Barbeque-Smoked Meats Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

Looking for great barbeque, brisket and ribs in the NC Triangle? Here are reviews of my favorite restaurants delivering great smoked meats for dinner!

August 16, 2021 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Now Open: Boxyard RTP in Durham

Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

As the Triangle continues to grow and develop, the area around RTP, I-40 and Rte 147 has seen a glut of building activity. Given the upcoming Apple campus in this area it probably shouldn’t be a surprise! And one of the newest developments is Boxyard RTP: a complex built from shipping containers next to the Frontier corporate office space.

I visited a similar development in New Mexico called Green Jeans which utilizes standard shipping containers that are usually 8′ wide by 8′ high and 20′ to 40′ long. It’s a cool concept and good option to re-use these commonly, discarded containers. And while the complex officially opened in June, not all scheduled vendors are open yet and will do so over the year.

Vendor directory at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Vendor directory at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

But for right now (November 2021) you can enjoy four food vendors, two drink vendors (and some retail) ranging from barbeque to baked goods, coffee, beer and sweets.

Buzzy bakes at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Buzzy Bakes at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Wonderpuff at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Wonderpuff at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Smokers for Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Smokers for Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Once you’ve gotten your eats or sweets, head on over to the covered patio to enjoy! Boxyard RTP also has a second level with more seating and a catbird view of the main hangout area. The color palette of bright reds, whites and blues are super patriotic and work well for the space.

Lagoon Bar at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Lagoon Bar at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Fullsteam Brewing at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Fullsteam Brewing at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Two of the newest businesses at Boxyard RTP are focused on adult beverages: Lagoon Bar and Fullsteam RTP.

Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Carrburritos at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Carrburritos at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

And while the vendors continue to spin up at Boxyard RTP, expect more and more activities and events here. Over the course of the past two months I’ve run into a pop-up market, yoga class, and DJ spinning tunes for the crowd.

2nd floor at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com — 2nd floor at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Don’t miss the cool dragon mural on the side of the building along with the dog park out back!

I’ll be adding to this post over the upcoming months as businesses open up at Boxyard RTP. And while there’s still work to be done, the development is off to a great start and I’m looking forward to upcoming vendors like Fullsteam Brewery and Carrburritos.

Boxyard RTP

900 Park Offices Drive

Research Triangle, NC 27709

919.549.8181

Location on Google maps

March 16, 2022 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham for Alabama-Style Smoked Meats

Front of Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Front of Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to barbeque in the Triangle area, we are now awash in smokers and smoked meats, hooray! So when I heard about Moe’s Original BBQ coming to Durham, I was a bit excited and curious. Some research shows that Moe’s specializes in Alabama-style smoked meats which means white sauce (mayonnaise, acid, sweet, salt, and pepper) to me. The creaminess of white sauce is usually a good contrast to smoky meats and I was looking forward to seeing what Moe’s could dish out. While it may be a regional chain, online reviews were pretty solid overall from what I could find online!

Order area at Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Order area at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Moe’s Original BBQ, Durham – Ambiance and Decor

Located in the old Blu Seafood space that sits next to Vin Rouge, the new Moe’s BBQ has been transformed! Dark brick exterior with red highlights, the interior has a very masculine feel. Rough concrete floors, rough wood hewn tables, a small bar, and some high tops give the fast-casual space some character. Even the front door has a large, metal cleaver attached as a door handle. Overall it’s a utilitarian and basic space but that’s not unusual for a barbeque restaurant! Note that you can get full service if you dine at the small bar in the center. Otherwise, Moe’s is counter-order and you’ll pick up your food at a service window along with self-serving any soft drinks or water.

