Smiley's in Lexington, NC

Smiley’s in Lexington, NC, harkens back to decades ago when excellent pit barbecue was slowly cooked over wood embers before being served to customers sitting inside in a simple concrete block building or outside in their cars waiting for curb service.

The pits in use today are the original ones when the business opened in the 1950s. In fact, little has changed at Smiley’s except for a few name changes. It opened originally as Dan’s before the name was changed to Jay’s and then later to Southern Barbecue. It was renamed as Smiley’s Lexington BBQ in 2002 by Steve Yountz, the current owner, when he bought the business after having been an employee for 27 years. Yountz was inducted into the N.C. BBQ Wall of Fame in 2012.

Smiley's is easy to find on Winston Road.

Smiley’s standing in barbecue folklore is recognized by its being one of only two barbecue pits in Lexington (the self-proclaimed Barbecue Capital of the World) on the Historic Barbecue Trail of the North Carolina Barbecue Society. Even its location is a relic of the past. The building is about nine blocks from the downtown center on the “old” road heading north out of town (now replaced by a modern expressway) that is still called Winston Road, named for the nearby tobacco center before it merged in 1913 with the quiet Moravian town of Salem and changed its name to Winston-Salem. 

Mid-afternoons on a weekdays can be quiet except for occasional takeout orders.

Because so little has changed over the decades at Smiley’s, it’s often underrated and underappreciated by young barbecue fans who are looking something other than great barbecue (such as creative sides and desserts, craft beer, and unusual cocktails). When I was at Smiley’s for a late lunch, it was quiet (unlike two other prominent BBQ places where the parking lots were full when I drove by). I had the indoor area all to myself except for an employee who was also eating.

Red slaw with coarse chopped BBQ in a tray have the signature ketchup colors.

I knew I was in Lexington when the ketchup-colored BBQ on the tray was delivered to my table. I ordered the coarse chopped BBQ and found it extremely satisfying, and it surely didn’t need any extra dip; however, I couldn’t resist the temptation to add more to enjoy the flavors of vinegar, pepper, sugar, ketchup, and salt with the barbecue. Consistent with Lexington style, only pork shoulders are used in making the barbecue at Smiley’s.

Coarse chopped BBQ is a popular choice at Smiley's.

I was surprised when the server offered me a choice of slaw: red or white. I didn’t know that white coleslaw could be served in the city. It seems to be such a break from the traditional Lexington style that a local ordinance should prohibit its availability within city limits. Of course, I ordered red slaw, and it paired well with the barbecue, its companion on the tray. In addition, the hushpuppies were excellent. I was going to eat only a few but couldn’t stop. In a few minutes they had all disappeared. 

True to Lexington style, dip (not sauce) is the name to ask for at Smiley's.

The name of Smiley’s is intriguing. In a history of Lexington style BBQ written in 1996 by John Stogner Jr. and made available online by Southern Foodways Alliance, the name “Smiley” is identified as a nickname for Herman Stamey, one of early barbecue entrepreneurs who operated the business in its early days on Winston Road.

A pig bench is ready for anyone waiting for a takeout order.

Being at Smiley’s was like being in a time capsule. The setting and menu reminded me of decades ago. Fortunately, the barbecue hasn’t changed and is true to its legacy. Let’s hope that Smiley’s continues to preserve its traditions.

The wood pile in the back is proof of the traditional approach at Smiley's.

Pulling into Stubbs and Son in Carthage, NC

In a hurry and want chopped pork barbecue prepared in the traditional style of eastern North Carolina? As you pass through Carthage, NC, on U.S. 15-501, look for a small, plain building on the east side of the highway. Unless you’re heading north, you may miss the large sign facing southward that marks the third location of Stubbs and Sons BBQ that opened in 2017.

The third location of Stubbs and Son BBQ opened in Carthage in 2017.

