Barbecue restaurant voted readers’ favorite opens new Lake Norman location
The Smoke Pit, voted the best place for barbecue in the 2024 CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Barbecue poll, has opened a Lake Norman location on West Plaza Drive (N.C. 150) in Mooresville.
The line was out the door a half hour before its 11 a.m. opening Tuesday, Smoke Pit social media manager Justin Sides told CharlotteFive at the restaurant. At 2:30 p.m., customers continued to stream in, and most tables were full on what the restaurant billed as a training day for staff.
Now, it’s open daily, Sides told CharlotteFive.
“What an unbelievable response from the Town of Mooresville today during our training day!” the restaurant posted on Facebook around 3 p.m. “The support was incredible — we had to-go orders like 10 racks of ribs in one order and even a whole brisket in another. We sold out at a super fast pace!”
The restaurant will open again from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, “and we’ll be cooking even more food!” according to the restaurant’s post. “Come see us (and come hungry)!”
The Smoke Pit now has five Charlotte-area locations.
North Carolina-style pulled pork, Texas-style chopped brisket, chicken and other proteins are cooked in five smokers that can collectively handle 5,000 pounds of meat per day, CharlotteFive previously reported. Kitchen staff pile the plates high with big portions, ensuring leftovers to take home.
Co-owner Joey Graham started The Smoke Pit about 12 years ago after he wanted to take the leap from backyard barbecue to opening a restaurant he thought would sell out by 2 p.m. every day, CharlotteFive previously reported.
The Smoke Pit
Location: 8136 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277.
Location: 328 W. Plaza Dr., Mooresville, NC 28117.
Location: 796 Concord Pkwy N, Concord NC 28027.
Location: 421 Cox Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054.
Location: 1507 W Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe NC 28110.
Location: 509 Faith Rd, Salisbury NC 28146
Cuisine: Barbecue
Instagram: @thesmokepit
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Barbecue restaurant voted readers’ favorite opens new Lake Norman location."