Dining area at Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Dining area at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Moe’s Original BBQ, Durham – Menu and Prices

The menu at Moe’s Original BBQ is pretty standard barbeque covering all the usual bases for smoked meats: pulled pork, chicken, turkey, and ribs in plate or sandwich form (from $12 to $20). Standard sides include baked beans, potato salad, slaw, banana pudding, and chips. Moe’s Original BBQ usually has some daily specials for their sides which you should definitely check out. For any meal, you can Add Moe for $3 which means an additional meat side of wings, pork, chicken, or turkey which I highly, recommend! Don’t plan on a low-cal meal here…

Smoked wings and pulled pork meal at Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Smoked wings and pulled pork meal at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Moe’s Original BBQ, Durham – Food and Sides

So how’s the food at Moe’s Original BBQ? Pretty solid IMO. I’ve had the chance to eat here several times and I can definitely vouch for the smoked meats at Moe’s. At the top of my list are their smoked wings which are wonderful. These wings are clean and flavorful with the smoke penetrating the chicken wing skin and meat in abundance. A quick dip in Alabama white sauce and you’ll be a happy camper. The pulled pork with sop sauce is decent but the meat tends to be a bit soft and over-cooked. Unfortunately, one common them here is that a lot of the food seems to be kept in warmers resulting in sort of a flabby texture for certain dishes. And given that a lot of the food is served in plastic or paper containers, dining at Moe’s has a very casual feel. Love the grilled cornbread which comes with meals. Sweet with plenty of grain to the cornbread makes for a good and satisfying side!

Pulled pork and sop sauce at Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Pulled pork and sop sauce at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Collards at Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Collards at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Side dining area at Moe's Original BBQ in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Side dining area at Moe’s Original BBQ in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Moe’s Original BBQ, Durham – Final Thoughts

Overall I’d be happy to eat at Moe’s if not entirely thrilled. The basic ambiance, cardboard containers, and slightly over-cooked meats and sides makes for a solid meal. But the barbeque game has really been raised in the area with Prime Barbecue, Lawrence Barbecue, and Sam Jones BBQ now dishing out smoked meats in the Triangle. But still, Moe’s is doing a solid job for the 9th Street crowd in Durham if you’re craving some que.

Moe’s Original BBQ

2014 Hillsborough Road

Durham, NC 27705

919.237.1004

Location on Google maps

May 13, 2014 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

City Barbeque in Cary for Barbeque Quick-Serve Style…

Front of City Barbeque, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Out at the Shoppes of Kildaire, you’ve got some pretty good eating for lunch. After shopping at Trader Joe’s, you could pop into Yuri for Japanese, Patrick Jane’s for pizza,Tijuana Flats for Mexican-American and now City Barbeque for smoked meats and down-home sides. Part of a smallish (23 locations) barbeque chain based out of Ohio, City Barbeque opened up its first NC location on April 12. I was invited to the Media day but wasn’t able to make it. Thankfully I was able to jump in for lunch later that week and see what’s up here at City Barbeque. And after my first visit I can say it was mostly good, if not perfect.

Crowded order counter at City Barbeque, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Service counter at City Barbeque, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

First thing you’ll notice about City Barbeque is its squat, ranch like location complete with wood picnic tables out front. Typically a good sign in my eyes, inside it continues on with the country and western motif with rough hewn wood panels and a rustic feel. There’s a long line snaking out the side of City Barbeque which is a good sign for them. Outside of Danny’s, I don’t know of much que in the area so there’s not much competition. Inside the line moves past ice-filled freezers with Nehi sodas cooling inside and two cashiers up front take our order. We go with the deluxe City Sampler ($24 for 2) with a bit of everything since it’s our first visit! It’s time to go find a table and hunker down for mah meat!

Meat sampler plate at City Barbeque, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Looking around City Barbeque, the feel is relatively comfortable but a bit corporate. Inside a cardboard six-pack holder you’ll find your four sauces along with a roll of brown paper towels to try and keep clean. Even though it’s busy, we’re able to get a table easily and it only takes 10 to 15 minutes for our food to come on out. And it looks like a lotta food… We get two aluminum trays with sides on one side, large platter of meat on the other. We’ve got barbeque ribs, chicken, pulled pork, brisket along with corn bread, Texas toast, sweet vinegar slaw and potato salad. We break into the ribs first which seem to be St. Louis style (sweetish, brown sugar sauce) and they have decent smoke inside, tender and tasty. The brisket is thick-ish pieces which are decent but not quite moist enough. I like mine with a bit of fat cap on top since the meat tends to be lean but it’s missing here. The pulled pork is ok and we don’t quite make it to the chicken but my co-worker said it may have been the best part of the meats! The sides at City Barbeque fared better in my eyes. The slaw was fresh and a nice distraction to the meat while the potato salad was pretty creamy and delicious. Corn bread was solid and I didn’t make it to the T-toast.

