Smiley's Barbecue Restaurant in Lexington, North Carolina

Traditional Chopped Pork Sandwich Lexington NC Style from Smiley's BBQ Restaurant

When I am in Lexington, NC (about 45 minutes from my house), I have to get some real down home barbecue which is what Lexington is famous for. There are quite a few great barbecue restaurants in Lexington, and one of my favorites is Smiley's.

Smiley's Barbecue is a fixture in Lexington. It opened in the early 1950s and changed owners and names a few times over the years but has always kept the wood fire burning. That's what sets Lexington BBQ apart from barbecue in other areas - the meat is cooked slow over a wood fire. Well, it's one of the things that sets it apart.

If you are not familiar with North Carolina barbecue, then you need to know that it is chopped pork (shoulders or butts) served on white bread buns with red slaw and with a vinegar based sauce. While your sauce at Smiley's is reddish, it is still thin. That's because it's vinegar based. If someone tries to tell you that Piedmont barbecue sauce is tomato based, they do not know what they are talking about. You can tell them I'm from here, and I said so.

North Carolina BBQ Sauce - AKA Dipping Sauce

The sauce at Smiley's is extra good. It's one of my favorites. It has that nice vinegar twang and just a touch of heat. They heated it up to serve at the table, and I was in heaven. I poured a good splash on my sandwich and dug in. Absolutely divine.

While I was eating my barbecue sandwich I was enjoying looking at the wall art. They had the traditional white board with specials and desserts posted. Someone had drawn peanuts characters on there in dry erase marker and religious messages. Over my shoulder was a painting of moonshiners. Another painting had an old car and Kerr jars which are basically southern Mason jars.

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A kid at the next table was getting an etiquette lesson from someone who probably was his MeeMaw. "You cain't be pullin' up your shirt at no restaurant," she advised the little man. That's good advice I'd say.
Across from our table, two beefy men were eating big, old bologna sandwiches. Though I've never bought a bologna sandwich out at a restaurant, the Smiley's bologna sandwiches looked very tasty. I almost wanted one, but I was getting full off my chopped pork sandwich which was great. The chop at Smiley's is a little coarser than some restaurants in the area, and the meat is moister than some of the competition. I'd definitely call Smiley's a front-runner. I can't really pick a number one. I just know which ones are top notch. Smiley's is that.

 Authentic Barbecue Joint Decor at Smiley's BBQ in Lexington, NC

Before leaving we got a big piece of homemade chocolate cake. It's hard to eat dessert after southern pork sandwiches which are filling, but it's hard to pass up desserts made from scratch. The cake looked amazing, and it tasted just as good. I'd also recommend the banana pudding which is a southern favorite.

Smiley's is what I'd call an authentic barbecue joint. Heck, you can blow your horn and get service outside (maybe). The building is unassuming and decorated with stuff that you'd likely see at a southern aunt or uncles home. The ladies waiting tables are going to ask how you're doing and care, and they are likely going to "honey" you at least once.  That's a good time and good eating.

Wink's Barbecue Restaurant - Salisbury, North Carolina - Restaurant Review

If you're looking for classic wood flavored North Carolina barbecue, then Wink's of Salisbury, North Carolina should be on your "to visit" list. There are few real wood burners left, since slow smoking pork barbecue is labor intensive, and health department regulations make it difficult to open new barbecue joints with wood fired pits.

I grew up in Salisbury, North Carolina, so I've always gone to Wink's and other barbecue restaurants in the area. This is western style barbecue country. That means that our barbecue is pork shoulders (versus the whole hogs done close the beach of North Carolina), and the sauce is vinegar base with some red (no red in eastern barbecue sauces). "Red" is, by the way, some tomato like a little ketchup. The barbecue sauce just has a little more flavor and a slightly sweeter flavor.

When I moved to Texas for a couple of years, I was rather shocked to get a plate of sauced ribs when I ordered barbecue. I really didn't know our barbecue was such a small niche - just the piedmont and beach areas of NC. While I've come to love all styles of barbecue, I must confess that North Carolina barbecue will always have a real special place in my heart.

My earlier memories of Wink's were of the old restaurant which was a road over from where they are now. We'd go there when they had bluegrass night. The place would be packed and running over, and you shared your table, because it would be a real shame for anyone to have to go home and miss the barbecue and bluegrass.

Wink's now is at 509 Faith Road, Salisbury, NC 28146-7011 (704) 637-2410. If you take the Albemarle exit off I85, you need to fork up past the Lowe's and Tinseltown complex. A little past that shopping center (a block or so), you will see Wink's (just a couple of minutes drive). This is about 20 minutes from the north edge of Charlotte if you're not from the area. You can stop right off the exit to get help. It's a friendly town. People are good about helping out. ‎

You can get a variety of foods at Wink's, but they are most known for the wood smoked barbecue and then the fried fish. I, of course, go for the barbecue.

