Cast your vote for King of Cue – Eastern Style

It’s time to vote for your favorite North Carolina barbecue restaurant. We’ve taken nominations this week. You’ve blogged and emailed more than 75 different nominations in our Best of Carolina competition. I didn’t realize we had so many great pork eateries statewide.

I’m not playing favorites here but I do have some restaurant names that I really like. I’ve never been to Short Sugar’s in Reidsville but I love the name. It made me laugh. Hog Heaven and Boss Hog are two other names that I really like.

Your comments reflect your passion for barbecue. They also say a lot about your knowledge. I appreciate the many suggestions and specific comments on the many side items on the various menus.

I love Lexington barbecue but still I chuckled when I read staggerlee’s comment: “Ketchup goes well with French fries. That’s about it.” Have you heard the ketchup song on Prairie Home Companion? Ketchup is for the good times unless it’s a pig pickin’ in the Coastal Plain.

Speaking of songs I appreciated the tip about The Barbecue Song by Rhett & Link and The Homestead Pickers. That song really sums up the South’s love affair with the barbecue. You can find the video and song on Youtube.

Preferences aside, innocentbystander summed up a lot of our attitudes when he wrote: “I have rarely tasted BBQ that I didn’t like, regardless of style.” And thefensk hit the nail on the head by saying some of the very best barbecue can be found at church, school and VFW fundraisers.

We will have two pork polls beginning with a feast down east. We will crown a King of Cue among restaurants that serve eastern style barbecue. We will have a separate poll on Monday for the Best of the West in our quest to establish the most popular restaurant using a touch of tomato in their vinegar sauce.

The finalists listed in the eastern poll are based on restaurants getting the most nominations via blog and email. Some fine restaurants didn’t make this list but we had to narrow the field. The list was compiled in alphabetical order.

Voting ends at 6:00P.M. Friday

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!