North Carolina is known for its distinct regions and with the help of Guy Fieri, you will get a taste of them all. We have the coast to the East, the mountains in the West, and the bustling city of Charlotte in the middle.

Lucky for you, different styles of barbecue go along with each region in North Carolina, so you get to try them all as you go along. In the Eastern part of NC, they are known for their light, vinegar based sauce, while Western NC is known for having a ketchup based sauce.

Guy mainly focused on Charlotte and the East coast of NC on Triple D, so we will start this road trip in Charlotte and make our way out to the coast.

First Stop: Bar-B-Q King Drive-in

North Carolina

Photo courtesy of @jessepalmerabc on Instagram

Bar-B-Q King has been a staple in West Charlotte since 1959. They feature classic southern barbecue staples like fried chicken soaked in their signature vinegar based sauce and sliced pork sandwiches. With their affordable prices and delicious onion rings, they are the perfect place to go for some southern comfort food.

Second Stop: Landmark Diner

North Carolina

Photo courtesy of @foodinclt on Instagram

Landmark Diner lives up to its name because it was the first diner in Charlotte that was run by a Greek family and served up Northeastern diner classics. Guy raved about their Spinach Pie, AKA Spanakopita. Not only do they have bomb dinners, but breakfast is served all day, bless up.

Third Stop: South 21 Drive-in

North Carolina

Photo courtesy of roadfood.com

South 21 Drive-in is known for its classic American burgers and shakes. Guy obviously had to check out their signature burger, the Super Boy. The Super Boy is a double burger topped with coleslaw and smothered in homemade chili, so Guy had to take one of his signature huge bites.

Fourth Stop: Jake’s Good Eats

North Carolina

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Jake’s Good Eats was started by two brothers who converted a gas station into a restaurant and they create twists on Southern classics. Guy’s favorite dish was the blackened flounder with country ham grit cakes, which makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Fifth Stop: Krazy Fish

North Carolina

Photo courtesy of @eatclt on Instagram

This is the last stop in CLT, so we have to make it count. Krazy Fish is an eclectically decorated restaurant that has unique food to match. They offer southern classics like gumbo, but they also add an exotic flare with dishes like lemongrass curry.

Sixth Stop: Coastal Cravings

North Carolina

Photo courtesy of @katzz_inchaarg on Instagram

Now we will make our way out to the coast to experience the fresh seafood and eastern style barbecue. One of Guy’s favorite features of this restaurant was that it had a drive thru window where guests could order the entire menu. You can roll up in your car and drive away with an entire pot of fresh seafood; now that is coastal living.

Seventh Stop: Outer Banks Brewing Station

North Carolina

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Outer Banks Brewing station is known for their craft beers that go perfectly with their locally sourced seafood. Guy’s favorite taste of the Outer Banks was the shrimp and grits with redeye gravy. Not only is the food delicious, it is also eco-friendly because the restaurant is powered by its own wind turbine.

Eighth Stop: Tortuga’s Lie

North Carolina

Photo courtesy of @tortugaslie on Instagram

Tortuga’s Lie is a Caribbean-inspired restaurant, so you can mix it up from all the traditional southern eats at the previous restaurants. Guy described their jerk chicken with pineapple chicken as “off the hook.”

Final Stop: The Weeping Radish

North Carolina

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The Weeping Radish is the perfect place to end the trip because you will be so sad about leaving NC that you will be weeping along with the radishes. The Weeping Radish is no plain old restaurant, it is a farm, brewery, butchery, and pub all in one. They serve up comforting bar food like baked potato soup and sausages made in house, so you know Guy is all over that.