The most common way to order North Carolina barbecue is by the tray. You get a combination of chopped pork barbecue and red slaw (made with the barbecue sauce rather than mayonnaise - so zippy). Some people eat it with a fork, but locals will usually put the pork and slaw on the barbecue bread (thick sliced bread in the basket) or on a bun (need to ask for one - unless ordering a barbecue sandwich). You'll also get some hush puppies which is common at barbecue joints. The Wink's hush puppies are good, but I like the sweeter ones up the street at Blue Bay Seafood better.

There are a number of classic southern side dishes on the menu. My favorite is the fried okra. The guys love the macaroni and cheese and French fries (fries are the frozen steak cut - but served hot and not real greasy).

I'm not a heavy eater. I eat with gusto but not a whole lot at one time. I've never had a dessert at Wink's (no room after barbecue), but the guys say the banana pudding and cobblers are great. They do look good. Some day I will stop by and just get dessert.

Other favorite dishes at Wink's are the biscuits (good breakfast pick) and the pimento cheese sandwich (classic southern lunch option).

In terms of service, everyone is relaxed and friendly. They don't go overboard with the southern shtick. Boy, I hate places that get all over that "honey" and "sweetie" thing. You'll just get treated like a real person, and if you ask questions, you'll get honest answers. They're always on top of it at Wink's, and that goes across decades now.

The Democratic National Convention will be in Charlotte, North Carolina this year, and Michelle Obama already said she wants to try local barbecue. She won't get classic barbecue in Charlotte, but she can drive 20 or 30 minutes and find it in Salisbury. Wink's is an excellent pick.

If you're in the area for the convention or any other reason, the drive is worth it.

I'll try to get some more Salisbury barbecue joint reviews up soon and maybe some travel pieces on Fun Things to See and Do in North Carolina blog. If you're looking for suggestions, just drop me a comment or email.

Wink's Barbecue & Seafood - Salisbury, NC

I've been checking out some of my old favorite barbecue joints as well as some new ones for my Yes You Can Grill web site. You can grill all the time, but it is nice to take a break from time to time and let someone else do the work. That's especially true of slow smoked North Carolina barbecue.

North Carolina barbecue is pork, and it varies depending on whether you're on the coast (east) or piedmont (Lexington style). The main difference is that east is whole hog with vinegar sauce and piedmont is shoulders with a little tomato (ketchup etc) in a vinegar based sauce (also thin and spicy like the east but with a little red color).


Yesterday we were at Wink's which is a favorite here in Salisbury, NC. It's been around a long time. I remember when Wink's was over near the motel on Innes St. They moved over to a bigger spot on Faith Road just past Lowe's off I85.

They have been and stir are wood burners. They slow cook the pork out back. You can look and see the big wood pile and the pit. That's what we call real barbecue here in NC, and it's getting harder to find it done the old fashioned way but well worth it.


They have a lot of good old Southern side dishes to go with the barbecue at Wink's. My boys always go for the fries, but okra is my favorite when it's done right. It's done right at Wink's. Yum.


Portions are generous at Wink's, but if you have room, they have homemade desserts. You can see here that they have the classic Southern sweets. I need to go one day and just get dessert as I always get too full on the barbecue to have dessert.

For more on Wink's, see my Wink's review and more photos. I'm also adding more barbecue restaurants - mostly in North Carolina for now but branching out as I travel more and can get reviews written up.

Be sure to tip me off to any favorite barbecue joints in your neck of the woods. I'm always on the look out for great BBQ.

Backyard BBQ Pit - Durham, NC - Wood Smoked Barbecue

The Backyard BBQ Pit in Durham Has Great Barbecue and Home Style Side Dishes


Pitmaster Marquis Egerton II Hand Chops the Wood to Smoke the Meats

My son and I took a road trip and stopped at the Backyard BBQ Pit in Durham, NC. It's right off I 40 at 5204 Highway 55.

This is a real North Carolina wood burning barbecue joint, and they also smoke ribs and chicken. Side dishes are like Grandma used to make.

The food was amazing, and they had a special for a barbecue sandwich and two sides for $4.99. Can't beat that.

For more about Backyard BBQ Pit, check out my BBP story at Yes You Can Grill.


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Directions: If you're driving from Chapel Hill toward Durham, take exit 278 and turn right. Go three stop lights - just past the Golden Corral. Backyard BBQ Pit is beisde the Aamco and the ABC store. It's on the right hand side of the road.