"Save My Barbecue Joint", Jonathan Childres on The Story

The Story is a daily radio program is produced at North Carolina Public Radio - WUNC and is hosted by Dick Gordon. Dick interviews people from all walks of life and tells their stories. In the April 8 broadcast, Dick interviewed Jonathan Childres, the owner of the Barbecue Joint in Chapel Hill. Jonathan tells the background of the restaurant's current financial issues and how the gift card program is coming along. The program can be downloaded at the web-page. The hour has two stories. The interview with Jonathan starts at 35:30 and runs 14:30.

Acceptable - Short Sugar's 2, Reidsville

Address - 234 S Scales St, Reidsville NC Map
Style - Lunch Counter

There are two locations for Short Sugar's in Reidsville. Both are on South Scales Street. The larger restaurant is Short Sugar's Drive-in which is a sit-down restaurant. The other is Short Sugar's 2, a lunch counter in a downtown storefront. They certainly seem related, but I do not know their history. They are not related to the (IMO) better Short Sugar's in Danville VA, a half an hour's drive north.

The menu at the lunch counter is extremely limited. Basically, you can get a sandwich or a platter with the choice of minced, chopped and sliced. Sides are slaw and hushpuppies. I had a sliced sandwich and hushpuppies for a quick and cheap lunch. The meat had a good flavor, seemed to be smoked. The slaw on the sandwich was run of the mill. The hushpuppies were overcooked.

This is a place for a quick lunch; there is free parking on the street in front of the place. For more substantial meal, head down to the Drive-in or even up to Dansville.

Update: Short Sugar's 2 has closed. The main restaurant remains open.

The Barbecue Joint Move Hits Snag

According to WRAL, the Barbecue Joint's move to the new location hit a snag, due to a couple of investors backing out. The new location, which was a book store with a small coffee bar, needs major renovations to make it a restaurant. When the investors pulled out, there was not enough money for the renovations. The owners came up with a novel way to raise cash. They will sell an investor a gift card for $1000 cash which is worth $2000 in meals. For the full story, see the link.

We wish the restaurant luck. I'd consider purchasing a card myself, but I need to spread my barbecue money around to more restaurants as a reviewer.

The Barbecue Jew Got Reviewed in the Independant

The Barbecue Jew blog got reviewed in the Independent, the Triangle's independant weekly newspaper. The Independent has some funky political slant to their main articles, but the restaurant reviews and news are generally well done.

A Cobb Salad at the Q-Shack

A buddy of mine and I had lunch at the new Q-Shack in Carrboro. He had a brisket sandwich. I had been curious about the Cobb Salad which had been recommended, so I ordered one. The salad was huge. It was made up of Romaine lettuce, cubed avocado, hard-boiled eggs and tomatoes covered with a layer of chopped smoked turkey and beef brisket. Overall, the salad tasted fantastic. The first bites of chopped brisket were a little fatty, giving a greased feel to the tongue. But that was only that little bit, as the rest was very good. My buddy, who is a Texas barbecue fan, thought the brisket was a little fatty and not the best brisket he has had in the Triangle, but not the worst either. I will return to give the Q-Shack a proper review. I do recommend the Cobb Salad.

Update: This Q-Shack has now closed.

Barbecue Pit to Open New Location in Durham

According to the Durham Herald-Sun article, the Backyard Barbecue Pit on NC 55 is opening a new location in the old Pizza Palace building at 3218 Guess Road. The building has seen a turnover in tenants in the last ten years, including a steakhouse and the latest tenant, the Pizza Palace, owned by the Rodenhizer family. The Pizza Palace was a Duke University and Durham favorite on Ninth Street since 1963, but it closed in 2008, four years after its move to Guess Road. The building sits back from the street and has a funky look.

The Backyard Barbecue Pit on NC 55 likewise gone through a history of changes. It has had at least three names as a barbecue restaurant. It was originally Lewis's and then AW's. Visits to each version found little changed except the name. The barbecue is a little acidic for this reviewer's taste, but Kent reviews it favorably. I will definitely check out the new location for another taste.

