BBQ Part Two: Little Richard's in Winston-Salem

So I spent 4th of July (which is also...my birthday! whee!) weekend in Winston-Salem, N.C., where I partook of some deeeeelicious Lexington-style barbecue, a form known for its use of vinegar and for its thinner sauce. We went to Little Richard's Lexington BBQ, a cash-only joint (that's right, joint) whose quality is directly proportional to the waistbands of its customers.

I love Little Richard's for many reasons: their delicious chopped pork, the fact that they purveyed the first hush puppy I ever consumed, and, of course, their coleslaw. I already mentioned how much I hate mayonnaisey coleslaw, and the slaw at LR's (that's right, we're close enough now to abbreviate) is light, fresh, and peppery--just right.

As a rule, my favorite thing to do post-'cue is to call my stepfather, a former resident of Raleigh and a Wahoo (now a Maineiac), and brag. Knowing me scarily well, he skipped the pleasantries on this weekend's call and simply answered "I bet you're going to tell me about barbecue." Which, of course, was right.

It was lovely, as the photos below suggest. I did take a few photos of the meat, but it just doesn't photograph well, so I've included the hush puppies and the slaw instead.


I'll likely abstain from further BBQ action for a while (both wallet and waistline insist), but I couldn't resist sharing the glory of Little Richard's and comparing the styles of barbecue, which I find fascinating.

The bottom line: while the barbecue in Richmond leans towards a thicker sauce that gets slathered all over the meat and is generally delicious, the Lexington style barbecue is, in my humble opinion, superior because the food is complemented, rather than hidden, by a lighter sauce. Shhh, don't tell Buz and Ned's!