TJ H.
Yelp
I had been wanting to check out Jon G's for a while. I had seen the pictures, read the articles, and listened to a podcast on Saturday we finally decided to make the trek down to Peachland, NC. It was a bit of a roadtrip for us, but not a bad trip on a lazy Saturday with no plans!
Jon G's was originally a food truck (and I think they still do some of this around Charlotte), but they have a permanent location in Peachland that is open only on Saturday's! Be forewarned, there will be a line, but everyone was in a good mood and friendly and you will meet some new people! Jon G's also has a cooler of free beer to enjoy while you are in line! They can give away beer, but cannot sell it in the dry location they are in, crazy law for sure.
Eventually you will make it to the door and they will have a list on the front door if anything is sold out yet, then you will make your way inside. Ordering is cafeteria style. You'll order your portions, then your sides, and finally desserts, drinks and pay!
Jon G's is not your typical North Carolina Style, it is Texas Style and right on par with most of the BBQ joints I have been to in Texas, and I must say it is just as good as any of those as well! Including some of the big name ones! We, of course, got brisket, as well as sausage, and a little pulled pork. For sides, we got mac and cheese, jalapeño grits, and street corn salad. All of the proteins were great, and in my opinion you cant go wrong with any of them! The brisket, though, was just about perfect, very nice bark, cooked perfectly, and super tender. For the sides, you cannot skip the mac and cheese! It was perfect! I also really enjoyed the street corn salad! The grits were not bad, but also weren't the best I have had. As far as pricing, it is a bit expensive, but that will be the case with any good quality BBQ that is made the right way, and fairly priced when you take that into account.
If I had one quip, I will say that it is not as efficient as the similar BBQ places I have been to in Texas which would run circles around them, thus creating the overly long line. While it is worth it once you get your food, it gets to be a bit frustrating especially once you make it inside and see just how slow everything is moving. But its expected, and for a once in a blue moon type thing to go have, not too much of a complaint.
Overall, it makes for a long day, but Jon G's is certainly worth of a fun BBQ roadtrip! Great food and a good time! While I will always be partial to NC Style BBQ, specifically Eastern style, it is nice to see some other styles of BBQ represented in NC, especially when done with care and of the quality of Jon G's.