New Q-Shack Now Open in Carrboro

The Q-Shack in Carrboro opened earlier this month. It at 302 Main Street, near the Artcenter. This Q-Shack is associated with the Raleigh Q-Shack, but not the Durham branch. I have only eaten at the Durham branch. I plan to try the Carrboro branch and submit a review soon.

Update: This Q-Shack has now closed.

BBQ Jew

There's a new humorous barbecue review site run by a pair of North Carolina BBQ fans of the Jewish persuasion. There're not many reviews yet, but the humor in the FAQ and BBQ U tabs makes a visit worthwhile. There's also a respectful link to this blog in the Oinks tab, which I much appreciate.

Let's hope they keep it up, so we barbecue fans can trade info. I put a link up in the right hand panel for later viewing.

Take a look at the BBQ Jew.

Acceptable - Stephenson's Bar-B-Q, Willow Springs NC

Address - 12020 NC 50 West, Willow Spring NC, 27592 Map
Style - Sit-down Restaurant

Stephenson's is a stop on the NC Barbecue Society Historic Trail. It has been around for a long time. The address is a little confusing. The restaurant isn't in the town of Willow Springs, but out in the country a mile north of McGee Crossroads.

My lunch order was a Small Pig, a nice sized serving on coarse chopped barbecue with hushpuppies with two sides, spiced apples and cabbage, and hushpuppies. The barbecue was nicely spiced with red peppers and standard vinegar based sauce. The vegetables and hushpuppies were nicely cooked. However, everything was over moist. The pig was soogy leaving a watery juice behind. The pork was not overcooked. It was like it had sat in extra water waiting to be served. The same was true of the veggies and even the hushpuppies. I liked the taste of everything, but the extra liquid feel was offputting.

My iced tea was served with a bowl of crushed ice and a extra pitcher of tea. On the table, there was a small squeeze bottle of sauce next to a large squeeze bottle of Texas Pete. Neither of these were needed.

Dixie Belle's Has Moved

Dixie Belle's old location was in a shopping center just off US 64 in Cary. They've moved a little west to 1001 Davis Drive at Old Jenks Road, just north of US 64. Their web-site is a little funky now, but the menu looks the same. I have to drop by to see how the new place is.


1001 Davis Drive, Davis Drive Village, Apex, 1001 Davis Drive, Davis Drive Village, Apex,

Hawg Wild in Cary has Closed

Hawg Wild Smoke House and Grill in Cary has closed. They've replaced their web site with an good-bye message which really makes a statement about the state of the economy and its effect on small business. It is worth the read at hawgwildsmokehouse.com

Recommended - Bud's Barbecue, Cumnock NC

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.

Acceptable - Smokey's BBQ Shack - Morrisville

Address - 10800 Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville, NC Map
Style - Counter-service sit-down restaurant Web-site

The building was originally a barbecue restaurant, but for many years it was the Deli Box, a lunchtime spot for RTP denizens. As the Deli Box, they only served unsweetened tea. If you asked for sweet tea, they would tell you to go down to Davis Barbecue, a couple of miles down the road in Morrisville proper. The Deli Box served good sandwiches, which you could eat out on the picnic tables by the pond out back. Later, it became Rub's Smokehouse, a barbecue joint with promise. A tiff between the partner's caused Rub's to close in 2007. It was reopened by a few of the partners as Smokey's BBQ Shack. I could see no difference between Rub's and Smokey's. The restaurant and menu have not changed.

I had the pork barbecue sandwich basket. With the sandwich came hush puppies and one side, which I chose to be potato salad. The pork had flavor. It was nicely browned with a few dry bits. This is worth coming back for. The sides were average. The potato salad had a little personality, but nothing special. The serving of hush puppies was skimpy and nothing special.

The quirkiest thing about the building are the bathrooms. There is no sink in the bathroom, just a hand sanitizer. Instead, there is a sink in the hall outside, which adjoins the main dining area. I do not remember this from when it was the Deli Box, but we always ate out back.

