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Travel Review Fall 2023
Carolina BBQ Part II of II

My next stop [Sat. 10/22] was one that I had been planning to make for over two decades and especially when I lived in the quaint town of Winston-Salem, NC, which is on the same route. The Lexington, NC, BBQ Festival is now in its 39^th season and is one of our country's most popular food festivals. My much-anticipated arrival took place at approximately 10:55 AM. Parking was tricky and costly, but my Spidey senses kicked in and I was able to find a free spot only a few blocks away from the main entrance to the festival off Main Street. As I traversed through the huge crowd and checked out the vendors it eventually became clear to me that my expectations were way off. This festival was not about a variety of eclectic BBQ from many different places but instead a festival dedicated only to Lexington BBQ. Duh!

I was traumatized to say the least but quickly overcame my dismay for the sake of professionalism to continue my mission of locating the best BBQ in the Carolinas. I ended up at one of a few tents that served the signature Lexington BBQ dish and each one was crowded. I patiently awaited my turn with much anticipation of a great meal. I ordered the sandwich only which I believe was about $8 or so. I paid cash to speed up the process, so I do not have a receipt to confirm the price charged. The sandwich was what I consider the traditional mushy type with slaw, no sauce, but included Texas Pete Hot Sauce packs. It was good but not great without Eastern or Western BBQ sauce which I mentioned earlier makes the BBQ. And I was still quite disappointed that there were no other BBQ choices at entire festival. The festival itself was great and well attended by folks from near are far; but for me a great disappointment as far as what my expectations were for a plethora of different BBQ choices. I departed about 1:10 PM and have no plans to return.

My next stop was to an event that I had not attended since my days as a field distribution engineer with Duke Power (today Energy) where us salaried employees were encouraged to attend because of the plethora of North Carolina State and local politicians that showed up to press the flesh and get votes. I did not put two and two together until after I resigned my position in early 1991 to go into the publishing business. Duke is one of, if not the largest employer of lobbyists in the State of North Carolina. It is for that reason that they typically get their way when it comes to rate hikes. Yikes! Anywho; this was the 91^st Mallard Creek BBQ (since 1929), and its original purpose was to raise monies to pay contractors for Sunday School rooms at the old Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church which is now located at 1600 W. Mallard Creek Church Rd., Charlotte, NC 28262. The event is always on the 4^th Thursday in October. I and a business associate arrived at approximately 12:35 PM after negotiating my way around the tons of traffic coming from the south.

I once worked in this area while employed with Duke, so I knew to go around to the northern end of Mallard Creek Church Road which was less of a headache. My GPS (Global Positioning System) guided us to the current Mallard Creek Church Road and not to the original church which is now the community center and site of the annual BBQ. There were sheriff deputies directing traffic near the entrance which helped with the flow of traffic in and out of the annual BBQ. The parking area was starting to fill up, but they also had a drive-thru option which is something that was not available during my last visit back in the late 1980's/early 1990's.

I decided to order take out to enjoy the atmosphere and feel the vibes of this now historic annual Charlotte fall event. My business associate remained in my vehicle due to health issues while walking. I was in line approximately 25 minutes which went by fast as I was enjoying listening to people carrying on nice conversations in my proximity. I ordered two BBQ dinners that came with Brunswick Stew, slaw, apple sauce, and two slices of white bread. The total cost came to just $24 (no taxes) which I consider not a bad price for lunch. There was no dining available on site as before, so I drove to Hornets Nest Park to enjoy our meals outdoors. My BBQ was disappointing especially with the commercial sauce which came in packs; it was nowhere near Eastern or Western BBQ standards and tasted manufactured as opposed to homemade. On the other hand, the coleslaw was good because it tasted homemade and had a unique tangy taste.

The apple sauce was typical and tasted as if it came from a jar or container from the grocery store. The Brunswick Stew was the highlight of my meal and the only place that I know of to get it in the Charlotte area. The ingredients were tomato based with beans (or rice option) and vegetables; the meat was chicken (or pork option). My guest enjoyed it as well! This historic BBQ event is for a good cause which is to raise money for local missions! It was enlightening to learn that no politicians were allowed this go around and I plan to return one day.

The last stop in my journey that began last year and covered over 912 miles and two States was Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston, SC. I came across this eatery by pure happenstance after learning that most mom and pops were closed because of the Independence Day holiday [Tue. 07/04]. It was after my visit to the brand new International African-American Museum while on a FAM (familiarization) trip for our QCT A Day in Charleston SC Trip^sm. I chose this place because it was nearest the new museum and on my route back to the Charlotte, NC, area. I arrived at approximately 1:50 PM and chose to hit drive thru because the small dining area was jam packed, I guess because of the holiday closings. Their parking area was very small and another reason to use their drive-thru option.

Their drive-thru service was super-fast, it took less than 5 minutes for my order to be handed to me and there were two cars in front of me when I arrived. I ordered their Signature Whole Hog plate with baked beans, potato salad, and corn bread. Unfortunately, they only offered the vinaigrette Eastern Carolina style sauce and not my preferred mustard version. Boo! My total came to $16.08 (with taxes), which I consider very pricey. I decided to park across the street in the Food Lion shopping plaza to consume my meal due to the limited parking at their establishment, First, they did not provide me with any eating utensils. My pulled pork was under whelming, a bit too dry, my sauce was too spicey; my baked beans were seasoned but still bland. My potato salad was seasoned also but still bland, my cornbread was moist but also bland. I have no plans to return to this eatery.

All in all, it was a great experience traveling from eatery to eatery throughout North and South Carolina in search of the best Carolina BBQ. My travels from the mountains to the coast took over a year and covered over 900 miles to some familiar and not so familiar eateries. I am disappointed that I was not able to find my favorite mustard BBQ sauce in South Carolina but am elated to have experienced my personal favorite BBQ at the Little Switzerland Cafe' along the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. By the way, the term BBQ can be traced back to the 1500's and the Taino people in modern day Haiti, Jamaica, and Cuba.

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