10Best Names The Pit Best Carolina-Style Barbecue

USA Today's 10Best ranked the downtown Raleigh smokehouse first among Carolina-style barbecue spots across the country.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Barbecue

Wood-fired barbecue pit with smoke rising past split logs and a whole hog glowing in the firebox under warm afternoon light. — The Pit Authentic Barbecue in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, was named the top Carolina-style barbecue spot by USA Today's 10Best in a national ranking. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you travel specifically to eat at a Carolina-style barbecue restaurant?

USA Today's 10Best named The Pit Authentic Barbecue the best Carolina-style barbecue in the United States. The Pit, a smokehouse in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, also was included for a second year in the Michelin Guide for the American South.

Why it matters

The ranking combines nominations from barbecue experts with votes from readers, giving the Raleigh restaurant national visibility for its whole hog and Lexington-style barbecue. For Raleigh diners, it adds a prominent local option to the city's food scene.

The Pit serves whole hog and Lexington-style barbecue inside a restored 1930s-era warehouse, and is now solely owned by Greg Hatem after being co-founded by pitmaster Ed Mitchell. Ranking figures beyond The Pit's top spot, such as vote counts, were not included in the source.

The players

USA Today's 10Best

A USA Today travel and recommendations feature that compiles expert-nominated, reader-voted lists across categories including restaurants.

Ed Mitchell

A North Carolina pitmaster and barbecue figure who co-founded The Pit Authentic Barbecue.

Greg Hatem

The current sole owner of The Pit Authentic Barbecue in Raleigh.

The details

10Best barbecue experts nominated top spots and readers then voted for their favorites to produce the Carolina-style list. Red Bridges BBQ Lodge in Shelby ranked second, Sam Jones BBQ in Winterville and Raleigh ranked fourth, and Skylight Inn in Ayden ranked sixth.

The 10Best Carolina-style barbecue ranking was published November 3, 2026.

Culture Shift

The Pit's inclusion for a second year in the Michelin Guide for the American South, alongside its 10Best top ranking, shows regional Carolina-style barbecue receiving recognition from both reader-driven and formal critic-driven guides. The pattern places a single Raleigh smokehouse within a wider national conversation about traditional barbecue styles.

Raleigh diners now have a nationally recognized Carolina-style option downtown, and the other ranked spots in Shelby, Winterville and Ayden offer alternatives within driving distance. Because the ranking combines reader votes, the list reflects which restaurants local and visiting eaters chose most often.

The takeaway

Carolina-style barbecue is spread across several states, so a single ranking can point diners to strong options well beyond the city where the top spot sits. Checking both expert picks and reader favorites helps identify places that consistently earn recognition.