Jon G's. It's in Peachland and only open on Saturdays but their food truck comes to Charlotte every now and then. Incredible food and very nice people.

Yep. Came here to say, the best BBQ is just outside of CLT. Moved here from Houston. Miss NOTHING when I go to the Smoke Pit.

God, it’s easy to be fat, here 😑

I always have a great experience with midwood smokehouse, especially the platter that you can all split!

One of the places that regularly pops up when this question gets asked is The Spoke Pit in Concord. I go there pretty much anytime I want BBQ and it's the best BBQ I have found around here.

I’ve tried over 10 different BBQ places in the greater Charlotte area. Sweet Lew’s in Belmont is my favorite.

Landed in Charlotte from San Diego about two hours ago, currently at Smoke Pit. Thank you, reddit users. You are the real heroes. In this instance.

Waiting 2 hours for the food truck is better than waiting 4 hours in peachland. If you want their food, you’re going to have to wait.

But it is by far the best bbq in the area.

The further you get outside of Charlotte, the better bbq you can find. All the places I’ve found are “decent” chains. Jim n nicks, smoke pit, Mac’s, etc. there aren’t many hole in the wall places, at least that I’ve found, until you get about an hour away from the city.

Salisbury/Lexington are gonna be your best bets for authentic NC BBQ. Jon Gs is great but it’s more Texas style.

I almost never see it mentioned, maybe because it is a hole in the wall, but Lancaster’s in Huntersville doesn’t suck

Their bbq is great, but their sides are subpar.

Even if you don’t make it out on a Saturday, they typically do a pop up once a week at a local brewery when it gets a bit warmer out. Still has lines, but always worth the wait.

I was just thinking about if there are any good Korean BBQ places around here. I saw MOA in uptown and was curious, glad to hear it's good. I'll have to give it a shot later this week.

704 BBQ. Not as insane as Letsmeat, plenty of parking.

I dig Iron Dish a lot, definitely my favorite. Have yet to try 704. It's definitely bougie, but MOA is good! Reminds me of high end Korean places from when I used to live out there. Depends on the vibe you are trying to have.

Also, not BBQ, but if it is reopened the Korean restaurant in the Super G Mart off Independence is really good! Also, Choi's Korean is amazing too, but also not BBQ.

Edit: Also Bulgogi Box in SouthEnd is great! Their bibimbap is the best in town, and they have good cocktails too. Very nice owners, I highly recommend them. Personally I like the hot stone pot bibimpap fyi.

Not bbq. But for some legit Korean dishes check out daebak Korean in mint hill. Small family place.

I ACCIDENTALLY stumbled into MOA while looking for (and forgetting) that JJ Red Hot's was no longer uptown...
I still think about that meal. MOA was amazing!

It's definitely not MOA. They literally are overpriced, don't let you cook your own food, and caused an allergic reaction to my friend after we told them no mushrooms and gave us the hardest time after we asked for new utensils to prevent contamination. They also forgot the dessert we ordered.

Try the one in South End! ;P

But, curiously, what didn't you like? I've never had a bad meal there. And their kimchi bloody mary is great. It isn't awe-inspiring, Michelin star food, but it is really good imo. Obviously we can have differing opinions, and I wonder what yours is? What didn't you enjoy?

704 Korean bbq in pineville is good. Same owners as iron dish I'm pretty sure. BBQ.Chichen in arboretum off pineville Mathews road has Korean fried chicken that is super good.

I think The Smoke Pit is the best in the area.

I've never understood why Charlotte doesnt have better bbq options. Obviously we're better off than some other cities, but a city that lies on the border of 2 distinct BBQ styles in a BBQ heavy area, just seems weird that we dont have more top tier options.

Midwood Smokehouse is where all the celebrities go when they come to town. I love it!

I like the Smoke Pit in Concord, Sweet Lew’s, Ray Nathan’s in Gastonia. Someone mentioned yesterday that Big Tiny’s in Mooresville is worth the drive.

Hot damn I’ve been looking for Texas style brisket. Usually drive down to Charleston for my fix

A lot of noble smoke recommendations - some of the highest prices and smallest portions I’ve seen. There’s no reason brisket should cost that much for like 4 or 5 pretty small slices. The quality is there but everything else was pretty disappointing. Ever left a bbq place hungry? Sounds ridiculous.

