Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Updated: Which barbecue places should be in the tournament?

Comments are now closed. Thanks! Bracket will be in paper of March 15.

Tell us which pulled pork barbecue places should go into our upcoming Tournament of Food. Places must be within 50 miles of Charlotte. We create a bracket of 16. then invite readers to vote on one-on-one matchups. No anonymous comments will be counted! Let the porcine madness begin.

Note: Lexington's outside the boundary for this. I'll stop taking nominees at 5 p.m. March 8.

UPDATE: I'm getting swamped by anonymous comments that won't count -- please get a screen name (it doesn't have to be your real name) and re-comment if you commented anonymously!

149 comments:

  1. 521 BBQ in Indian Land, SC! Amazing!

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  2. The conversation starts and stops with Wayne Monk's Lexington Barbecue. Every conversation I have about barbecue joints ends up with some variation of, "it's better than" , or "it's just as good as" Lexington Barbecue. I noticed you made the cut off 50 miles from Charlotte. Lexington Barbecue sits about 45 miles from the city limits. Coincidence? Hmmm?

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  3. Bridges in Shelby
    521 BBQ in Indian Land

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  4. none of them...pulled pork isn't BBQ

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  5. Red Bridges Bar-B-Que Lodge in Shelby on Hwy 74.

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  6. I am a fan of both Bar B Que King and Spoon's

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  7. Bobbee O's on Old Statesville Rd. for sure. My favorite BBQ joint in town.

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  8. Gary's BBQ China Grove

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  9. Lancaster's Mooresville/Huntersville

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  10. Ranucci's Big Butt BBQ and Grill, Catawba Street, Belmont, NC.

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  11. Lexington Barbeuque #1, AKA the Monk or The Honey Monk. #1 seed for a reason, it is the best in the state

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  12. In Charlotte, NONE!!!

    Charlotte is not known for authentic BBQ. Anyone who posts the name of a commerical bbq joint does not know what real BBQ is like.

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  13. #1 Bridges Lodge in Shelby
    #2 Old Country BBQ in Gastonia
    #3 Courtney's in Clover

    There is no BBQ in Charlotte. Hasn't been since the city took the ability to cook over open flames away. Bring back the pit, it is the only real way to cook the meat. No baked BBQ is worth a penny!

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  14. Macs, Queen City, Sage Garden Catering, Rock ridge BBQ

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  15. The best and most consistent pulled pork in Charlotte right now is from Midwood Smokehouse.

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  16. Alston Bridges Barbecue, Shelby, NC

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  17. Lancasters in mooresville

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  18. This is a no-brainer for me: 521 BBQ at 7580 Charlotte Hwy. in Indian Land, SC. Been our favorite for years since we found it. Be sure to check them out even if they dont win...you will love it!
    Penny Cunningham, Charlotte

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  19. None. You have to go east of I-95 to get good pork barbecue.

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  20. Old Hickory House on N Tryon. Year in and year out, the best around

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  21. Lancaster's on Beatties Ford Rd.

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  22. Bridges BBQ in Shelby

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  23. Rick M
    Says Garys in China Grove!

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  24. Ranucci's BBQ in Belmont. Best around the Charlotte area

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  25. Sauceman's on West Blvd, y'all.

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  26. Heather MoneymakerMarch 1, 2013 at 11:40 AM

    Q2U BBQ PIT and Catering, Lake Wylie

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  27. Ranuccis in Belmont is great and has placed in Top 10 in in Memphis contests.

    To anyone that still likes Spoons, have you eaten anywhere else? It was great when Bill Spoon was alive, it's horrible now. I've lived here 25 years, I know.

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  28. Queen City Q is the best in Charlotte.

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  29. Q2U BBQ is by far the best! They have their own sauces and the bbq is phenomenal!!
    www.q2ubbq.com
    4052 Charlotte Hwy
    Lake Wylie

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  30. Rock Store-Stallings, NC

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  31. Mac's Speed Shop most definitely best I'm Charlotte.

