Address - 817 Cumnock Road, Sanford NC Map
Style - Sit-down Restaurant
Cumnock is a typical small NC town. The town is the center of an old mining district with multiple historic and a few current mines in the area. You can find a map of the mines in a small county park just north of town which surrounds an early twentieth century camelback truss bridge. When you go to Cumnock for the barbecue, the Deep River Bridge is worth your time. Bud's Barbecue is certainly worth your time.
Bud's is in a small building that does not stand out, except that there are virtually no commercial buildings in town. The interior is classic NC barbecue joint. Posted on the wall is a Best Barbecue in Lee County award. There are maybe dozen tables.
My lunch was a plate of chopped barbecue ( no sliced barbecue, here ) with hushpuppies, lima beans and fried squash. The barbecue was excellent with a nice scattering of red pepper and a mild vinegar sauce. I experimented with the table sauces. Both the vinegar sauce and molasses sauce were nicely defined and complemented the meat in their own way. The hushpuppies and lima beans were freshly made. These were what I expect in a good Southern restaurant. The fried squash was one of the best sides I have ever had in a Southern restaurant. The sliced yellow squash were lightly fried with a minimum of breading and oil. Overall, one of the best meals I have had in a barbecue joint in a long time.
There are other options on the menu. I would love to try more of the sides and maybe get to the non-barbecue after a couple of dozen visits.