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As a kid in South Florida (Lake Worth), there was an old barbecue place down the road from us that had Brunswick Stew. I only tried it once or twice, but liked

As a kid in South Florida (Lake Worth), there was an old barbecue place down the road from us that had Brunswick Stew. I only tried it once or twice, but liked it. And I didn't see it on another menu for decades, and that only when we moved to North Carolina. Even here, it seems to be only the old barbecue places that have it. I'd wager there's a grain of truth in the article's Roy Blount joke “Brunswick stew is what happens when small mammals carrying ears of corn fall into barbecue pits.”

ghaff 4y ago
The only place I recall noticing it on a menu is The Pit in Raleigh which, as you say, is an old barbecue place in North Carolina.
- swills 4y ago
  The Pit is fairly new by my standards. And if you like the food there, I'd suggest trying Stephenson's out in Willow Spring, they still use wood to cook, it's really good and they offer Brunswick stew. Also if you're willing to drive out to Wilson, Parker's and Cobb's are good. (I'd have suggested Bill Ellis but they closed when Ellis died. Sadly it seems no one wanted to keep up the traditions.) Really there's a whole world of tiny Mom and Pop BBQ places in various small towns in NC that are great.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    Unfortunately (well, not really) I pretty much never need a car when I visit Raleigh. Convention Center (and office) are just a walk from the hotel. Which is nice but I rarely have a car any longer. But I'll make note of the recommendations! (I also happen to be a fan of North Carolina style sauce.) For the amount of time I've spent in the Raleigh and Triangle area over the years, I've done way too little exploration of the area--which is very unusual for me. Unfortunately my upcoming trip would have been a great opportunity. But of course it was sandwiched in between other travel so I didn't really have the time.
    - pigeons 4y ago
      > (I also happen to be a fan of North Carolina style sauce.) Eastern or Western?
      - ghaff 4y ago
        I think Eastern is the only one I’m familiar with and sounds like I’d prefer it over Western
ryanchants 4y ago
Growing up around Charlotte my mom would always meet up with friends for the Mallard Creek Barbecue for Brunswick stew. And she would always pick up a couple of quarts to freeze for later. It's still the best Brunswick stew I've had.
js2 4y ago
I grew up in Miami, which was much more culturally similar to a northern city than a southern one. I’ve lived in Atlanta and now live in the Raleigh area. I saw this article the other day and mentioned it to my wife. Neither of us had ever heard of Brunswick stew before. Edit: huh, it's on the menu at Danny's. Never noticed: https://www.dannysbarbque.com/ https://www.dannysbarbque.com/
- wil421 4y ago
  The older style BBQ places would have had it in Atlanta. There’s a few places inside Atlanta that have it like Fox Brothers but it’s not the original. Danny’s looks legit and it will likely have the original kind. I would recommend it.
  - js2 4y ago
    I'm not from NC so what do I know, but the best pulled-pork sandwich I've had in NC is at Ole Time: https://oletimebarbecue.com/ https://oletimebarbecue.com/ They also have Brunswick Stew. Clearly I just haven't looked for it.
    - pjmorris 4y ago
      Big fan of Ole Time. And it's the exception to my rule that any place called 'Ole Time' probably isn't. The pulled-pork sandwich at Clyde Cooper's in downtown Raleigh is worth checking out. It's worth taking a trip out to the Skylight Inn for the experience and street cred, but, to me, the pulled-pork sandwich there isn't really any better than the above-mentioned places. Disclaimer: FL native, only been in NC about a decade, I've got no business judging pulled-pork sandwiches. I think I can say that the classic Eastern North Carolina pulled-pork sandwich dressed in vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cole slaw is easily one of the US's great sandwiches.
      - js2 4y ago
        > I think I can say that the classic Eastern North Carolina pulled-pork sandwich dressed in vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cole slaw is easily one of the US's great sandwiches. God damn, yes, but the U.S. has a lot of great sandwiches: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/14/dining/field-guide-to-the-sandwich.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/14/dining/field-... Some other favorites of mine are the Reuben, the Oyster Po Boy, and of course, being from Miami, a Cuban. Or just a humble grilled cheese, but made with caramelized onions: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020107-french-onion-grilled-cheese https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020107-french-onion-gri...

