Moe's Original BBQ - Matthews, NC

Pulled Pork Platter with sweet potato casserole, marinated slaw and green beans with Texas toast. 

Moe's Original BBQ has locations - they call them "joints" - in 9 states, with the majority of the restaurants located in Alabama. I was invited to try the location closest to me (Matthews, NC) last fall. While I am not in the Matthews area often, we were thoroughly impressed by Moe's and enjoyed every bite. I wish they would open another Charlotte location closer to uptown - maybe this is a possibility?! Everything we tried was truly delicious. I also like the fact that Moe's has special side dishes each day, so there is always something different to try in addition to the regular tasty sides that they have. We tried both the pulled pork and the ribs and we also had a few wings. The pulled pork was great and the ribs were extraordinary. My favorite sides include the sweet potato casserole and the marinated slaw. Even my son who wasn't quite 1 year old at the time, loved it and ate the BBQ and the green beans.

In addition to the regular menu, which includes smoked turkey, smoked chicken, a salad and even a smoked tofu sandwich in addition to the pork and ribs, there are daily specials and brisket is featured on a weekly basis. You can check out Moe's Original BBQ Facebook page for more information on the daily specials. Even vegetarians would be happy here with either the tofu sandwich or a veggie platter since there are so many sides to choose from. Some recent side specials include cornbread dressing, squash casserole, roasted brussels sprouts and Mississippi mud pie - yes desserts count as sides! There are also party packs available for small or large groups and catering is offered as well. Click here to see the Events Calendar for the Matthews location - there is a kids eat free night as well as other special events listed.

 

This photo, taken the same day we ate at Moe's back in October, demonstrates how long I took to get this post up. I promise I will try to be a better blogger!!

Moe's Original BBQ features indoor and outdoor seating.

Ribs platter with banana pudding and cabbage. Yes, you can get banana pudding as a side dish! YES! The ribs were fantastic - tender and juicy.
 

Fries, crisp and tasty.
 

Wings.

Next time I am in Matthews I will definitely seek out Moe's again, but in the mean time I will be hoping to hear about a location closer to home!

Disclosure: The meal described in this review was complimentary.

Sauceman's

One of my recent discoveries in Charlotte is Sauceman's BBQ. When I was growing up in Charlotte the small building at the corner of S. Tryon and West Boulevard was a scary looking Chinese takeout spot - not anyplace I ever thought to stop, although I did frequent the Bojangles across the street! Now with the light rail just a long block away and the burgeoning businesses on Camden Ave. nearby, the owners of Sauceman's have turned this once bleak spot into a highlight of the neighborhood and they serve some tasty BBQ to boot.

I've dined at Sauceman's twice and tried the chopped BBQ, the coarse chopped BBQ, the brisket and the ribs. My favorite is the brisket and the chopped BBQ as well as the mac & cheese, the fried green tomatoes and the hush puppies. The BBQ has a nice smoky flavor and several sauces are available to finish it off. The hush puppies are BIG and tasty. For dessert I indulged in the sugar biscuits - basically fried dough with sugar on top - yum! Next time I want to try the shrimp and grits, which I observed someone else eating last visit. I also saw someone attempting Sauceman's own food challenge: the Clark Griswold - let's just say one person should not be able to eat this giant portion of 2.5 lbs. of chopped pork, hush puppies, bread, slaw and another side dish! If you can eat it in under 30 minutes, it's free - otherwise it's $25. Maybe next time I'll try this with a couple of friends!

Coarse chopped pork with slaw and fried green tomatoes.

Ribs with fried corn.

Sugar biscuits.

Dilworth Neighborhood Grille

With free entree coupon in hand we decided to check out Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. After all, we live in Dilworth and it's always fun to try a new place. The space is attractive and has a lot of seating, with a large bar area and lots of TVs for superior sports watching. Service was also pleasant and prompt. Unfortunately the food we tried (other than the house salad, which was fresh and good) was nothing special. The slaw on the BBQ platter was not very flavorful and the BBQ itself didn't have any kind of smoky appeal. The mac & cheese was OK but not great. As for the shrimp and grits, to me it was way too cheesy/greasy- some may like all the cheese but definitely too rich for my taste and not enough distinct grits flavor separate from the sauce/cheese. This would be a fun place to watch a game and definitely good for the drinking set. Of course I only tried a few items from the menu, but from what I tasted the food is not the draw here.

