Prissy Polly's Pig-Pickin Barbecue

Location

The judge looked at me with puzzled disdain when he learned that we had omitted this restaurant from an earlier edition. “How could you miss Prissy Polly’s?” asked Judge Dickson Phillips, now retired from the U.S Court of Appeals and the former Dean of the UNC-Chapel Hill Law School. “It’s one of our favorite places—some of the best barbecue I have ever had.” Lots of people agree, and they sometimes line up outside, knowing they can choose either Lexington or Eastern style North Carolina barbecue when they get inside.

When Loran Whaley opened up in 1991 and named his new restaurant after his mother Pauline, whose nickname was “Prissy Polly,” he served eastern style barbecue exclusively. But when his sons Greg and Gary noticed that many of their customers were covering their plates with a tomato-based sauce, they determined to add a Lexington style option. “It has worked out well for us. And the customers like the option,” Greg says. A big plate of barbecue, either style, costs a little bit more than $6. In addition to slaw (Eastern style or Lexington) and the other usual sides, fresh-cooked vegetables are always an option.

 Hrs: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.