ghaff 4y ago

The only place I recall noticing it on a menu is The Pit in Raleigh which, as you say, is an old barbecue place in North Carolina.

swills 4y ago
The Pit is fairly new by my standards. And if you like the food there, I'd suggest trying Stephenson's out in Willow Spring, they still use wood to cook, it's really good and they offer Brunswick stew. Also if you're willing to drive out to Wilson, Parker's and Cobb's are good. (I'd have suggested Bill Ellis but they closed when Ellis died. Sadly it seems no one wanted to keep up the traditions.) Really there's a whole world of tiny Mom and Pop BBQ places in various small towns in NC that are great.
- ghaff 4y ago
  Unfortunately (well, not really) I pretty much never need a car when I visit Raleigh. Convention Center (and office) are just a walk from the hotel. Which is nice but I rarely have a car any longer. But I'll make note of the recommendations! (I also happen to be a fan of North Carolina style sauce.) For the amount of time I've spent in the Raleigh and Triangle area over the years, I've done way too little exploration of the area--which is very unusual for me. Unfortunately my upcoming trip would have been a great opportunity. But of course it was sandwiched in between other travel so I didn't really have the time.
  - pigeons 4y ago
    > (I also happen to be a fan of North Carolina style sauce.) Eastern or Western?
    - ghaff 4y ago
      I think Eastern is the only one I’m familiar with and sounds like I’d prefer it over Western

ryanchants 4y ago

Growing up around Charlotte my mom would always meet up with friends for the Mallard Creek Barbecue for Brunswick stew. And she would always pick up a couple of quarts to freeze for later. It's still the best Brunswick stew I've had.

js2 4y ago

I grew up in Miami, which was much more culturally similar to a northern city than a southern one. I’ve lived in Atlanta and now live in the Raleigh area. I saw this article the other day and mentioned it to my wife. Neither of us had ever heard of Brunswick stew before. Edit: huh, it's on the menu at Danny's. Never noticed: https://www.dannysbarbque.com/ https://www.dannysbarbque.com/

wil421 4y ago
The older style BBQ places would have had it in Atlanta. There’s a few places inside Atlanta that have it like Fox Brothers but it’s not the original. Danny’s looks legit and it will likely have the original kind. I would recommend it.
- js2 4y ago
  I'm not from NC so what do I know, but the best pulled-pork sandwich I've had in NC is at Ole Time: https://oletimebarbecue.com/ https://oletimebarbecue.com/ They also have Brunswick Stew. Clearly I just haven't looked for it.
  - pjmorris 4y ago
    Big fan of Ole Time. And it's the exception to my rule that any place called 'Ole Time' probably isn't. The pulled-pork sandwich at Clyde Cooper's in downtown Raleigh is worth checking out. It's worth taking a trip out to the Skylight Inn for the experience and street cred, but, to me, the pulled-pork sandwich there isn't really any better than the above-mentioned places. Disclaimer: FL native, only been in NC about a decade, I've got no business judging pulled-pork sandwiches. I think I can say that the classic Eastern North Carolina pulled-pork sandwich dressed in vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cole slaw is easily one of the US's great sandwiches.
    - js2 4y ago
      > I think I can say that the classic Eastern North Carolina pulled-pork sandwich dressed in vinegar, red pepper flakes, and cole slaw is easily one of the US's great sandwiches. God damn, yes, but the U.S. has a lot of great sandwiches: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/14/dining/field-guide-to-the-sandwich.html https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/04/14/dining/field-... Some other favorites of mine are the Reuben, the Oyster Po Boy, and of course, being from Miami, a Cuban. Or just a humble grilled cheese, but made with caramelized onions: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020107-french-onion-grilled-cheese https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020107-french-onion-gri...