The Southern Male Democrat

I’ve never been quite able to figure out the Western Piedmont region of North Carolina. Not only do these people in the foothills vote reliably Republican, they have this other odd notion that barbecue and slaw must somehow contain a tomato-based sauce. On my way back from a union event in Hickory, NC (what’s the over/under on how many times THAT phrase has ever been said or typed??) I decided to take the long way via Hwy 64 and stop in Lexington to sample the tomato-based cuisine. I figured if I couldn’t understand their politics, I could at least try and figure out their ‘cue.

This is not to say that I was a Lexington barbecue virgin. I have been to several of the Lexington area establishments, but my visits were years ago. Clearly my taste buds needed a refresher!

Of course, loving barbecue as I do, one stop at one restaurant would NOT suffice. I knew that my readers would want more insight and comparison than one restaurant could provide. So, purely in the interests of research, I planned my route to stop at two of the legendary establishments.

First up was Stamey’s Barbecue in the thriving metropolis of Tyro, NC. Right away, I noticed all of the different options for how they serve the barbecue. You can order it sliced, chopped or coarsely chopped. Ordering a chopped sandwich brought me this -

The meat was very tender and moist - but it didn’t really have the flavor of the sauce. They even bring you a little plastic cup of sauce for dipping. The sauce had a nice tomato-tangy flavor, but dipping or pouring after the meat is cooked is sort of cheating isn’t it? I was going to post a picture of the hush puppies, but they really weren’t anything to write home about. I mean, you can’t really screw up fried lumps of corn bread, so the puppies weren’t bad at all, they just didn’t make an impression.

In sum, Stamey’s is worth a visit the next time you find yourself in Tyro (and who among us doesn’t have that happen on a regular basis?) but don’t make a special trip.

Next up was Lexington Barbecue. Yes, the name of the restaurant is the same as the dish they serve. Lexington Barbecue is a legendary among barbecue aficionados and politicians. Now that I’ve reacquainted myself with the place, I can see why.

First, if your car windows are open even a crack, you’ll smell the restaurant long before you see it - that’s always a good sign. When you pull up in the parking lot, you can see the smoke rising from the pits out back - good sign number two. Check it out -

I walked in, sat down at the counter and immediately a plastic basket full of hush puppies appeared in front of me. Unlike their canine cousins in Tyro, these pups WERE worth writing home about. The flavor had a nice balance of sweet and savory - I could definitely taste the corn meal.

Having just consumed most (but note, Mrs SMD, not all…) of a barbecue sandwich at Stamey’s not an hour earlier, I didn’t really have the appetite to go as nuts as my taste buds wanted to. In the interests of my research, I ordered another “chopped sandwich.” Interestingly, chopped means something entirely different at this establishment. The sandwich came much like what I am used to eating in Eastern North Carolina. See -

This sandwich was much more yummy. Clearly, it had been basted with this tomato-based sauce for much longer than its competitor. The meat was lean but may have been a tad moist for my tastes. I liked it, but it was nowhere near as good as God’s barbecue in Ayden, NC.

And that ended my foray into the Western Piedmont of North Carolina. I am glad I went because I enjoy the chance to sample barbecue. While my heart and stomach are clearly aligned with the Eastern North Carolina, I always urge respect for all kinds of barbecue.

I mean, what kind of Democrat would I be if I wasn’t in favor of some pork-based diversity??