It’s one of the few BBQ places with a drive-through window. You can pull in, order, get your food, and keep traveling in minutes. I ordered from the window inside the small indoor eating area, but most customers use the drive-through window. Since my lunch – like all food served -- was packed to go, taking home leftovers was easy.

An menu board is next to the inside order window.

The server said that the barbecue is prepared off site at the Sanford (Tramway) location, which opened in 2013 (replacing the previous Jackson Brothers). The other location is near Pittsboro and still carries its original name of Allen & Sons, which owner Jimmy Stubbs has managed for almost two decades.

Although I was in central North Carolina, the first bite of my barbecue sandwich carried me several hundred miles east to where the whole hog barbecue tradition of vinegar- and pepper-based sauce (with no tomato or ketchup added) has its roots. Complementing the meat on the sandwich was a sweet and slightly spicy coleslaw, which is made fresh daily, also in the eastern style.

Chopped BBQ on a bun with coleslaw is a favorite.

However, before I ordered my sandwich, I first ordered the homemade banana pudding, and I also tasted it first. It is swe-e-e-e-t with fresh bananas and vanilla wafers softened by the pudding. I alternated bites of it with bites of the sandwich. I’m sure that everyone doesn’t follow this approach, but for today it was a great idea.

The banana pudding is the best dessert.

Larger meat orders come on a plate with two sides (and a choice of bread – instead of a plain roll, pick hushpuppies, which are excellent). In addition to coleslaw, the sides include the usual potato offerings (fries, salad, etc.) but the fries are sliced fresh daily. Other noteworthy sides include deep-fried corn on the cob and fried okra.

While I was at the restaurant, all but one order was for barbecue. The lone exception was a BLT. However, seafood, chicken, Brunswick stew and other sandwiches are also on the menu.

It's a rare moment when the drive-through lane is empty.

Don’t hesitate to pull into the drive-through when you’re hungry for eastern N.C. style barbecue and you’re in the hurry. Just remember where you’re going because soon your state of mind will be in the eastern part of North Carolina.

Returning to Asheboro

Pigs and Pedals in Asheboro, NC, continues to impress me as a top-notch and well-organized event. Now in its fifth year, it has improved each year and succeeded in bringing crowds into the downtown area on the first weekend in August.

Cooking teams set up in downtown Asheboro near the park stage.

In addition to the barbecue competition, the festival again this year included a show of antique cars that kept the crowds busy looking at the historic vehicles on display before they voted in the people’s choice contest for one of the 20 cooking teams that participated. Music and other entertainment acts were also featured on the park stage.

Judges listen as contest organizers explain procedures.

For the second time, a kids’ barbecue competition was part of the weekend and added a youthful component to the cookoff. In addition, a new event was a “pig” eating contest — the winner ate the most cupcakes decorated with pig “faces” in five minutes.

Judging took place in The Exchange, a banquet facility, while the car show was occurring outside.

For the barbecue cookoff, 48 teams vied for top honors and a share of the $12,000 in prize money. Rather than being a judge this year, I was asked to be a table captain, which means presenting and distributing barbecue entries to the judges at the table where I was assigned and then collecting their scores after they had evaluated the entries. Although I missed being a judge, I did sample several entries and compared my judgments with the scores turned in. I was also shadowed by a “new” table captain who had just been certified after completing the required training and was able to answer her questions as we performed our tasks.

BBQ samples were prepared for the people's choice contest.

In addition to several master judges, the table included the pitmaster for Speaks for Itself, a competition cooking team that enters about eight contest annually. He is certified and judges at about three other events each year to experience how entries are judged and to hone his competitive skills. Because events sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society use a “blind judging” process, judges do not know which teams they evaluate. However, being both a judge and cook may explain the success that his team achieved at the Jiggy with the Piggy cookoff in Kannapolis in 2017 when it placed third out of 75 teams in the pork category and won fourth place overall.

Pigs and Pedals keeps downtown Asheboro busy during the first weekend in August.

Working with the table of judges and a new table captain was a refreshing change of pace and made Pigs and Pedals an enjoyable experience again this year.