Lancaster’s BBQ is pretty good and has two locations. One is on Beatties Ford Rd in Huntersville and the other is on Rinehardt Rd in Mooresville. Not exactly in Charlotte but in the area! Also, The Smoke Pit in Concord.

The Smoke Pit in Concord is amazing! It can be little pricey but you get your money's worth. I also think Midwood Smokehouse in Plaza Midwood is solid.

Personal opinion but I don’t think there are any great ones in Charlotte. Gastonia and Shelby have some though. Bridges, ROs, and Kyle Fletcher’s

Hit the road with the lads and hit up Lexington bbq.

Glad you enjoyed it, they are my go to place for Brisket.

There is also a Smoke Pit in Monroe, straight out 74, a little closer than the Concord store.

Yeah if you’re intent on BBQ hit up Smoke Pit in concord roughly 20 mins outside the city.

There is no authentic pulled pork vinegar based bbq in charlotte proper. it’s all fancified.

Only BBQ you will find around uptown isn’t NC BBQ, and isn’t in uptown but the options are

• Midwood smokehouse in plaza, much like it’s name it’s pretty mid

• noble smoke, where you’re paying $18 for a plate that’s only a quarter full and owned by a homophobic piece of shit.

You want the good shit you either drive to Lexington about an hour away, or settle for slightly worse but still delicious places in Gastonia. If you got the Gastonia route I’d suggest Kyle Fletchers

OP, when are you visiting? The Lexington Barbecue Festival is this weekend. It’s about an hour’s drive from Charlotte, but you’d have your choice of dozens of the best barbecue establishments. You could also ride Amtrak, if you are so inclined.

There's no good NC style place in charlotte, best bet is smoke pit in concord/gastonia or going to Lexington for the legitimate experience

Gastonia is probably your best, close by bet, Kyle Fletchers, ROs, Black's BBQ, they're all the real NC experience.

There's none in uptown you'll have to look elsewhere

$135 to go for 4 hours of lines on Saturday? F that. Go to lex and you can have the best q in the NC area and not need tickets.

At $53 through Groupon for a single person I'd think about it but probably would end up feeling ripped off. https://www.groupon.com/deals/gl-carolina-bbq-festival

I haven’t been, but that lineup of pitmasters has some big names on the bbq scene.

Lexington has the best, biggest, and longest running bbq festival, but this looks really neat. May have to venture uptown myself.

Big Tinys in Moorsville for some tasty Texas Style bbq

I know about the different traditional kinds of Carolina BBQ but I'm uninformed on how that plays out in restaurants in Charleston. According to a map I found HERE, it looks like Charleston is in the Mustard region, are all of these restaurants mustard-focused? Or is it much more of a melting pot?

You missed Swig & Swine... some of the best pulled pork in the south. Their hot bbq sauce is really good. Also, the sides are crazy good. Brisket n beans, mac n cheese, corn pudding, brunswick stew... I would put those 4 sides up against any out there. Super affordable too.

Edit: Smh, how could I forget to mention this... the house made pork rinds & pimento cheese are dynamite.

What's the thing with the magnificent bark in the first picture?

Looks great!

Palmria blew my mind. If you didnt get the hash and rice go back

:D

Not BBQ but the next time you're in Charleston swing up 17 a bit and go to the McClellanville Diner. Real good low country cooking.

Smoke Pit in Concord, 100%. Best BBQ in the Charlotte area. Hell, probably the best restaurant in Concord, period (not that it's much of an accomplishment - Concord is kind of a good restaurant desert).

Sweet Lew's. Their pork is almost always great. Their vinegar sauce is not traditional, but it's good. Their non-carolina stuff like brisket is usually very good too.

Bit outside of town, but Kyle Fletchers is worth a visit.

Beyond that, Lexington isn't far - #1 is great. And Ayden NC doesn't feel very far once you dip into that tray of bbq at Skylight Inn. Best in the state (in my opinion).

Another vote for Sweet Lew’s. I also like the Smoke Pit in Concord and Monroe.

Red bridges or Lexington bbq if you’re open to driving a bit from clt.

This happened to me after I went to Texas several years back. It pretty much ruined my concept of what good BBQ is. Restaurants I used to eat at weekly when I lived in SC I stopped even bothering to go to.

If you are willing to drive, Scott's Bar-B-Que is a must. Located in Hemingway, South Carolina; three hours away from Charlotte.