Smoky Tony's - Holly Ridge, NC

Today was the first time we had BBQ in North Carolina, a state with a long history of BBQ tradition. Here, they say that there are three topics that can get people really heated: politics, religion, and BBQ.

There are two predominant styles here. First, there is the Lexington style, also known as the Piedmont style. It is the driving force in western NC. Typical of this style is the smoking of pork shoulders and the use of tomato sauce, both as a base for the mopping sauce and for the cole slaw (red slaw), where the mopping sauce is used instead of mayonnaise. The use of tomatoes in the Lexington style is said to have originated from German settlers.

Within the eastern North Carolina style, the use of tomatoes in BBQ is frowned upon. Here, the mopping sauce consists only of vinegar, pepper, and chili flakes. They also tend to smoke whole pigs (whole hog BBQ). To illustrate the rivalry between the two styles, here's a quick example: The city of Lexington, which is emblematic of the style, hosts a huge BBQ festival every year with over 150,000 visitors. Of course, it offers Lexington-style BBQ. Initially, they decided to name it the "North Carolina BBQ Festival". However, the eastern part protested against this name. They argued that it was not an NC BBQ Festival because the eastern style was not adequately represented. This issue eventually reached the state government, and the name of the festival had to be changed. It is now called the "Official Food Festival of the Piedmont Triad Region of the State of North Carolina". Cheers and enjoy your meal...

Smoky Tony's on Route 17 in Holly Ridge, NC, was our first BBQ stop of the day. We could already see a large smoker trailer outside the restaurant. The restaurant was quite busy at lunchtime. The staff recommended the Texas-style Brisket to us (seasoned only with crushed black pepper and salt). Since we planned to visit two more BBQ stations later in the day, I opted for a brisket sandwich with cole slaw, and Steffi only had a portion of slaw. She wanted to be prepared for what was to come. The food was promptly served. Drinks, as almost everywhere so far, were continuously refilled. The cole slaw was very fresh and almost a bit too crunchy for my taste, but we both enjoyed it. The brisket itself had been smoked well with firewood, and the slices were not too thick or too thin. If the slices are too thick, it could indicate that the meat has been cooked for too long, while too thin slices could suggest that the meat is slightly tough and undercooked. The best way to test it is by trying to pull apart a slice. If there is a slight resistance, it is fine. I was satisfied with my order. The homemade sauces were also enjoyable. Overall, Tony's BBQ was a happy coincidence and highly recommended!