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  32. Bubba's is the best BBQ in Charlotte.

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  33. Bobbee-O's on Old Statesville Rd in Charlotte is amazing. So flavorful you don't even need to add any sauce!

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  34. Q2U BBQ Pit in Lake Wylie, SC!!

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  35. Whispering Pines, Albemarle. Been in business since the 1940's

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  36. I agree with Bobbee-Os and Midwood Smokehose also both are great.

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  37. 1. Red Bridge's Barbecue Lodge
    2. Sauceman's
    3. Bill Spoon's

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  38. The Que Stand - Harrisburg, NC

    It's definitely in the top 5 within 50 miles.

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  39. Jo Jo's Backyard BBQ on Rocky River Road, Lancaster, SC

    From
    Tammy

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  40. Q2U BBQ Pit and Catering, Lake Wylie, South Carolina

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  41. Q2U BBQ and Catering
    Lake Wylie, South Carolina

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  42. I would nominate Lakeshore BBQ in the Triangle area of East Lincoln County, near Denver. Great Lexington style and the best ribs on Friday and Saturdays, plus terrific brunswick stew
    Polly Redd, Denver

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  43. Just came from lunch at Q2U BBQ Pit in Lake Wylie. Yum

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  44. Kyle Fletchers BBQ in Lowell

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  45. Bats BBQ Rock Hill SC

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  46. For the Tournament from my wide Q experience in this area, I recommend 521 BBQ off 521 in Indian Land; Midwood Smoke House on Central Ave, Charlotte; Macs BBQ on S. Blvd; Lexington BBQ (the original)in Lexington; Queen City Q in Uptown Charlotte (top bannana pudding too); Courtneys BBQ in Clover, SC; Bridges BBQ in Shelby on 74; And Woodlands BBQ in Blowing Rock! (past 50 miles I guess, but worth a mention..Woodlands sets the standard for great chopped Q, Sides and Great Atmosphere!)

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  47. Bar-B-Que King in Lincolnton

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  48. If it is not cooked over hickory wood, its not BBQ.

    Kyle Fletchers, nuff said

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  49. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/13/3524811/barbecue-shocker-charlotte-had.html

    TedC - I think you are mistaken. Charlotte may actually be home to the first "pit" stand according to this culinary researcher.

    We can agree that it has become more difficult to find, but to say that Charlotte does not have a place in BBQ history is off the mark.

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  50. Lexington BBQ.

    Red Bridges BBQ in Shelby.

    Sauceman's here in Charlotte. I like Midwood Smokehouse and Mac's too, but I give the nod to Sauceman's here. The yare doing god stuff over on West Blvd.

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  51. Rock Store in Stallings

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  52. Hillbilly's BBQ & Steaks in Lowell

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  53. 521 BBQ Lancaster
    Lancaster BBQ mooresville Huntersville
    Bill Spoons

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  54. Q2U Bque on Lake Wylie!!!

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  55. Q-2-U BBQ IN LAKE WYLIE SC IS OFF-THE HOOK AWESOME! Voted Best BBQ in Lake Wylie 4 years running and well-deserved. Their bbq and sauces are second to none. Mouth watering deliciousness!

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  56. Gary's BBQ in China Grove and Wink's in Salisbury

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  57. Lexington BBQ Center
    Lexington #1
    Alston Bridges in Shelby

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  58. Ranuccis Big Butt BBQ and Grill, Belmont NC.
    Best pulled pork I have had in or around Charlotte and I have tried most of them. Their sauces are also very good and come on the side.
    They get my vote!

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  59. Old Hickory House....hands down!

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  60. Fresh Air in Jackson, Ga...

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  61. Richard's BBQ and College BBQ in Salisbury are excellent.

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  62. Lexington #1 - nothing else comes close

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  63. Kyle Fletcher's..and try the onion rings, too!

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  64. Q2U BBQ! Lake Wylie, SC. Best food and best people!

