In North Carolina, we love our tasty, regional, home-grown barbecue, whether we can agree on it, or not.

From the earliest history of cooking meats over flames and coals to modern methods, North Carolina has a proud barbecue tradition, featured at family and community gatherings across the state. Whether at a backyard grill, a community event, or a traditional wood fire pit at a local restaurant, delicious barbecue can be found in every North Carolina county and in every corner of our history.

The Story of BBQ in North Carolina explores the emergence of hog cultivation and food made from them as a centerpiece of many gatherings.

Barbecue restaurants from across North Carolina are represented, with eastern, western, and Piedmont styles featured.  Sauces, shirts, and the tools of barbecue cooking are displayed. Local favorites are highlighted, like Lexington Barbecue from the Piedmont’s barbecue capital, College Barbecue and Marlowe’s BAR-B-Q and Seafood of Salisbury, and Hendrix Barbecue of Spencer.

The exhibit also fuels the East vs West debate about sauces and condiments, even as it seeks to explain that the eastern vinegar base and the western tomato ketchup enhanced versions really aren’t that different.

The exhibit is available with regular museum admission, $6 for adults, $5 for seniors/military, $4 for children 3-12, and free for ages two and under.  Admission plus the museum’s on-site train ride is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors/military, and $8 for ages 3-12.

Thanks goes to those who helped contribute to the display of this exhibit at the N.C. Transportation Museum, including Lexington Barbecue, Hendrix Barbecue in Spencer, College Barbecue, Marlowe’s BAR-B-Q and Seafood, Fuzzy’s Bar-B-Que, Sue Weddington, Larry Neal, and Joel Honeycutt.

This exhibit is on loan from the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

The N.C. Transportation Museum, located in historic Spencer Shops, is home to the largest remaining operational roundhouse in North America. Learn more at www.nctrans.org