All in all I was happy with my visit to City Barbeque and it’s a solid choice for a meal. They’re off to a great start and the only aspect that I’m not super fond of is the chain-factor. There’s something just noticeable about any corporate chain that makes for a slightly different, less personal feel and there’s a bit of that happening here at City Barbeque. I’ll give ’em a B for their food which was helped out by the sides but that’s plenty good enough for most people in the area. I’m really looking forward to my visit to Texas next month so I can see how it’s done there and that may have me re-thinking my meal here at City Barbeque! But good start so far, I always enjoy mah smoked meats!

City Barbeque

1305 Kildaire Farms Road

Cary, NC 27511

919.439.5192

City Barbeque menu

Location on Google maps

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September 5, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

First Take: Lexington Barbecue #1 For Classic NC Barbeque

Sign at Lexington Barbecue in Lexington- NC Triangle Dining

When you first get to North Carolina as a transplant, one of the first things you’ll learn is that barbecue means only one thing: smoked and pulled/chopped pork! Whether you’re talking vinegar or a tomato based sauce, shoulders or whole-hog, it’s all about the pork. And when you’re talking about some of the best NC barbecue in the state, people usually think of Lexington Barbecue #1 off of Highway 85 in Lexington, NC. I had stopped by for lunch years ago and finally got back for a return visit recently. But now with a lot of barbecue eating under my belt, I wanted to see how the place held up.

Lexington Barbecue in Lexington- NC Triangle Dining

From the outside, Lexington Barbecue just looks like a down-home barbecue spot in basic white and brick with hardwood smoke gently billowing out of the top. The parking lot is already jammed at 12:45pm but it looks like the early lunch crowd is starting to move on. Inside Lexington Barbecue, the place is bustling with locals looking to get their barbecue fix.

Smokehouse at Lexington Barbecue in Lexington- NC Triangle Dining

Old-school and clean, the staff here wears tan frocks reminding me of a simpler place and time. Small dining counter to the right, two dining rooms in back with a mix of small booths and some shared tables. We grab an end of a table and peer through the menu. It’s super basic with barbecue trays (slaw and hushpuppies), plates (slaw, hushpuppies and fries), sandwiches, sides and some desserts. I go with the coarsely chopped que!

Coarsely chopped barbeque plate at Lexington Barbecue in Lexington- NC Triangle Dining

The food comes out lickety-split, they do a serious volume here. The line for a table has really blown up so apparently the 2nd round of lunch folks are in the house! My plate looks fantastic, leaner pork shoulders in a light vinegary sauce with a touch of ketchup and heat. Perfectly fried crinkle fries on the side and some very spicy and tangy, finely chopped slaw, uhmmm… It’d definitely some of the best que I’ve had in NC and well-deserved of its reputation. The meat is tender, the sauce light but flavorful.

Hush-puppies at Lexington Barbecue in Lexington- NC Triangle Dining

A side basket of hush-puppies is also amazing. Perfectly fried with a brown crust and slightly onion-y interior. Again, some of the best I’ve had in NC. The entire meal is satisfying and I finish off with a beautiful peach cobbler with flaky pastry crust! Uh yeah, there are no such things as diets here at Lexington Barbecue #1.

Our glasses are filled up regularly and the staff here is very efficient but hospitable. We pay up front and head on of to our next destination full of great barbecue! And while I’m not sure when I’ll get back here next, Lexington Barbecue #1 is a worthwhile stop if you’re making the drive from the Triangle to Charlotte. Don’t miss their delicious que, hush-puppies and cobbler here for a taste of old-school North Carolina!