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  65. 1. Brushy Creek Bar-B-Q House

    S.C. 81, Powdersville, S.C. (864) 269-0155.

    True-to-tradition S.C. barbecue: Slightly smoky chopped pork with
    mustard-based sauce, plus pork over rice on the side. The coleslaw slaw is
    topped with thick slices of sweet pickle. The desserts -- red velvet cake,
    chocolate cake, coconut cake and brownies on our visit -- are made by the
    owner.

    2. Bridges Barbecue Lodge

    U.S. 74 East Bypass, Shelby, N.C. (704) 482-8567.

    One of the leaders in Carolina barbecue, for good reason. The Bridges
    family has been making it since 1946. Pork shoulders are cooked over
    hickory and oak -- the woodpile is as long as several tractor-trailers --
    then chopped coarsely with some crusty brown bits. It's served with a
    tart/hot sauce that is thicker and darker than most.

    3. Alston Bridges

    620 Grover St., Shelby, N.C. (704) 482-1998.

    Alston Bridges and "Red" Bridges of the Barbecue Lodge weren't related, but
    both worked for barbecue pioneer Warner Stamey. At Alston's, the pork is
    very finely chopped and served with a thin, red vinegar sauce. It's also
    known for tender, sauce-covered ribs.

    4. Hendrix Barbecue

    2488 Statesville Blvd., Salisbury, N.C. (704) 633-9838.

    How can you resist a restaurant with a giant chicken on the roof? This
    roadhouse serves classic barbecue: Tender pork with a hint of smoke, served
    up with coleslaw and delicious hush puppies.

    5. Lexington Barbecue

    U.S. 29/70, Lexington, N.C. (336) 249-9814.

    A Lexington landmark for good reason. Wayne Monk and his family make
    simple, straightforward pork barbecue, cooked all night over wood. The
    coleslaw slaw is red and tangy, the perfect thing to mix with minced pork
    with just a hint of smoke.

    6. Bar-B-Q Center

    900 N. Main St., Lexington, N.C. (336) 248-4633.

    Lexington is packed with barbecue restaurants, but we love the look of this
    one: A classic 1950s-style drive-in. The finely chopped barbecue is soft in
    texture with hints of crusty outside brown. It's almost as popular for ice
    cream: The yacht-size banana splits should require a boating license.

    7. Short Sugar's

    1328 S. Scales St., Reidsville, N.C.; (336) 342-7487.

    Three brothers, Johnny, Clyde and Eldridge Overby, were planning to open a
    drive-in in 1949 when Eldridge was killed in an car accident. So the
    restaurant was given his nickname, "Short Sugar." It's still appropriate --
    the dark brown sauce is tart and sweet, served over coarsely chopped
    barbecue.

    8. Allen & Son

    N.C. 86, near Chapel Hill, N.C. (919) 942-7576.

    Our favorite version of classic Eastern Carolina-style barbecue: Moist and
    tender pork, shredded and flecked with red pepper, served with a thin, hot
    vinegar sauce. How can pork shoulder have this much flavor? As a waitress
    told us: "Shoveling coals for 9 or 10 hours a day." It shows.

    9. Mitchell's

    6228 S. Ward Blvd., Wilson, N.C. (252) 291-9189.

    In Wilson, the mecca of Eastern-style barbecue, Ed Mitchell was a relative
    newcomer when he opened a small restaurant in his parents' old grocery
    store in the 1990s. But word spread quickly. Mitchell's is now in a large,
    new building. Service is cafeteria-style, so you have a choice of more
    vegetables and meats than most places. The barbecue is authentic
    Eastern-style.

    10. Parker's

    2514 N.C. 301 South (Ward Boulevard), Wilson, N.C. (252) 237-0972.

    When people say "Eastern-style," this is what they mean. Vinegar-tangy
    minced pork, served family-style with yellow coleslaw, tasty Brunswick
    stew, corn sticks, hush puppies and sweet tea by the pitcher. The place
    never changes, right down to the black-and-white aerial photos of Wilson
    County and the polite young waiters in paper hats.

