Lexington Barbecue — Restaurant in Lexington

I decided to take a detour off of I85 this past Saturday, September 7, 2024 and eat at the famous Lexington Barbecue in Lexington, NC. The servers were prompt and very friendly. I ordered the course chopped BBQ with red slaw and french fries along with tea. I asked the server if they had "regular" white slaw and all the locals sitting around me turned and looked at me and smiled. She said they only serve red slaw. I have had red slaw from two places and was not a fan, but, since I was on an adventure, i decided to try the red slaw. At least 5 patrons were anxious to see whether i would like it or not. One new diner said she did not like it! Her friend quickly replied that she does not like anything new! Several servers were also anticipating my verdict on the red slaw. My plate was served and the french fries were hot with a crispy texture but soft inside. Perfect. The tea was very good. You can not have a successful BBQ restaurant without good tea. And those hushpuppies! Hot and crunchy that were not sweet. These are some of the best hushpuppies I have ever eaten. However, the barbecue was not my favorite. It was too moist for my liking and did not have enough pork flavor. And the red slaw is still not my favorite. It is sweet with a lot of bite. I prefer my mayonnaise based slaw, slightly sweet and slightly tangy, like my mama use to make. The red slaw fans were disappointed. The lady in the next booth said, "I told you so!" Well, I am not a fan of Lexington Barbecue's interpretation of Eastern North Carolina barbecued pork. I am also not a fan of the red slaw! However, this is a very nice no-frills restaurant with fun servers and patrons. And by the way, one of the diners had a question about food allergies. The owner, wearing an apron and obviously active in the kitchen, came out to explain how her meal was prepared. He even came out a second time with an extra dish for the concerned patron. He was so friendly and professional. This man cares about his restaurant is proud of the food he serves. With an owner like that no wonder this is an extraordinarily successful restaurant. Give it a try. You may fall in love with...

Maybe I'm missing something so I'm giving two stars instead of the one this visit deserves. The MANAGEMENT here is oblivious to what's going on inside their restaurant with their customers, their staff and the food. Running 100% on reputation that will eventually errode away unless they change. First, we are greeted quickly and asked "how many in your party?" We answer, "ok, have a seat anywhere.." ok, why did you ask?? And they repeat this same dance with everyone that walks in. Second, waitress takes our drink order comes back quick with drinks and takes our order. Food arrives quickly. (Only positives of this visit) So let's talk food... The food is ok, pretty non descipt BBQ in a vinegar sauce which you better like because it's really the only sauce they have except for the KENs dressings single serve cups. Surprising for a "world famous" BBQ joint and then the real star of the horrible show... THE COLESLAW.. maybe it's good, but it's not my thing and that's ok, I prefer white slaw. BUT when your staff is telling your customers that MOST (heard it with my own ears) don't like it you have a MAJOR problem. Simple fix whip up some white slaw. Restaurant was overall pretty dirty with the staff ignoring the issues while eating cake, gossiping and texting on their phones (see pic) where you can see one waitress on her phone right in front of a dirty mess including paper towel in the floor while the broom and dust pan sit there. So I snapped this pic and thought I would share it with the manager. When I shared it he had every excuse pre canned and ready to go. "Oh it's a leak"(it wasn't), "they are cleaning it up". To which I just responded to him "sir, your restaurant is very dirty and your staff isn't doing anything about it and he just puffed and said I will talk to them, then he went back to doing nothing again, just as the rest of the staff was doing. So overall this restaurant is a pass unless they wake up and start...

The archetypal down-home NC BBQ joint. Arguably a little overhyped, but still a great option for anyone in the area or passing through. Service was fast and friendly; it's quickly apparent that the cooks, servers, and ownership all work together as a single closely-knit team. Pricing was about what I expected at $11 for a sandwich with fries and a drink; not an Earth-shattering bargain, but still a great deal for what you're getting (these days, fast food costs about the same thanks to inflation). The food itself was also exactly what I expected; as an NC native, it wasn't the revelation that it presumably is for some out-of-state visitors, but it was still tasty and pleasantly nostalgic (this sort of authentic down-home BBQ is strangely difficult to find in Charlotte despite it being the norm in pretty much every small city within an hour radius). My sandwich didn't need much extra sauce, but if yours comes out a little dry for your taste, be sure to ask for the proper vinegar-based sauce rather than resorting to the thicker sauce on the table (I didn't try it myself, but the server warned me that it was mediocre by comparison). Paying in cash will save you a few cents (a smart approach for a small business dealing with increasingly exorbitant credit card processing fees).

My one minor quibble (and it is indeed minor) would be with the tiny styrofoam plate on which my sandwich was served. It did the job, but it was almost comically small & cheap feeling. Still, that didn't detract from the experience enough to justify knocking off a star. All in all, this was just what the doctor ordered after an exhausting afternoon clambering around Hanging Rock, and I'll definitely be back next time I pass...