the best barbecue in western north carolina

We spent the weekend in North Carolina last weekend, on a little junket to visit some family, for one of us to run the hilliest half-marathon ever, and most importantly, to explore.

We landed in Charlotte, drove up to Hickory, North Carolina, where 1/2 of Huckleberry Travel was scheduled to run a marathon for charity. Turns out, it was super challenging. North Carolina has hills, y'all!

So, on the map, it doesn't look so bad, but if you check out the elevation, it's basically like climing to the top of a 60 story building. Oof.

After a run like that, we decided to drive from Hickory to Asheville for what our niece insisted was the best barbecue in Western North Carolina, at Moe's Original. It was absolutely worth the drive.

We've done barbecue junkets before, but this wasn't specifically one of those. We just happened to be in the midst of one of America's barbecue hot spots, so we took the advice of someone who's sussed out the best of the best, and landed on Moe's as the winner.

The ribs fell off the bone. The pulled pork was perfection. The sauce was less vinegar-y than we expected from what we knew about North Carolina Barbecue, but it turns out that Moe's is not a stand-alone store in Asheville. You can find them around the country. And rest assured--we'll be looking for them, when we travel.

The sides, for us, were a little more uneven. We loved the smoked turkey chili--it's smokey in a way that's unlike any chili you've ever had in your life. The marinated coleslaw was maybe the best slaw I've ever had, anywhere. But the hush puppies were underwhelming. Still, the 'cue was crushingly awesome, so we're recommending it without hesitation or reservation.

Afterward, we explored Asheville a bit, and had a great time. Do you know about the coffee bus? But, honestly, it was good to walk off that amazing lunch.

Want a fun weekend getaway?