Lexington Barbecue

100 Smokehouse Lane

Lexington, NC 27295

336.249.9814

Location on Google maps

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March 26, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

First Take: A Delicious Picnic Full of Flavor and Southern Eats in Durham

Sign at Picnic in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

NC barbeque is one of those Southern, regional favorites that has to be treated with some respect. So I was excited to hear that Chef Ben Adams (formerly at Piedmont Restaurant) was opening up a new barbeque joint in northwest Durham. I had high expectations and always found his food at the Piedmont to be subtlety delicious. Great ingredients prepared with some talented hands and I was curious to see what Picnic would bring to barbeque. Unfortunately, Picnic’s location in a slightly remote corner of Durham meant it was going to require a special trip to sample his cuisine but where there’s a will, there’s a way! I had a great excuse for an early dinner (or really late lunch) and shot over to Picnic at 4pm on a Saturday. Here’s how it went down.

Front of Picnic in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

First thing to note is that Picnic sits right at the intersection of Cole Mill and Rose of Sharon roads and it’s a bit tricky trying to get in. Coming from the south, I had to drive by, do a u-turn and take a right into the first entrance (or do a semi-legal left across a double-yellow). The second entrance at the intersection had been chained shut. Out front, Picnic presents a classic barbeque restaurant store front: white-washed, old-school bulb signage with a covered patio. Even at the odd 4pm time, there’s quite a few folks in there. I imagine it must get crazy busy during prime-time hours. Picnic’s interior has a modern barbeque joint feel with an open kitchen counter and window to the left, bar to the back and small dining room up front for maybe 50+ people.

Dining room at Picnic in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

The staff is decked out in plaids, t-shirts and baseball caps, super casual and a bit hipster. My waitress shows up pretty quickly and you can tell she’s a pro, moving with efficiency and not missing much. I grab a seat front and center so I can check out the space, Picnic’s menu is short and tight with Southern standards like barbeque, fried chicken and fried fish. Picnic’s meats are supplied by Green Button Farm and it’s sustainable meats so no guilt necessary here! I quickly order up the combo plate of que and chicken along with a starter of the well-discussed deviled eggs. There’s a small list of beers and wines on the chalkboard in the dining room, it also looks like Picnic has a full bar which is a bit different.

Deviled eggs at Picnic in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

My deviled eggs show up pretty quickly, two paprika-sprinkled halves with some translucent onions atop. I take a bite and the egg is excellent. Dense whites with a creamy and tangy yolk, they hit you with some citrus flavors followed by the mellow base flavors. A decent deal at $3 for the app, definitely work these into your meal!

Barbeque plate at Picnic in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

My entree shows up and it’s a LOT of food! A good-sized portion of que, two pieces of fried chicken (wing and breast) along with two sizable cups for my sides (bacon braised collards, sweet potato puree). When I get a plate like this, I usually start with the sides and jump into the cole slaw! Super finely shredded, the slaw at Picnic is very fresh and light to the tongue, a good palate cleanser. Really love both the tender collards and sweet potatoes which are covered with roasted and chopped pecans, excellent. And finally the hushpuppies! Elongated with a crisp crust, the meal is finely ground and perfectly fried.

Fried chicken at Picnic in Durham- NC Triangle Dining

Moving on to the barbeque, Picnic goes with a longish shredded pork with a hint of spice and vinegar. It’s a really mellow que, I can pick up the smoke and the meat quality is excellent. I dab on some pig whistle sauce from the table for a bit more spice and flavor. I’m saving the fried chicken for last, it shows off a dark crunchy and thick crust. Spiced up with some paprika, the chicken is nicely cooked and even the white breast meat is moist. An excellent version of fried chicken that smacks of Southern goodness. A light hot sauce on the side makes for a great dipping sauce!

Service and ambiance at Picnic is casual but professional. The prices here aren’t expensive but probably a bit pricey by que shack standards. But with the quality ingredients used and the very subtle gourmet touches to the food, it still makes Picnic a very worthwhile visit. And I have to believe there’s a line for this place on a regular basis. Picnic reminds me a bit of what the Pit used to be when it first came out: a slightly gourmet and upscale take on Southern and North Carolina culinary classics, enjoy!

Now Open: Boxyard RTP in Durham