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Best iced tea in NC

Published: 2011-08-11 08:24:00
Updated: 2011-08-11 08:29:10

We talked about North Carolina's best coffee earlier this week. Now let's discuss the state's best iced tea. Who makes it? Where can you find it? What is the process for making great iced tea?

A few more questions:

Is great unsweetened iced tea possible? If so, how?

What about the use of lemon and mint? How do they play a role in great iced tea?

What about the use of sugar, syrup and honey? What are the do's and don'ts?

Show your passion!

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Parkers BBQ in Wilson definitely has the best tea.

The best tea I've ever had away from home is Parker's Barbecue in Wilson, NC. It is always perfectly sweetened and I never have to add any of the stuff in the "pink packet" to adjust it. What's even better is they give you your own pitcher of tea so that you don't have to depend on a waiter to come around at the right time.

What makes Parker's the best is the tea, plus the crushed ice...who needs dessert?

Parker's BBQ in Wilson!

Definitely Smithfield Chicken & BBQ (the best is at the Raeford Road location in Fayetteville). Completely addictive!

Sweet tea in most restaurants is okay, but usually tends to be too sweet. Smithfield's has so much sugar you can't taste the tea. I prefer what I make at home. I use an Iced Tea Pot brewer (made by Mr. Coffee), and loose leaf tea (much better than the sawdust in tea bags). I fill the pitcher with ice, pour a cup of Splenda over it, and the tea is brewed and automatically dispensed over the ice cubes. The tea is cold when the brewing is done. I also like some flavored teas; my favorite is the strawberry tea (tea leaves with dried strawberries in it) from Adagio.

I'd have to say Parker's in Greenville.

Smithfield's Chicken and BBQ has great sweet tea for restaurant, but I think homemade is still the best!

Parker's in Wilson has the best SWEET iced tea, for that matter, most BBQ places in NC has great sweet tea! It's gotta be sweet...no unsweet tea, embrace the sweet southern culture and give it a try :)

Best unsweet ice tea:

Cheesecake Factory - Mango Tea

Biaggi's - Black Currant Tea

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