If you're around Statesville, Mooresville, or the Lake Norman area, Lincolnton is roughly a 40-45 minute drive southwest, a reasonable trip for BBQ that's actually smoked over hickory fire instead of finished in a gas smoker.
It's a longer trip than some of BBQ King's closer neighbors get, which means it's worth being clear about what makes it worth the extra time. This isn't a restaurant that added a smoker for atmosphere; it's a restaurant built around one from day one, where the pit and the hickory wood have always been the actual cooking method, not a finishing touch.
This isn't a restaurant that added a smoker for atmosphere; it's a restaurant built around one from day one.
BBQ King has been in Lincolnton since 1971, run by the same family the whole time: founder Steve Abernethy, longtime co-owner Keith Smith (who started here at 15 in 1976), and now Keith's sons Jordan and Jared. That's over fifty years without the restaurant changing hands, which is worth noting for anyone driving 40 minutes on the strength of a recommendation, this isn't a place that's been flipped, franchised, or bought out since somebody last raved about it.
The pork shoulders are smoked fresh daily and hand-chopped, and the rest of the menu, burgers, onion rings, hushpuppies, is made the same way: fresh, same-day, nothing frozen. If you're making the drive from Lake Norman, it's worth going in hungry enough to try more than just the BBQ plate; the burgers are hand-pattied from fresh ground chuck and the onion rings are hand-battered daily, both worth the trip on their own.
We're at 2613 East Main St, open Monday-Saturday 10am-8pm, closed Sundays. Feeding a group instead of just yourself? We also cater events of any size; call (704) 735-1112 or use our catering quote form. That's worth knowing if the trip from Statesville or Mooresville is for something bigger than a solo lunch, a family gathering or event doesn't require everyone piling into cars to make the drive; the same pit-smoked food can come to you instead.