Just a couple of hours from the Wilmington area, it’s possible to take a closer look, and taste, of one of the country’s most beloved and distinctive foodways. Sure, there are barbecue traditions around the world, but in Eastern North Carolina, barbecue has been whole-hog and vinegar-doused for decades, based on generations of heritage.
And there are so many potential stops, each offering its own piece of the barbecue puzzle, which makes it easy to plan a day trip, or weekend getaway, exploring the small towns and rural roads. If you’ve already checked out the Wilmington-area barbecue spots, and want to explore more, here are some ideas.
Classic ‘cue
There’s probably no better place to start a barbecue exploration than at Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden. It’s been chopping whole hog barbecue, and mixing in a bit of the crispy cracklings, since 1947. It was also lauded in National Geographic magazine in 1979 and has become a benchmark against which similar restaurants are compared.
Grady’s BBQ in Dudley is another one of the state’s best barbecue spots, and might be just as popular for house-made sides and desserts…