Last updated: July 30, 2023

In the Weeds

by Travis Mullis

Noble Smoke owner Jim Noble has stated that he had been waiting his whole life to open up a proper barbecue restaurant. The proof of that painstaking planning is in the infrastructure at his restaurant — the best Lexington-style barbecue outside of Lexington. The smokehouse that sits next to the restaurant is large enough to easily cook thousands of pounds of meat at one time, low and slow, until gravity and time take the raw reality of pig and cow and turn it into the the tenderest meat imaginable, the type of meat that collapses at the slightest touch and practically melts like butter once it hits your palate. The restaurant’s website has a lengthy section devoted to the pitmasters who inspired him, from Lexington legends like Wayne Monk and Warner Stamey to the kings of whole hog, Pete Jones and Adam Scott. Indeed, I was reminded of the smokehouses at Lexington Barbecue and The Skylight Inn as I poked around Jim Noble’s smokers. The only thing that was missing was the football field of fresh chopped hickory you would find at a place like The Skylight Inn. 

The menu is fairly streamlined at Noble Smoke. There are six meats to choose from, and they come in quarter-, half, and single-pound portions. I prefer the chopped Cheshire pork and Creekstone beef brisket, but they also have BBQ chicken, smoked turkey breast, wings, and pork ribs. Then there’s Miss Mary’s Platter, one pound each of  pork, brisket, and turkey, with a  pork short rib rack, slaw, and pickled veggies. Best for a large family or a very hungry work crew, it’s a great display of what high quality ingredients and hickory smoke can achieve when they’re given the time and attention they deserve. Though brisket strays from the tenets of traditional Lexington barbecue, to Charlotte diners it is nearly mandatory on barbecue menus, and Noble Smoke does it well.

Sides can often be an afterthought at barbecue joints, though one can’t blame pitmasters who get up at four o’clock in the morning and sweat over metric tons of meat for hours to be less concerned with the accouterments. This inattention isn’t to be found at Noble Smoke. The sides easily hold their own against the meats and in certain circumstances even outshine them. Take the field peas. The humble cousin of the black-eyed pea, the Carolina field pea almost died an ignominious death as Southern culinary tradition began to give up certain ingredients in decades past. Thanks to the heroic efforts of a new generation of Southern chefs and agronomists, the Carolina field pea is having a well-deserved renaissance. The field peas have a creamy texture and meaty flavor that you would be hard-pressed to find in your typical black or pinto beans, and they’re complexity of flavor can only be found in frijoles charros or Boston baked beans. 

Onion rings are a particular favorite of mine and the rings at Noble Smoke are some of the best in the city. Though they are thinner than I like them, they’re so well seasoned that I’m willing to forgive their flawed size. To cut some of the fat and salt from the onion rings, be sure to order the broccoli slaw, a bright, crisp, and refreshing take on the picnic classic. Other sides that stand out are the butter beans and the collards, both a welcome vegetable accompaniment for all that savory and heavy meat.

I wouldn’t expect a barbecue joint to have alcohol, indeed at most traditional places you wouldn’t find anything stronger than soda or sweet tea. Most pitmasters wouldn’t want to offend any Baptists who might walk in the door. Thankfully, Noble Smoke eschews this conservative approach in favor of cocktails that pair well with smoked meats. My favorite of the bunch, and a great summer cocktail, is the Peach Be With You, their take on a mule with peach vodka and juices and topped with ginger beer. It might come on as too sweet for some, but I found it to be a good counterbalance to all of the salty and savory meats. Another cocktail that pairs well is the  Freedom and Berryhill, a blend of Muddy River rum, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, ginger beer, mint, and blackberries. 

While the barbecue is consistent, the service is not. On some visits you are made to feel like you’re the only patron eating in the restaurant, while other times your teenaged waiter seems to disappear into a void. I’m not the type of diner who prioritizes service, but for diners who do, it is worth noting that Noble Smoke’s can be uneven. 

Doing barbecue well is hard. It’s labor intensive and extremely time consuming. At Noble Smoke, you can tell it is a labor of love from one of the city’s most tenured restaurateurs and a loving gesture to a great American gastronomic tradition. In an age where everything is speeding up, it’s comforting to know that there are some things you just can’t hurry.