Yelp names Western NC barbecue joint one of 10 best in the country: See top BBQ rankings
North Carolina family-owned barbeque joint Haywood Smokehouse has placed in the top 10 on Yelp's Top 100 BBQ Spots in 2024 list, and 11th on Top 100 US Restaurants.
Haywood Smokehouse is the top-ranked barbecue restaurant in N.C.
There are three Haywood Smokehouse locations, with their Waynesville and Dillsboro locations receiving specific mention on the best BBQ and best restaurant lists, respectively. The other location is in Franklin.
Joe Beasley, who co-founded Haywood Smokehouse with his wife Brenda in 2013, discussed the win in previous reporting from the Citizen Times.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” Beasley said. “Sitting back and reflecting on it, knowing there’s almost 750,000 restaurants in the United States, to make that list is an honor.”
It isn't the first time the restaurant gained recognition for its barbecue creations. In 2023, Haywood Smokehouse ranked first on a Yelp list of Top Brisket Spots in the U.S. and Canada.
More: WNC barbecue restaurant ranks high on Yelp's 2024 Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list
Types of barbeque
Haywood Smokehouse received a special mention from Yelp writers at the top of the best BBQ list for offering multiple styles of barbecue including the N.C. classic vinegar-based sauce, a St. Louis-style sweet-red sauce and more.
The vinegar-based barbecue sauce of North Carolina is different in flavor and content from the broadly used tangy, Kansas City-style tomato-based sauces. There are too many distinct regional styles of barbecue to name, though plenty of restaurants and foodies have compiled extensive lists.
National chain Dickey's BBQ Pit published a list of 34 in 2023, including:
Texas-style BBQ - Brisket and ribs are popular meats in this style of barbecue, and sauces often contain smoky flavors like chili powder and cumin.
Kansas City-style BBQ - Utilizing the widely known tomato-based sauce, this style of barbecue often involves pork and beef brisket, plus a regional favorite, "burnt ends."
Memphis-style BBQ - Dickey's says Memphis barbecue is all about pork. Ribs, pulled pork and whole hog roasts are popular in the region, with sauces that are generally sweeter tomato-based sauces with spices like paprika, cumin and garlic powder.
North Carolina-style BBQ - While vinegar-based Eastern NC-style sauces may be more familiar to Asheville residents, Lexington-style barbecue is tomato-based, using ketchup and spices. Eastern and Lexington-style. Pork shoulder, ribs and chicken are common vessels for these sauce styles.
St. Louis-style BBQ - According to this list, thick-cut pork steaks are often used in St. Louis-style barbecue. Another tomato-based sauce, St. Louis-style barbecue is sweet and tangy, with ketchup, brown sugar, molasses and more as featured ingredients.
For the full list of 34, visit the Dickey's website.
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Yelp's Top 10 BBQ spots 2024
Beyond Haywood Smokehouse, the following locations placed in the top 10 for BBQ restaurants this year.
Wright’s Barbecue, Johnson, Arkansas
CorkScrew BBQ, Spring, Texas
Eric’s Family Barbecue, Avondale, Arizona
Tyler’s Barbeque, Amarillo, Texas
Fox Smokehouse BBQ, Boulder City, Nevada
Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, Kansas City, Kansas
Haywood Smokehouse, Waynesville, North Carolina
Firehole Bar-B-Que, West Yellowstone, Montana
Hot Spot Barbecue, Pensacola, Florida
Delauder’s BBQ, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
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NC BBQ spots in Yelp's 2024 top 100
While Haywood Smokehouse was the only NC BBQ joint to make it into the top 10, the full list of 100 best had several other options in the state; Including Asheville's 12 Bones. Here are the other N.C. winners this year:
No. 32 - Midwood Smokehouse, Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 34 - Prime Barbecue, Knightdale, North Carolina
No. 61 - The Smoke Pit, Concord, North Carolina
No. 78 - Smokehouse at Steve’s, Graham, North Carolina
No. 92 - 12 Bones Smokehouse – River, Asheville, North Carolina
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NC restaurants in Yelp's 2024 top 100
On the list of top restaurants overall, N.C. received recognition for these four locations:
#11 - Haywood Smokehouse, Dillsboro
#43 - Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen, High Point
#49 - Freeman’s Grub & Pub, Greensboro
#54 - The Table, Asheboro
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Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Yelp's Top 10 BBQ 2024: Western NC restaurant ranks No. 7 in US
