Back Lexington Barbecue is just the beginning

Written by Emily Uhland | Photographed by Jonathan Fredin

Ifyou’re familiar with the North Carolina town of Lexington, you probably know it for the signature style of barbecue, revered statewide in the ongoing Easternversus Western-style showdown.

And for good reason — a dozen barbecue restaurants dot the town of 20,000 residents. The smell of hickory smoke practically infuses the air on Main Street.

Barbecue culture runs so deep that historic smoking pits were discovered in the walls of city hall during a recent building renovation.

“Lexington was originally a town of furniture mills and factories. When furniture left, folks turned to barbecue. Barbecue is now the main industry,” says Morgan Brinkle, executive director of the Lexington Tourism Authority & Visitor Center.

“There are a dozen barbecue restaurants in the area.

Each has its own nuances, but the style remains mostly the same,” Brinkle says.

Pork shoulders are seasoned simply, then hand turned over hickory coals and chopped — “There’s no pulled pork here.”

Each restaurant serves a signature “dip” — a sauce made from vinegar, ketchup, sugar, and spices — on the side.

“There’s a couple of extra i’s in ‘dip,’” notes Brinkle with a smile, elongating the vowel sound in a characteristic Southern drawl.

Barbecue may form the town’s backbone and draw countless visitors each year, but Lexington’s small-town charm goes far beyond a delicious sandwich and hushpuppies on the side.

Follow our path through Lexington for a weekend getaway full of food and fun.