The Best BBQ in Charlotte NC | 16 Area Barbecue Restaurants
Are you team eastern-style or team western-style?
From whole-hog to pork shoulder, burnt ends to brisket, smoked wings and a few racks of ribs in between, this comprehensive list of Queen City bbq joints highlights the best bbq in Charlotte and the surrounding areas.
Looking for other Charlotte North Carolina dining guides? Check out the best wings in Charlotte, the best pizza in Charlotte, the best patios in Charlotte, and the best brunch in Charlotte.
REGIONAL STYLES OF BARBECUE
There are two main styles of North Carolina barbecue: Eastern style and Lexington (or Piedmont) style.
The difference between the two comes down to the part of the pig used and the style of sauce. Eastern-style barbecue is “whole hog” barbecue with a vinegar based sauce. Lexington style uses the meat from the pork shoulder and a vinegar and ketchup or tomato based sauce.
Beyond North Carolina ‘cue, there are four distinct styles of barbecue across the United States that you can find in and around Charlotte.
South Carolina has a distinct style of barbecue, but nationally, the Carolinas are often lumped together as a category. South Carolina barbecue is distinct from North Carolina’s Eastern style or Lexington Style because while they also use the whole hog, South Carolina barbecue uses mustard in either the rub, the sauce, or both.
Texas-style barbecue is all about meat with a simple salt and pepper rub. With Texas-style barbecue you’ll find a variety of meat like brisket, ribs and sausage. The meat is cooked low and slow over oak or pecan wood for 10 hours or longer.
Kansas City has a history as a meatpacking hub; Kansas City style features different cuts of meat are coated with a spicy rub and cooked over hickory smoke and served with a sweet and tangy tomato and molasses based BBQ sauce.
Memphis style barbecue features pulled pork and pork ribs dry rubbed with a variety of spices featuring prominently paprika and garlic. After the meat is rubbed, it is cooked in a big pit with not glaze or sauce applied throughout the cooking process. Memphis style barbecue sauce is a tangy tomato based sauce.
NORTH CAROLINA BBQ ROAD TRIP
If you’re up for a little adventure beyond Charlotte, you can find some slow smoked gems just a short drive away:
Lexington Barbecue (Lexington, NC) – Known as the “Barbecue Capital of the World,” this iconic spot serves up pit-cooked pork shoulder with that signature red vinegar sauce. A must for any BBQ purist
- Boulevard Barbecue (Morganton, NC) — Pork is slow cooked for 18 hours over hickory wood and served with scratch made sauces.
12 Bones Smokehouse (Asheville, NC) – Beloved for creative takes on barbecue (blueberry-chipotle ribs, anyone?) and a favorite of none other than President Obama (sadly our beloved Buxton Hall closed a few years ago).
- The Pedalin’ Pig (Banner Elk, NC)– The perfect pit stop after a hike in Grandfather Mountain State Park (fun fact, we ate lunch here the day we got engaged!)
Picnic (Durham, NC) — Known for their whole hog barbecue and namesake picnic tables.
Country Barbecue (Greensboro, NC) Simple, affordable, and authentic Lexington-style BBQ that locals swear by. The chopped pork sandwiches with slaw are a must.
Randy’s Bar-B-Q (Statesville, NC ) Old-school, no-frills, and beloved for its smoky chopped pork and sweet tea. A quick, easy drive from Charlotte.
Now that we’ve brushed up on our BBQ styles and regional rivalries, it’s time to dig into the real fun—the best spots for BBQ in Charlotte (and a few worth the drive)!
Charlotte NC Barbecue Map
JON G’S BBQ | PEACHLAND, NC
116 Glenn Falls St.
Peachland, NC 28133
If you are a bbq lover, listen up!
And yes, yes, I know Peachland is not Charlotte (it’s 45 minutes from Charlotte) but Jon G’s deserves to be at the top of this list!
Here me out: you can get the best bbq in the Charlotte area, dare I say maybe in the state of North Carolina, in a small counter service restaurant in the middle of nowhere in Anson County. And, you’re going to have to line up a few hours ahead of opening in order to get the good stuff.
Why the long wait? Well Jon G’s is only open on Saturdays from 11am to sell out and it’s a local favorite.
So don’t worry about the line; it’s part of the experience. Barbecue has always been a communal event, so the wait at Jon G’s is less like a line, and more like a party.
The line starts to form on Saturdays in Peachland around 8am, and is definitely established by 9, two hours before the restaurant opens at 11. Bring a few chairs, a few beers and settle in for cold ones, music and community.