    .....to name a few visited back in the day.

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  66. Q2U BBQ Lake Wylie,sc. Best BBQ around..

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  67. Ranucci's Big Butt BBQ and Grill in Belmont, home of the porkasaurus. This is one of the best BBQ places I have been too. Not only is the restaurant great, but look at their competition accomplishments.

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  68. Sauceman's on West Blvd. - they have a HUGE smoker outside and food is outstanding.

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  69. Sauceman's in Charlotte and 521 BBQ down in Indian Land.

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  70. Q-2-U in Lake Wylie, SC. Great pork, ribs, chicken and steaks too!

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  71. If you want to include the best BBQ, it will come from Lexington. My favorite is from the Barbeque Center indowntown Lexington, by far the best coarse chopped BBQ around.

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  72. Red Bridges Bar-B-Que Lodge in Shelby on Hwy 74. Best in the state.

    In Charlotte - Sauceman's

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  73. Gary's BBQ in China Grove

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  74. Ranucci's B B Q & Grill in Belmont N C Looking for great BBQ, this is the place. Everything scratch made. I was fortunate enough to stop for dinner when they had beef ribs as a special. Huge ribs, right amount of smoke and great sauces. My friend had the pulled pork sandwich and said it was by far the best pork BBQ they have had in the Charlotte area. Try the Brunswick stew it's delicious. This is my go to BBQ place.

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  75. 521 BBQ
    Smokey Bones
    Sticky Fingers
    Shanes Rib Shack
    Elwood's Barbecue & Burger Bar

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  76. BobbeeOs on old Statesville rd

    Midwood Smokehouse on Central Ave

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  77. "Pulled Pork" is a yankee term. It's just called barbecue.

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  78. ALSTON Bridges Barbecue in Shelby (...not Red)

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  79. Ranucci's BBQ hands down! Very few others are having their BBQ judged by professionals and winning every year at competitions side by side with the likes of Jack's Old South & Yazoo Delta Q or at Memphis in May like Ranucci's. He's top 10 for shoulder in the World and always a big winner & hometown favorite at Charlotte competitions. According to professional judges he's the best and many of us agree!! RANUCCI's BBQ all the way baby!!

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  80. Q2U BBQ Pit, Lake Wylie SC

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  81. If this competition is open to Lexington Q joints then the Charlotte restauarants don't have a chance.
    -Lexington #1
    -BBQ Center

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  82. Midwood Smokehouse, Charlotte, NC. OUTSTANDING and smoked on site,

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  83. Local Dish Restaurant, Fort Mill, SC
    Absolutely wonderful, flavorful,and delicious, served on a melt in your mouth bun!

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  84. Q2U BBQ in lake Wylie is the best around!

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  85. Lexington is more than 50 miles away from Charlotte (unfortunately), so stop mentioning Lexington bbq.

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  86. Ranucci's Pork BBQ is great.

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  87. YES, YES, YES, Ranucci's, is the best!!!! Mightyscott

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  88. Saucemans on west Blvd is great.

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  89. Local Dish on Main Street in Fort Mill is worth a try

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  90. Uncle C's BBQ in Statesville, NC

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  91. Ranucci's BBQ & Grill. Just walking by his place smells like what REAL Carolina BBQ is all about!! Lived in Belmont, NC all my life and ate shoulder & whole hog since I was a young boy and my vote is Ranucci's.

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  92. Q2U BBQ LAKE WYLIE SC

    AWESOME BBQ AND GREAT STAFF

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  93. Q2u in lake wylie. great pork, but absolutely best brisket ive had anywhere!

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  94. Ranucci's BBQ & Grill in Belmont
    Great litle place with over the top BBQ

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  95. Q2U Pit BBQ in Lake Wylie, SC - Best I ever had!!!

