Our ultimate NC Barbecue Bracket is down to the final 2. Vote now for the winner.
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UPDATE: We announced the winner of this bracket on Sept. 16. Find out who won here.
If there was ever a perfect match-up for the final round of our North Carolina Barbecue Bracket, this is it.
Through five rounds of the bracket and hundreds of thousands of votes, Old School ‘Cue and New School ‘Cue spots have been neck-and-neck, begging the question: Which reigns supreme in this barbecue-loving state?
Well, we’re about to find out.
Nearly 80,000 votes were cast in Round 5, as barbecue fans narrowed down our field of barbecue contenders from the Finger-Licking 4 to the final 2.
Our final round will consist of one representative each from the respective schools of ‘cue.
▪ Representing Old School barbecue will be Wilber’s Barbecue, the steeped-in-tradition Goldsboro spot that’s been cooking whole hogs and serving hand-chopped ‘cue since 1962. This iteration of the classic restaurant was rescued from possible demise and reopened during the pandemic.
▪ Representing New School barbecue will be Midwood Smokehouse, the Charlotte-area spot with a menu that expands beyond a traditional eastern North Carolina pork option to offer several other barbecue variations, from brisket to burnt ends and more. Triangle foodies curious about the spot will soon be able to taste it themselves, as Midwood is set to expand to Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow.
Which school will take home the barbecue bragging rights? We’ll find out in this sixth and final round of our bracket.
Here’s how Round 6 works: The collection of popular North Carolina barbecue spots is now down to the final two. Voters can vote for just one restaurant in this round. The final round will end Thursday, Sept. 15 at noon. We’ll announce the winner on Sept. 16.
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Our ultimate NC Barbecue Bracket is down to the final 2. Vote now for the winner.."
