14 Must-Try Dishes and Food Items in North Carolina

If you’ve ever wanted to put some South in your mouth, consider this the ultimate guide. Try different kinds of North Carolina ‘cue as well as other quintessential dishes with ingredients like green tomatoes, sweet potatoes and seafood. Just be sure to save room for peach cobbler or sonker.

Lexington-Style Barbecue

BBQ, baked beans, bread, hush puppies and sauce sitting on a wood table

Lexington-Style Barbecue

When a town boasts its very own ’cue style, you know the chopped or sliced pork is gonna be good. Lexington Barbecue, Smokey Joe’s Barbecue and about a dozen other area joints serve pork shoulder with a Lexington-style “dip” made with vinegar, salt, pepper, and a dollop of ketchup or tomato paste.

 

Eastern-Style Whole-Hog Barbecue

Overhead shot of plates of barbecue and sides plus Cheerwine on table

Eastern-Style Whole-Hog Barbecue

Sam Jones BBQ, Skylight Inn BBQ, Pitt Street Brewing Company and Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery are just a few of the pit stops and pint stops on the Pitt County Brew and ’Cue Trail. At each location, collect stamps for your PassPork and earn a spot on the Brew and ’Cue Wall of Fame.

 

Sonker

Aerial, closeup view of peach sonker and scoop of vanilla ice cream on plate with tray of sonker beside it

Sonker

Sonker is a kind of deep-dish cobbler in a crust, and it’s served with what’s called a “dip” – a sugar-cream sauce poured over when serving. Fruit filling is commonly used, but sweet potato variations are also made. Learn more about this dessert at The Sonker Festival, which has been held annually near Mount Airy since 1980.

 

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits and Gravy

Stop at Biscuit Head in Asheville for cathead biscuits slathered in scratch-made gravy. Why are they called that? Simple: Because they're as big as a cat's head. Stick with the classic combo of a biscuit and fried chicken gravy or get adventurous with other gravy options such as Espresso Red Eye or Sweet Potato Coconut. Or order a gravy flight and sample them all.

 

Pork Chop Sandwich

Pork chop sandwich on wax paper sitting on table
photo credit: Travis Dove

Pork Chop Sandwich

Pork loin dredged in batter draws crowds to Mount Airy’s Snappy Lunch, made famous by "The Andy Griffith Show" and celebrating 100 years in 2023. The oversized pork chop is topped with chili, coleslaw, mustard, onions and tomatoes, and tucked into a small bun. Request extra napkins for one of the messiest sandwiches you’ll ever eat.

 

Calabash Seafood

Plate of seafood plus sauces and utensils sitting on table in front of walk-up waterfront seafood shack

Calabash Seafood

In the coastal community of Calabash, fresh ocean catches have been lightly battered and fried in a method known as Calabash-style since 1940. Order a plate from waterfront restaurants such as Captain Nance’s Seafood, Dockside Seafood House or Waterfront Seafood Shack, feasting on shrimp, flounder, scallops and more.

 

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

Fun fact: the sweet potato is the state vegetable of North Carolina. Pick up a sweet potato pie from Sweet and Cozy Bakery just outside Charlotte, then sip on Town Brewing's Sweet Carolina Pie – it's brewed with sweet potatoes, vanilla and nutmeg.

 

Mountain Trout

Mountain Trout

Visitors flock to NC’s Great Smoky Mountains to fish in lakes, rivers and streams, but eating mountain trout is also cherished statewide. In fact, the mountain town of Bryson City has trout statues dotting its streets to celebrate this local heritage. Head to River’s Edge Restaurant at Nantahala Outdoor Center to sample dishes such as smoked trout chowder, trout cake sandwiches and Carolina-blackened trout. If you're in the High Country, try the grilled trout at The Tin Trout.

 

Oysters

Plate of oysters and a beer sitting on a bar

Oysters

Follow the NC Oyster Trail from Manteo to Southport, visiting places such as Carolina Beach Oyster Co. to learn what it takes to get shellfish from water to plate. Stop for a bite – or slurp – at Southport’s Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill or Howard's Pub & Raw Bar in Ocracoke.

 

Pimento Cheese

Pimento Cheese

The Southern picnic staple has grown in popularity over the years, and it’s hard to beat the time-tested version made by Musten & Crutchfield in Kernersville. Spread it on crackers, fold it into a sandwich or add it to a salad. This classic recipe dates back to 1935.

 

Shrimp Burger

Mom and daughter ordering food at window of old-timey-looking brick food stand

Shrimp Burger

Walk-up window lines at Big Oak Drive-In and BBQ in Salter Path can be long, but rest assured their shrimp burger is worth the wait. It’s made with fried shrimp that’s piled high on a steamed bun and topped with tartar sauce, coleslaw and ketchup. Twenty minutes away from Big Oak, El's Drive-In has been serving shrimp burgers to regulars for three generations.

 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes

Mama Dip’s Kitchen is a Chapel Hill institution, and fried green tomatoes have been a favorite since Mildred “Mama Dip” Council added them to the menu of her popular Southern comfort cafe in 1989. Council died in 2018, and the fried green tomatoes remain as part of her satisfying legacy.

 

Peach Cobbler

Peach Cobbler

The Phillips family has been growing peaches on their farm near Wadesboro for five generations, transforming their fruit into some of the Piedmont’s freshest desserts. Head to the Peaches n’ Cream produce stand and order their homemade peach cobbler (topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, naturally).

 

Caviar

Caviar

Family-owned Marshallberg Farm is the largest producer of Russian Sturgeon Osetra Caviar in North America, and scheduled tours are offered at its Smyrna location. Expect an in-depth tour of the sturgeon farm, a caviar and champagne tasting, and samplings of smoked sturgeon products.

 

Satisfy your appetite for more culinary delights with The Official 2025 North Carolina Travel Guide.

Updated July 8, 2024
About the Author

Jodi Helmer

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