Who doesn't love BBQ? It's the universal pig-out (pun intended) food of rock 'n' roll fests, car shows, beer bashes, bluegrass jams, etc. Whenever I travel around, I always try and stop anywhere that advertises their "award-winning" 'que, and usually the more rustic the joint, the better the grub. I thought that it would be useful to us meatheads to post our recommendations, so wherever we are hittin' the highway, we can stop and have that scrumptious smoked pig. It would also be of value to post those establishments that have shitty food (and service), so we know to avoid them rather than waste our time, overpay, and fight off an intense case of indigestion.

My first posting is on the Lexington BBQ Restaurant in Lexington, NC. Now this town boasts that they are the "BBQ Capital Of the World". I won't dispute that (especially since good BBQ in Roanoke, VA is very hit and miss), but if I had to base that rep on this one place, I'd say that the townfolk are full of chitlins! Ok, the food WAS good, but a little pricey for what you get (I'm a hog, haha), in which I got a little tray of chopped meat, red slaw in a small bowl, and (killer) hush puppies for $10.50. I know pork isn't the cheapest stuff anymore, but shit, this portion seemed like it was for a damn McDonald's Happy Meal. Feel free to read some reviews from previous customers here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/lexington-barbecue-lexington-2

I would gladly travel back to Lexington to try other 'que joints, but I won't go back to this one...

On the way back from Orlando, FL, the fam and I stopped in Charlotte, NC for dinner. At the suggestion of a friend, we stopped at "Mac's Speed Shop", located near the Carowinds amusement park. This place is something of a sports bar that caters to bikers, while serving a shit ton of craft beers on tap. This place had a rustic feel that I liked, and it wasn't one of those shit holes that the Black Widows from "Every Which Way But Loose" would be sloppin' down cheese grits. I ordered the "Mac Daddy", which was a good-sized bbq sandwich with slaw already served on it. No sauce, so I was free to put whatever I wanted to on it. This stuff was the real deal! Very flavorful, chopped full bodied pork that I devoured in 2 minutes (yeah, I'm a hog, yuk yuk), and my choice of side (Brunswick stew) was killer. My meal of the sandwich and one side was $12, but damn if I didn't get over it after tasting it! The only things I can bitch about was I was a little disappointed that I didn't get more stew, and the mix of Zeppelin, AC/DC, Soundgarden, (you get the idea) that was blasting out of their sound system. I do recommend this place, though, and sure, you'll pay a little more, but given your choices, it's one of the better ones: http://www.macspeedshop.com/

On the way down to Orlando, FL I made a "pit stop" (sorry, couldn't resist) in Columbia, SC to grab some lunch. We pulled into a "Maurice's BBQ" which boasts of having 14 locations, 4 of them in the city I was driving into. The 'que here isn't bad, but it's all mustard-based. Personally, I like my pork smoked plain so I can add whatever sauces I'd like to it. I question the validity of their claims of it being smoked on site, though (I never saw a cooker on the premises), and I wonder if it's just frozen processed bbq. Or possibly they smoke it at a central location, then send it out to all their eateries. The place didn't feel "authentic" enough (I know I'm nitpicking here, but sometimes authenticity of a pork joint says a whole lot), and I felt like I was eating in a KFC with faux log cabin decor/siding while shitty pop country tunes played from a portable cd player. They have a drive-thru, which for some reason kind of cheapened the place to me (along with the new "retro" tin signs on the wall). What wasn't cheap, however, were the prices. Paying $11-&12 for a plate of food (that didn't fill me up) seemed a little high for "fast food bbq". This is probably going to be one pork house that I'll definately keep driving by on future travels. If for any reason you're interested in this chain, here's their website: http://www.mauricesbbq.com/?from=FarmersMarketOnline