place in Darlington, SC.

[Andrew Fenton]

I think it's western NC style that also puts cole slaw on a BBQ sandwich. Which when translated to Detroit is called "soul on a roll." You gotta love that.

[jogoode]

Holly,

Your Website is incredible! And I wanted to tell you that I saw you on the Sandwich Show on channel 13 (13 in NY/NJ). That was before my and eGullet's paths converged.