The War of North Carolina BBQ: Western vs. Eastern and Where You Can Eat It
Things appear happier in the North Carolina. Maybe that’s why two of the state’s largest cities – Charlotte and Raleigh – made Forbes’ list of fastest growing cities in the United States. People are tired of the hard-shell and coarse attitudes of Northern cities like New York City and Boston.
Please don’t be fooled, though. Behind the façade of sweet tea, Southern hospitality, y’alls, and bless your hearts, is a bitter clash that has been tearing families apart for generations. It pre-dates the current battle between the taxpayers of Charlotte and tax-spenders of Raleigh, the Duke versus Chapel Hill basketball rivalry, and even sentiments still held over from the War of Northern Aggression.
To hear bless your heart used in its not-so-genteel manner, all you have to do is ask which is better – Eastern or Western North Carolina BBQ? How something so trivial can keep a state teetering on the edge of peace is a mystery many outsiders can’t understand. Allow me to explain.
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