BBQ plate - a bit skimpy on the meat.



Shrimp & grits - a bit too cheesy for me!



House salad - fresh and tasty.

Smithfield's Chicken 'N BAR-B-Q - Rockingham, NC

On the way back from the beach we stopped at Smithfield's Bar-B-Q, a local chain with 30 North Carolina locations. We had a hard time finding this place - even our GPS was off at first. When we finally found it we ordered efficiently at the counter and our food arrived quickly. Service was top-notch - more than once someone came by to refill drinks and ask us if we needed anything. Unfortunately I found the BBQ itself lackluster. The meat did not have that smokiness that you crave when you go to a BBQ joint. On a better note, the slightly sweet and elongated hush puppies were quite good. Slaw and fries were average. On the whole this was a decent spot to stop on the way back to Charlotte but next time I'm going to do more research to find a really down home non-chain option that will hopefully have better 'cue.

Half eaten BBQ platter with slaw and fries.

Mac's Speed Shop

Small BBQ platter with onion rings and slaw.

We ventured into Mac's Speed Shop recently on a Friday night around 9:30 PM. The live music was just gearing up and the patio filling but we sat inside at one of the front booths. Mac's is a neat place and its motto "Beer, Bikes, BBQ" truly fits. The Southend location is located on our way home from I-77 so we often pass by and see motorcycles lined up. Steele Creek and Lake Norman locations also exist and a new location opened recently in Greenville, SC. In South End Mac's is open until midnight Sun. - Tues. and until 2 AM Wed. - Sat.

Service was attentive and obviously knowledgeable. The waitress recommended the onion rings over the fries and they were a good choice with my pulled pork platter. The pulled pork was pretty good although the portion wasn't that big (of course it was the small platter) perhaps the better to try one of the delicious sounding appetizers or the hush puppies, which we skipped this visit. Calvin enjoyed the fish po'boy also. I was a bit skeptical of him ordering fish at a place with BBQ in its name but it was actually quite tasty and I enjoyed that it was blackened instead of the usual po'boy fried. We did sample the banana pudding for dessert - a worthy rendition including some tasty real whipped cream on top. It was such a good portion that I even took some home for later. Calvin enjoyed a couple of the beer selections, which are varied and include the usual and the unusual. We also noticed that Mac's offers half price appetizers Monday through Friday from 4 - 6 PM - we will definitely be back soon! I am looking forward to trying the chili and the Brunswick stew.

4 sauce options - my favorite: the Carolina BBQ Sauce.



Fish Po' Boy with rice & beans.



Delicious banana pudding.

Queen City Q

Onion rings with Boone's 57 sauce (front) and The Q Platter with double pork, beef brisket and St. Louis ribs.

Queen City Q is a fairly recent addition to the Charlotte BBQ scene. Located close to the 7th St. light rail stop, it's a perfect place to ride & dine. A few weeks ago Calvin and I walked uptown from our house, participated in a twilight 5K race and had a great dinner here before taking the train back home. If you don't live close enough to walk or take the train, parking is validated in the adjacent deck. In addition to a huge indoor dining room and full bar, there is a nice patio where we sat.

We decided to share an order of the onion rings appetizer and The Q Platter - you could choose up to 4 meats but since we love BBQ pulled pork we doubled up on that and had the brisket and the ribs as well. All of the meats were smoky, succulent and tasty, particularly the St. Louis ribs. It was also a portion big enough for a third person!

Queen City Q has a wide variety of sides including all of the usual suspects plus a few innovative additions like corn & edamame salad. Our chosen sides, mac & cheese and BBQ slaw, were good choices but I'd like to return to try the greens and sweet potato fries. Salads and tacos, two types of chili and Brunswick stew are also offered. I also like that they include Texas toast with the entrees - yum! I look forward to dining here again and trying more menu items!