Once you get to the front of the line, get ready to order, and I recommend getting a little bit of everything from the Texas style menu. The menu items are split up into four categories: meat, sandwiches, sides and specials, and we usually order enough to eat in the small space or at one of the picnic tables out back, and then pack up the rest to go and eat the rest of the weekend.
If you can’t make the pilgrimage to Peachland, you can find Jon G’s food truck at a variety of pop ups around Charlotte at breweries and bottle shops. But make sure you get to those early too…there is always a line!
SWEET LEW’S BBQ | CHARLOTTE, NC
923 Belmont Ave
Charlotte, NC 28205
Looking for authentic North Carolina barbecue in Charlotte? Look no further than Sweet Lew’s in the Belmont neighborhood. Inspired by the legendary Lexington Barbecue, Chef Lewis Donald looked to fill a gap in Charlotte’s restaurant scene: a casual, counter-style barbecue shop.
Sweet Lew’s is home to the only true smoker in all of Charlotte and uses a mix of local hickory, peach, and pecan wood to smoke their meats.
Sweet Lew’s calls an old service station turned smoke shack home, where they’re serving classic North Carolina chopped pork, smoked brisket, bbq chicken, pork ribs, Brunswick stew and wings with all the fixings ‘til sell out: mac n’ cheese, collard greens, boiled peanuts, baked beans, and slaw. Don’t forget banana pudding for dessert!
BAR-B-Q KING | CHARLOTTE, NC
2900 Wilkinson Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28208
Type of BBQ: Eastern style
Things to know: A Charlotte institution! Old fashioned drive in restauranT
A West Charlotte treasure since 1959 (you’ve likely seen it on your drive to the airport), this historic drive in on Wilkinson Boulevard still serves barbecue sandwiches curbside (among other things including hot dogs, hamburgers and seafood).
Come to Bar-B-Q King for an authentic drive-in experience and an order of their famous fried chicken dunked in barbecue sauce, which was featured on Food Network’s Diners Drive ins and Dives.
BUBBA’S BARBECUE | CHARLOTTE, NC
4400 Sunset Road
Charlotte, NC 28216
Bubba’s has been a long time Queen City favorite since its original concept, Jackson and Spoon’s opened in 1963 (in 1987, owner Ralph “Bubba” Miller purchased the original restaurant and recipes, and then renamed the restaurant and moved it to its current location on Sunset Road in 1994). Bubba’s uses a 33-hour process to cook the whole hog and bring customers some of the finest Eastern style swine in the state.
THE IMPROPER PIG | CHARLOTTE, NC
9855 Sandy Rock Place
Charlotte, NC 28277
Leave your regional barbecue debates at the door and become a barbecue explorer at The Improper Pig, where barbecue from all over the country and world is celebrated.
The menu is a combination of classics like Carolina pork and St. Louis style ribs, with new influences such as Southern egg rolls, Korean barbecue salmon and even a vegetarian “no pig” portabella mushroom sandwich.
MAC’S SPEED SHOP | CHARLOTTE, NC
2511 South Blvd
Charlotte, NC 28203
Mac’s Speed Shop serves Carolina-style pulled pork, dry rubbed beef brisket and a menu full of distinctive Southern fare.
Mac’s first fired up its smokers in 2005 inside a converted motor shop in Charlotte’s South End (fun fact: Mac’s is named after the guy that worked on car transmissions). Founders Wynn Davis and Hall Johnston set out to create something the city was missing: a spot where barbecue lovers, beer enthusiasts, and motorcycle fans could all feel right at home.
Today, Mac’s has grown far beyond its South End roots. With 10 locations across North Carolina—including Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, and Raleigh—as well as one in Greenville, South Carolina, Mac’s Speed Shop has become a go-to hangout for anyone craving great barbecue with a side of atmosphere.
Wash your pulled pork down with a side of cold craft beer; the hometown chain boasts over 60 beers on tap and sponsors a beer club.
MCKOY’S SMOKEHOUSE AND SALOON | CHARLOTTE, NC
4630 Old Pineville Road
Charlotte, NC 28217
A south Charlotte staple for nearly two decades, McKoy’s is the kind of place where the smell of woodsmoke hits you before you even step inside. Known for its award-winning ribs, hearty Southern sides, and even a homemade coconut pie that locals swear by, the restaurant blends a laid-back sports bar vibe with the comfort of true smokehouse cooking.
McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon is a true family operation down to its name; brothers Ryan and Jim Register teamed up with their father, Namon, to gather the best of their family recipes, and named the spot after Namon’s dad.