The Barbecue Joint Is Moving

According to the Independent Weekly Online , the Barbecue Joint on Weaver Dairy Road in Chapel Hill is moving to the Village Plaza Center into the storefront vacated by Branch's Book Store a couple of years ago. Since the bookstore only sold coffee and pastries, the premises needs significant remodeling to add a full kitchen. The Barbecue Joint has always been one of my favorite bbq joints. They're going to have more seating at the new place. Lunch at the current location is always crowded while school was open, because of the proximity to East Chapel High School. The new location will not have that problem, but the high school crowd will miss the place. Expect a new review when it opens in September.

Chowhound

Chowhound is one of the best dining forums around. I've been using it as a source for barbecue news, information and links for some time now. Anybody interested in restaurants and eating should try it out.

Bon's in University Square is Closed - Again

Bon's Home Cookin' has lost its lease from University Square and closed June 29th. She hopes to reopen somewhere, but there is no news of when or where. I never did eat at the University Square location, but had an acceptable meal at the old Carrboro location. Bon is the daughter of Chapel Hill restaurant legend Mama Dip.

Acceptable - Bar B Q King, Charlotte

Address - 2900 Wilkinson Blvd
Style - Drive-in Web-site

Bar B Q King was featured on the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It fits in the last two categories. You order food via a speaker attached to the tray table hanging from the menu. It takes me back to old A&W drive-ins I grew up with, much more so than the modern Sonic Drive-in. The place is ancient, as are the car-hops that serve your food. There's a carryout window, if you don't want to eat in your car.

On TV, the emphasis was on the barbecue chicken, which is slathered with sauce and then deep fried, but I had to try the pork. I was on a roadtrip, so I wanted a light lunch. I orderd a pork barbecue sandwich, hushpuppies and a milkshake. The pork was a little bland, but adding a little dip made it a nice eat. The hushpuppies were large and heavy, so I ended up eating just a couple with lunch and took the rest along on the trip as a snack. The milkshake was homemade and well worth ordering.

It's a good stop for the nostalgia, and second for the food.

Rub' Smokehouse Has Reopened as Smokey's Barbecue Shack

Rub's Smokehouse in Morrisville closed in August 2007 due to an irreconcilable business disagreement between the partners. Some of the partners reopened the restaurant in December 2007 as Smokey's Barbecue Shack. I'm going to have to check the restaurant out.

Recommended - Holy Smokes, Raleigh

Address - 335 Tryon Road, Raleigh NC Map
Style - Counter service, Sit-down Restaurant Website

Holy Smokes is a a caterer/carry out operation which is inside a restaurant. You order the food at the counter in carry out quantities. If you want to carry out, you get the food in a bag. If you want to eat in, you get the carry out containers on a tray, along with a drink and eat in the restaurant. Everything is ala carte, in 5 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz, etc, containers.

The restaurant is really neat. It is a shiny diner, probably a replica, with an embossed ceiling and neon tubes running along the ceiling. The booths are thickly upholstered with vintage vinyl. I love this place.

The food is fabulous. You pick out your sides at the beginning of the counter. These include the usual suspects, including potato salad, fried okra, hushpuppies, banana pudding. You then move along to the cutter, who serves your meat. He cuts brisket and ribs on order. Meats include North Carolina chopped pork, Texas chooped beef, beef short ribs, St Louis style pork ribs, smoked turkey breast, pork loin, smoked sausage and chicken.

The pork barbecue is traditional eastern style with a good smoke flavor and character. The beef brisket is made with a thick peppery rub. I had an end piece with a good chunk of the rub, which I loved. The sides were fine. I found the hushpuppies to be a little heavy for the downeast style.

Other customers who were in there at lunch time would order lunch on the tray and also meat to take home for dinner. I'd recommend either chopped meat for lunch and brisket or ribs for dinner.

Update: Holy Smokes has now closed.

Taste of Country in Warsaw and Wilmington Are No More

According to the web and Google satellite photos, Wheeler's Taste of Country restaurants in Wilmington and between Warsaw and Turkey are not more. The Warsaw building has been bulldozed and is now part of a cornfield. The Wilimington name has been transfered to a cafe in a new location without the country barbecue. These traditional country restaurants had a killer buffet, with pig pickin' and seafood. I miss the desserts already.