Eastern NC BBQ slaw and mac & cheese.

Midwood Smokehouse - Charlotte

Carolina Pork Plate with fries and slaw. All plates come with hush puppies and pickled onions.

Midwood Smokehouse is a welcome addition to the Charlotte BBQ scene. Located in the ever burgeoning Plaza-Midwood neighborhood, Midwood delivers on the 'Q while at the same time adding modern flair with dishes like smoked vegetable bruschetta, smoked turkey and sausage and a Cuban sandwich. The pork BBQ was smoky and delicious and I love that they have 4 sauce options to choose from. The mac & cheese was a standout side and the hush puppies were tasty too. I look forward to going back to try the ribs, the pimento cheese fries and the desserts.

Smokehouse Bruschetta made with goat cheese.



Midwood offers decktop, patio and indoor seating and has a full bar.



Special of the day: Fried smoked wings - you can get the smoked wings anytime and on the side, bacon wrapped jalepenos, available as an appetizer or side.




Sauces: Mustard, NC Vinegar, Midwood Signature and Spicy. I liked combining the vinegar sauce with the spicy sauce - yum!



Smoked half chicken Midwood Style with BBQ baked beans and mac & cheese.

Heirloom Market BBQ - Living Up to the Hype

Pulled pork with collards and fabulous mac & cheese. What taste!!

Heirloom Market BBQ is a new favorite. Housed near I-285 near Cumberland Boulevard in a tiny parking lot with a package store next door, the tranquil lines and the folks happily eating while standing up demonstrate the ethereal nature of this amazing spot. We arrived on a Saturday around 3 PM and the crowd was visible. Luckily after placing our order and paying at the register we found room at the standing room only wooden table on the small deck. Inside, patrons waiting patiently for seating on bar stools or at the one communal table.

When the food arrived we could tell why this is the new spot in town for BBQ. Chef/owners Jiyeon Lee and Cody Taylor hail from impressive backgrounds, having worked at the St. Regis and the Ritz Carlton. Lee also brings a welcome flair from her native South Korea. The spices and sides with Korean influences meld perfectly with the succulent, tender meats. We tried pulled pork and smoked wings. The pork is truly amazing. The wings - like no other wings we've ever tried with a sauce sticky and spicy and wonderful all at the same time. Chicken, turkey and various unique sausages are also available. Next time we must try the ribs - we saw a table of college guys downing them with beautiful looking fries and cole slaw. Side dish specials can be found on the restaurant's Facebook page.

The bustling dining room.





Cucumber and radish salad - perfectly pickled.



Smoked wings with fried green tomatoes. SO delicious.



Spicy BBQ sandwich with Korean sweet potatoes. A steal at $7.50. The potatoes are crispy and sweet with a unique taste - definitely worth a try. Love the true spice on the sandwich. Several homemade BBQ sauces are also available.



Snickerdoodle cookie, apple pie and pecan pie. Cookie was delicious but who needs dessert after such a filling and fabulous meal?

In some ways I really hope that Heirloom Market BBQ moves to a new space with more room - BUT, it is so perfect right now and its energy is wonderful. It would be a shame to lose that even if more space can be gained. I must go back - and soon!

Hillbilly Willy's Bar-B-Q - Chattanooga

Combo Plate with ribs and pulled pork.

On the way to MTSU for our nephew's football game, we stopped at Hillbilly Willy's Bar-B-Q and had a wonderful lunch. This family owned establishment is a great pit stop. The ribs and pulled pork were both particularly tasty. We also tried the chocolate coca-cola cake (not pictured) and it is also delicious.

The giant combo plate was enough for 2 to share, with delicious huge onion rings and homemade cole slaw in addition to the succulent, falling of the bone Q.



Specials on the board.



Owner George Foster cooks up all the meat right behind the restaurant.



Yum!



Located in a strip shopping mall just off I-24 - a great place to stop while on the road in Tennessee.