Fire up the car and your taste buds: These 15 NC restaurants are worth the drive
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Destination dining often means fine dining. But it’s the off-the-beaten-path cheeseburgers, barbecue and tacos that have us hopping in the car and setting off down the road.
Here are 15 of North Carolina’s most drive-worthy restaurants. Spots where the meal alone is worth the time it took to get there. Places that offer a dish or point of view you won’t find anywhere else.
This being North Carolina, a lot of those roads lead to barbecue.
Johnson’s Drive In
1520 E. 11th St., Siler City. facebook.com/johnsonscheesburgersofficial
The pendulum of burger trends has swung back toward the roadside joint of griddled cheeseburgers on a flat top. This is the real deal, an American classic that’s inspired burger empires like Shake Shack. Going on its 77th year, Johnson’s, and places like it, prove why this style of burger perfection endures.
Jon G’s Barbecue
116 Glenn Falls St., Peachland. 704-272-6301 or jongsbarbecue.com
Some people describe Peachland as near Charlotte, but the truth is it’s closer to the South Carolina border than the big city. No one seems to mind the drive. Open only on Saturdays, this barbecue experience is straight out of Texas, with people lining up early for brisket, ribs, turkey, sausage and pulled pork. There’s a cooler of free beer, though you’re welcome to bring your own. When the barbecue sells out, that’s it until next Saturday.
The Beefmastor Inn
2656 US Hwy 301 S., Wilson. 252-237-7343 or facebook.com/beefmastor
The tiny dining room of this Eastern North Carolina steakhouse has created a tailgate culture in the parking lot. Inside, steaks are sliced to order based on thickness and the menu is written in the wind.
Sunny Side Oyster Bar
1100 Washington St., Williamston. 252-792-3416
This quintessential North Carolina oyster bar still follows the seasons of its beloved bivalves, opening only in the “R” months and closing up during the summer. The oysters come steamed, with melted butter or hot sauce for dipping. There’s a lot of lore around Sunny Side, but the rite of passage is the Rooster, a test of bravery in the form of a hot-sauce-drenched oyster and thick slice of jalapeno resting on a saltine cracker.
Strong Arm Baking Co.
117 Main St., Oxford. 919-339-4350 or strongarmbaking.com
There’s so much great pizza in the Triangle, why bother driving the half hour north to Oxford? Strong Arm’s Saturday pizza nights make a pretty compelling case for why, turning the downtown bake shop into a pop-up pizzeria, where the pies have piles of pepperoni and perfect crusts.
Grady’s BBQ
3096 Arrington Bridge Road, Dudley. 919-735-7243 or facebook.com/gradysbbqnc
Helmed by husband and wife octogenarians, Grady’s is a treasure of North Carolina’s whole hog tradition, a small restaurant situated at a Wayne County crossroads making some of the most beloved barbecue in the state. For more than 30 years, Steve and Geri Grady have cooked what they know, smoking hogs over coals, braising greens and making daily sweet potato pies. Don’t leave without a slice of pie.
Butcher of Brunswick
5850 W. Ocean Hwy, Ocean Isle Beach. 910-287-6999
Surrounded by golf courses in southeastern North Carolina, this Italian deli and butcher shop knows its audience, stocking used golf balls along with Italian cookies by the pound and olive oil by the jug. But go for the sandwiches, served on a hard roll or soft, and tote it next door to the Makai Brewing company, or maybe to the back nine somewhere nearby. It’s probably no surprise that the Italian sandwich is the way to go, piled with cured meats, shaved red onions and peppers if you ask.
Keaton’s Barbecue
17365 Cool Springs Road, Cleveland. 704-278-3048 or keatonsoriginalbbq.com
For more than 30 year’s, Keaton’s has been the gold standard for North Carolina dipped chicken. Perfectly fried chicken is dipped in a boiling barbecue sauce shrouded in mystery. This anointing preserves the crispness of the chicken, but drenches it in that smoky, sweet and spicy sauce. Call before you set out on a journey, though, said a staff member who answered the phone, and check the weather forecast as well.
Southern Smoke BBQ
29 E. Warren St., Garland. 910-549-7484 or southernsmokebbqnc.com
This Eastern North Carolina barbecue joint has carved out its own path and developed its own style that’s not easy to place in Lexington or whole hog traditions. Open only two days a week in tiny Garland, there’s always a line at Southern Smoke’s door when it opens. The pulled pork is the main draw, but owner Matthew Register has also thrown his hat in the fried chicken wars with a compelling chicken sandwich of his own. On some special days look out for the shop’s famous collard chowder, a rich and smoky stew brightened to a pale yellow with turmeric.
Skylight Inn
4618 Lee St., Ayden. 252-746-4113 or skylightinnbbq.com
Perhaps the most storied, lauded and enduring smokehouse in North Carolina, this spot will make believers out of anyone who doesn’t quite see what all the fuss is about when it comes to whole hog barbecue. Inside you’ll hear the steady rhythm of cleavers chopping up pork and skin. It’s all about that skin, the crispy bits in every bite, one of the things separating this Jones family restaurant apart from all the others. A James Beard medal hangs on the wall for a reason.
Slappy’s Chicken
200 W. Acadia Ave., Winston Salem. 336-761-0268 or facebook.com/slappyschicken
While not as famous as Nashville’s, yet, North Carolina has its own hot chicken tradition. Slappy’s is one of the few places regularly serving dipped hot chicken, where crispy bone-in fried chicken is dipped in a tangy and spicy sauce, coating it in a deep red sheen, yet somehow keeping its crunch. Like any delicious mess, it helps to eat standing up.
Mission Pizza Napoletana
707 NW Trade St., Winston-Salem. 336-893-8217 or missionpizzanapoletanna.com
As the most authentic Napoli-style pizzeria in the state, Mission takes its pizza pretty seriously. The pies are baked in moments in an inferno of an oven until the crust is tall and blistered. Takeout is strongly discouraged, as these pizzas are ephemeral in their pleasures, meant to be experienced in the moment. What a moment it is.
King’s Restaurant
405 E. New Bern Road, Kinston. 252-527-2101 or kingsbbq.com
For decades now, people all over the country have had barbecue from this Kinston legend shipped to their doors. But few experiences can be stuffed in a box and sent hundreds of miles away. And King’s “Pig in a Puppy” is an experience. In the grand tradition of alternative sandwiches like the Double Down or the Luther burger, King’s serves a barbecue sandwich unlike any other, where smoked pork is piled on a bun made from one huge hushpuppy.
Crazy Tacos
911 S. 5th St., Smithfield. 919-938-0338 or facebook.com/crazytacossmithfieldnc
Though not a far drive for most of the Triangle, this taco stand on the edge of Interstate 95 is worth a special trip. Travelers going north and south plan their routes around Crazy Tacos, scheduling stops for bowls of menudo on the patio picnic tables, as well as huitlacoche quesadillas, sopes and tacos made from freshly made tortillas.
White Point Take-Out
101 Core Sound Loop Road, Atlantic. 252-225-1500 or facebook.com/whitepointtakeout
Near the eastern endpoint of U.S. 70, basically just before you fall into the water, is this seafood shack. With deep fryers devoted to the coastal bounty, the specialty is shrimp burgers, where crispy cornmeal-dusted wild shrimp are stuffed onto a bun. Just a squeeze of lemon would do, but a dollop of slaw couldn’t hurt. Softshell crabs get the same loving treatment and in no time you’re looking into coastal real estate.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Fire up the car and your taste buds: These 15 NC restaurants are worth the drive."
