The Barbecue Capital of the World

Now that you can order like a local, let’s check out some of the area’s best bets.

The Barbecue Center – Opened in 1955, The Barbecue Center is the oldest restaurant in town that still cooks on hot coals in pits. It began years ago as a dairy center serving ice cream to locals, eventually building a small barbecue pit so they could have something to sell in the winter when the ice cream business slowed. Since then, they have turned the process of cooking barbecue into an art form, smoking up to 120 pork shoulders per week. When you go, grab a plate of slow-cooked pork and request some extra dip – it's known to have a bit more zing and kick than most. When you finish, dig into one of their world-renowned banana splits – a carryover from the dairy days that will amaze you.

Lexington Barbecue – Known locally as “The Honey Monk” in honor of its founder, Lexington Barbecue was established in 1962 by Wayne Monk, who worked under barbecue legend Wayne Stamey in the 1950s. Since then, it has grown from a small café into a nationally known barbecue restaurant, famous for cooking their pork shoulders over both oak and hickory coals for nearly half a day each. As an added difference, they add a ketchup base to their sauce and slaw. Try their Chopped BBQ Plate with homemade hushpuppies and extra red slaw, and you’ll understand why the restaurant was named one of "America's Classics" by the James Beard Foundation in 2003.

Speedy’s Barbecue – Originally opened as Tussey’s in the ‘30s, it changed its name to Speedy’s in the ‘60s and became one of Lexington’s premier barbecue restaurants. Known for their generous portions of sandwiches, trays, and plates, Speedy's is one of the few restaurants that provide curb service for your order if you are in a hurry. Try one of their huge barbecue pork sandwiches, and you’ll get it just the way you want it – quick, hot, tasty, and served with a friendly smile. 

The city itself certainly embraces Lexington’s dedication to its own style of barbecue. For over four decades, it has hosted a Barbecue Festival in October, attracting tens of thousands of barbecue enthusiasts each year. The Barbecue Wall of Fame is located at Lexington’s City Hall, where they add legendary local names to the brass plaque every year. It even has a “Pigs in the City” program, a public art initiative in which stylized pig statues in uptown Lexington pay homage to the city’s relationship with pork. 

After eating your fill of outstanding barbecue, there are plenty of wonderful things to do in the area to walk that meal off. Check out the Richard Childress Racing Museum, located just north of town on the 52-acre RCR campus. As NASCAR fans know, Childress Racing was the home of legendary driver Dale Earnhardt and his #3 team, and many of his winning race cars and artifacts are displayed within the 47,000-square foot shop that was his team’s home for many years. The museum also houses numerous other RCR championship cars from the NASCAR Xfinity, Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA Racing Series.

This immersive experience takes visitors through a journey in time that includes team owner Richard Childress’ earliest days as a NASCAR driver, the championship-winning years with Dale Earnhardt Sr., and the success of Childress’ team after Dale’s untimely passing. Be sure to check out the world’s largest collection of # 3 Goodwrench Chevrolets, including Dale’s actual 1998 Daytona 500- and 1995 Brickyard 400-winning cars. The museum also highlights Childress’ passion for hunting, wildlife, and the great outdoors, with a portion of the museum entry fee going towards conservation efforts. 

North Carolina native Richard Childress has a passion for more than just racing. His world-class winery, Childress Vineyards, sits on 30 acres of rolling hills on the west side of town, where for over 20 years it has produced award-winning wines that are sold throughout the country. Across its 70 total acres, it cultivates 15 varieties of European-style grapes that produce a broad range of over 30 wines, many of which have won gold medals in competitions nationwide.  

In a nod to Dale Earnhardt’s success with Richard Childress Racing in the iconic #3 car, the vineyards produce a special line of red and white wines, Childress Three. Tasting tours, from self-guided to luxurious to an entire vineyard experience, are offered daily, with flights of wine available to sample in the tasting room lobby bar. The vineyard property even hosts private events such as intimate weddings and corporate functions on their expansive property. 

The Bob Timberlake Gallery is a must-see experience in Lexington. Timberlake, still going strong at 88 years old, is a classic American realist artist known for his multiple talents, including painting timeless watercolors, designing lines of home furnishings, and even creating stamps for the U.S. Postal Service. The gallery is chock full of his work, with rooms dedicated to his paintings, his collections, and generally all things that have a North Carolina feel. 

Timberlake was recognized by President Jimmy Carter for his work with Keep America Beautiful and became a life-long friend of Native American icon Iron Eyes Cody. Cody became the symbol for a clean environment when he shed a tear during a classic "Keep America Beautiful" television campaign that ran in the 1970s. The unforgettable commercial was filmed on High Rock Lake just south of town, and the canoe that Cody was in for the ad hangs in a prominent place in the gallery today.