What the ‘Top Chef’ judges have to say about ‘great Carolina barbecue’ in Charlotte
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- ‘Top Chef’ judges explored Charlotte's barbecue, praising regional traditions.
- Eastern and Western North Carolina styles drew strong opinions from judges.
- Judge Tom Colicchio shared personal barbecue tips using a pellet smoker method.
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While Charlotte isn’t known for a signature dish, it’s fair to say that a culinary journey to the Carolinas wouldn’t be complete without barbecue. And the “Top Chef” stars — here to film Season 23 of the Bravo culinary competition — are giving the savory cuisine of the South its due.
While it’s the first time in Charlotte for host Kristen Kish and judge Gail Simmons, judge Tom Colicchio is no stranger to the Carolinas, having made regular visits to both North and South Carolina for quite some time.
During their stay in Charlotte, the trio of food experts has visited plenty of local restaurants and talked with local chefs, so it’s natural for attention to be paid to the smoked meats that are a fierce source of cultural pride and tradition in the South, especially in the Carolinas.
“Carolina obviously is known for barbecue, and all eyes are on barbecue when you come here,” Kish told Unpretentious Palate. “You have incredible pit masters and barbecue.”
“We’ve eaten a lot of barbecue, actually,” Simmons told CharlotteFive. “We got to taste a lot of great Carolina barbecue. I feel like I’m very confident in my ability to identify and understand them now. So that was great.“
As a native of Canada (where “Top Chef” Season 22 was filmed), the nuances of the multiple styles of barbecue that are cooked low and slow in the Carolinas were new to Simmons.
If that’s you, too — as there are plenty of newcomers in the Charlotte area — here’s a quick primer:
- Eastern North Carolina-style: Whole hog is chopped fine and seasoned with a minimalist sauce of spicy vinegar and peppers. (You won’t find any tomato-based sauces.) It’s typically served with mayonnaise-based slaw.
- Lexington, North Carolina-style: Also known as Piedmont or Western North Carolina style, with a focus on pork shoulder and a vinegar-based sauce with a touch of ketchup. It’s typically served with red slaw with a ketchup component.
- South Carolina style: The signature sauce is “Carolina Gold,” a tangy and sweet concoction made with yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar and honey. The slaw that pairs with it is often vinegar or mustard based.
Favorite barbecue styles
Simmons, who told CharlotteFive that Midwood Smokehouse and Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge were among her restaurant stops, leans her preferences toward Eastern North Carolina style.
“Generally the Eastern style seem to be more up my alley — a little less sweet, like more vinegar,” she told CharlotteFive. “I like that creamier slaw, as opposed to the ketchupy slaw. But, I love Red Bridges, which was very Western, right? So it was good.”
Colicchio, a “huge UNC basketball fan” who tries to get to Chapel Hill once a year and consulted at the Kiawah Island Club in South Carolina for about 15 years, told CharlotteFive, ”I tend to like it all.”
But there’s one thing he is picky about.
“I don’t love the fine chop that they do here. ... I like to chew,” he said. Adding later, “I like whole hog, but I like eating the pieces.”
Backyard barbecue method
Colicchio — who has nearly a dozen James Beard Award nominations and several wins under his belt — also shared his own barbecue secrets.
“I do have my own favorite that I make,” he said before describing his method.
He puts a rub on short ribs and lets it sit overnight, then puts the meat in the smoker for about five hours. Then, he wraps it and puts the meat back in the smoker in for another hour before unwrapping it and putting it in an un-iced cooler for another hour to rest.
“I’m no expert — it’s something I mess around with. There’s other people who’ve spent a lifetime with it,” he said.
“I use a pellet smoker, so it’s not like I’m tending the firebox or anything. It’s kind of cheating — you set the temperature and walk away.”
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What the ‘Top Chef’ judges have to say about ‘great Carolina barbecue’ in Charlotte."