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  96. We love 521 BBQ in Indian Land and Q2U BBQ Pit at Lake Wylie. Give 'em a try!! Donna Peters

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  97. Q2U BBQ Pit in Lake Wylie,SC has fantastic BBQ! They have their own sauces and the pulled pork and the ribs are out of this world.

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  98. Q2B BBQ in Lake Wylie is the best.

    Dianne Kehler
    Remedics Restoration Carolinas, LLC

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  99. Midwood Smokehouse, they smoke their Q for 14 hours!

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  100. Midwood Smokehouse!! Killer BBQ; I eat there once a week :)

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  101. Midwood Smokehouse! Yuuummmmm

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  102. The McRib from the Indian Trail McD's. Best in town!

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  103. Midwood Smokehouse deff. the best bbq in charlotte.100% hickory wood smoked, pulled by hand

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  104. Thank goodness someone pointed out that Lexington is 60+ miles from Charlotte. Now, seeing as how I grew up in Lexington and on Lexington BBQ, I feel as if I an insiders perspective as to what is good BBQ and what is not. There are several mentioned that I feel are legit such as Bridges and Kyle Fletchers's...But the best I have had in a while comes from 10 PARK LANES. That's right, a bowling alley, it has six homemade sauces that are stellar and run the gauntlet of tastes. Hands down best in Charlotte. Monk's in Lexington would be proud to compete against it.

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  105. Midwood Smokehouse without a doubt!

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  106. I have been abstaining from commenting as I don't know of a good bbq place in Charlotte (seems to be a commmon thread), but as people have nominated Bridges in Shelby (outstanding) - I'd like to mention R&R in Concord - just off I-85 at mile marker 52. Everything is tops there - and they do brisket on Fridays.

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  107. Bill Spoon's hands down. Queen City Q lost their flavor when Dan "Boone" left.

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  108. Midwood Smokehouse hand pulled BBQ is awesome!

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  109. Mac's on South is the best!

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  110. Q2U BBQ 4052 Charlotte Hwy
    Lake Wylie, South Carolina 29710

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  111. 1. Lancaster's in Huntersville
    2. BBQ King in Lincolnton
    3. Sauceman's in Charlotte

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  112. Hands down Q2U in Lake Wylie! The Charlotte Champion Saucemakers!
    Just the right blend of smoke, vinegar & sauce to make you keep coming back for more!

    Hoosieremike

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  113. My wife & I traveled from NJ to visit friends & stopped in at Q2U in Lake Wylie.The best Pit stop for BBQ in the Charlotte Area! Great food, friendly atmosphere; owners went out of their way to make us feel right at home!

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  114. Real BBQ is a labor of love! Boy Scout Troop 11 @ Providence United Methodist Church March 15 & 16. No better BBQ in Charlotte. Award winning. Done the old fashioned way.


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  115. Wink's in Salisbury

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  116. Q2U BBQ & Catering In Lake Wylie The Best BBQ Hands Down!!!

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  117. Ranucci's BBQ in Belmont. Not only some of the best bbq but amazing unique sandwiches. You have to try the porkasauras, 3 types of pork on one sandwich.

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  118. Hi Helen,

    Q2U BBQ Pit in LAKE WYLIE SOUTH CAROLINA!!!

    #1 BBQ

    http://q-2-u.com

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  119. Q2u Bbq Pit in Lake Wylie, the bbq is the best around and the staff is great.

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  120. The best BBQ outside of Lexington has to be Q2U in Lake Wylie!

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  121. Q2U BBQ in Lake Wylie, SC. Best bbq in the Charlotte area.

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  122. My family and I love BBQ. Have to say the best BBQ around is Q2U BBQ Pit, in Lake Wylie, SC. They even make their own sauce.

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  123. Q2U BBQ PIT and Catering just off Lake Wylie
    Great!

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  124. Best place by far is Q2U BBQ Pit and Catering in Lake Wylie, SC. The food is awesome and the staff is wonderful. They should be in this tournament.

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