The menu highlights those signature flavors in everything from pork-studded pinto beans and creamy potato salad to that famous coconut pie (still a tightly held family secret).
MIDWOOD SMOKEHOUSE | CHARLOTTE, NC
1401 Central Avenue
Charlotte NC 28205
Restaurateur Frank Scibelli visited barbecue joints throughout Texas before debuting his popular concept, Midwood Smokehouse, on Central Avenue (Midwood has multiple locations across the Charlotte area including Park Road Shopping Center, Ballantyne, and Birkdale Village in Huntersville).
Midwood’s cooks go to professional brisket school where they learn tricks of the trade (including how to burn hickory logs 24 hours a day) to slow smoke the restaurant’s Texas-style brisket and burnt ends. Sides that aren’t to be missed include the bacon wrapped jalapenos, mac n cheese and collards
NOBLE SMOKE | CHARLOTTE, NC
2216 Freedom Drive
Charlotte, NC 28208
OOOWEEE BBQ | CHARLOTTE, NC
“You name it, we smoke it,” is the motto of one of Charlotte’s favorite food trucks, OooWee BBQ. With sandwiches, plates, barbecue egg rolls and sundaes loaded with mac ‘n cheese, baked beans, coleslaw, barbecue sauce and your choice of meat, OooWee BBQ has a little bit of something for everyone.
THE Q SHACK | CHARLOTTE, NC
10822 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28277
If you’re looking for pork in a pinch, look no further than the fast casual Q Shack in the Promenade on Providence. The small, regional chain’s Charlotte location (the original is in Durham) will satisfy your ‘cue cravings with a hickory smoked pork butt sandwich or a chile rubbed beef brisket.
UNION BARBECUE
JIM ‘N NICK’S BAR-B-Q | CONCORD, NC
7791 Gateway Lane NW
Concord, NC 28027
Type of BBQ: Southern barbecue
Things to know: The Concord location is perfect for after a day of shopping at the outlets
Why we like it: Its casual and reliable
What to order: Barbecue sandwich (pork, brisket, chicken or turkey) with a side
Jim ‘N Nick started smoking pork when dad and son duo, Jim and Nick, reclaimed an old pizza parlor in Birmingham, Alabama.
Today, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q boasts 34 restaurants across seven states (their two Charlotte locations are in Concord and Steele Creek) where they teach local owners, cooks and pitmasters the recipes, techniques and flavors of Southern barbecue with the focus on a variety of low and slow smoked meats including pulled pork, pulled chicken, beef brisket, turkey breast, pork hot links and baby back ribs.
RAYNATHAN’S | GASTONIA, NC
4571 S New Hope Road
Gastonia, NC 28056
Type of BBQ: Primarily Western-style
Things to know: Only open 4 days a week, no reservations, long line at peak times
Why we like it / What we love: Good for groups, very casual, worth the wait
What to order: pulled pork sandwich, brisket, fried okra, corn, banana pudding, peach cobbler
If you have time to venture to Gastonia between Thursday and Sunday, RayNathan’s is a treat. It looks like classic BBQ joint on the outside and feels like a cafeteria inside, with big tables for groups. Since it’s only open a few days a week, there’s always a line, so go early. (You can also order carryout ahead of time if you don’t want to wait!) You’ll order at the front, then the food is brought to your table.
Expect huge portions of pulled pork, brisket and made-from-scratch sides like mac and cheese and fried okra, plus the always classic banana pudding or peach cobbler. Be sure to try your BBQ with their signature Sundrop BBQ Sauce.
RED BRIDGES BARBECUE LODGE | SHELBY, NC
2000 E Dixon Blvd
Shelby, NC 28150
Barbecue runs in the Bridges’ family. Red and Lyttle Bridges opened their family’s first barbecue joint in Shelby in 1946 serving pit cooked pork and classic Southern sides.
Seventy years later, Red and Lyttle’s grandchildren run Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge where they’re still serving customers the signature “Shelby style” hickory smoked, slow cooked barbecue (Shelby style is a cross between Western and Eastern styles with a ketchup-vinegar base).
JAKE’S, AN R&R BAR-B-Q RESTAURANT
Bob Critz and Rob Emore share more than just a name, they also share a love for true Eastern-style, vinegar-based barbecue.
With a shared initial, the two opened a restaurant next to the railroad tracks in Concord in 1998 serving up Easter style ‘cue with all the fixings.
The restaurant rebranded in 2019 in honor of Bob’s son, Jake, who became part of the R&R legacy but sadly lost his life battling addiction.
