This Is the Most Famous Food in North Carolina
Grab your forks, this is going to be a good one! North Carolina is famous for some of the best-tasting foods along the coast. From seafood to barbecue, to sweet…

bhofack2/Getty Images
bhofack2/Getty ImagesGrab your forks, this is going to be a good one! North Carolina is famous for some of the best-tasting foods along the coast. From seafood to barbecue, to sweet potato pie, you will not miss out on some good eating here. Ever wondered what food is the best and most known in North Carolina? From shrimp and grits, which we enjoy every week to tasty desserts, there is only one meal that can stand out for the state as a whole.
Charlotte Restaurant Week reports that Mashed did a report on dishes for each state and you may have guessed which dish ranked as the top for North Carolina. You got that right, pulled pork! Many different states have their own version of pulled pork and North Carolina is no different. North Carolina barbecue is in a category all on its own and never disappoints the taste buds. North Carolina's pulled pork mixes some of the best seasonings and is served with a tasty side of southern coleslaw. Can you think of your favorite places to get some pulled pork in North Carolina?
Find out the most famous foods for each state here.
In the United States, barbecue is big business. This is especially true in North Carolina. When I am enjoying a BBQ plate, I like ribs or brisket. Lucky for me, there's an awesome BBQ place down the street. My next move might be to try out a North Carolina BBQ joint that made the top BBQ Instagram list.
Normally you would expect BBQ sales to decrease as food prices rise, but that has not been the case. Searches for 'BBQ' have increased 81% between April 2021 and April 2022, and 51% of US restaurants offer BBQ dishes on their menus.
It is common practice for people to post pictures of their dinner on Instagram to show off the delicious food, but how popular are the top BBQ restaurants on Instagram? To do this, York Test analyzed the Instagram location data of over 700 BBQ restaurants across the U.S. They used these restaurants to determine how many people have tagged themselves at each location. This then helped to reveal which BBQ restaurants are the most Instagrammable. This is how a BBQ joint in North Carolina ranked one of the most Instagrammable spots.
These were the results:
20. Central BBQ
Located in Memphis, Tennessee.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 15,100
19. The Pit Authentic Barbecue
Located in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 15,600
18. Charles Vergos’ Rendezvous
Located in Memphis, Tennessee.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 15,600
17. Slows Bar BQ
Located in Detroit, Michigan.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 16,500
16. Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ
Located in Austin, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 16,600
15. Lamberts Downtown
Located in Austin, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 17,300
14. Stiles Switch BBQ
Located in Austin, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 19,100
13. Jongro BBQ
Located in New York City, New York.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 19,700
12. COTE Korean Steakhouse
Located in New York City, New York.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 20,300
11. Pecan Lodge
Located in Dallas, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 20,700
10. Ellis Island BBQ
Located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 21,300
9. Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
Located in Nashville, Tennessee.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 22,200
8. Woodshed Smokehouse
Located in Fort Worth, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 23,400
7. Quarter’s Korean BBQ
Located in Los Angeles, California.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 23,700
6. Fox Bros. BBQ
Located in Atlanta, Georgia.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 25,300
5. Green Street Smoked Meats
Located in Chicago, Illinois.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 25,500
4. Kang Hodong Baekjeong
Located in Los Angeles, California.
Number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 30,600
3. Terry Black’s Barbecue
Located in Austin, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 33,200
2. Rippy's Bar & Grill
Located in Nashville, Tennessee.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 33,600
Coming in second was Rippy's Bar & Grill in Nashville, Tennessee with 33,600 posts. The ribs seem to be the favorite among Instagram followers at this Nashville grill.
1. Franklin BBQ
Located in Austin, Texas.
The number of Tagged Posts on Instagram: 63,200
Franklin BBQ in Austin, Texas was the most popular on Instagram for BBQ goers by some distance, with over 63,200 posts. The owner, New York Times bestselling author, and James Beard Best Chef Award winner Aaron Franklin, runs the business with his wife Stacy Franklin where they specialize in everything BBQ, with the brisket a particular favorite among their Instagram followers.