Woodlands Barbecue and Pickin Parlor

You can't go to North Carolina and not eat good barbecue. Because our last bbq place was just O.K., we tried Woodlands Barbecue and Pickin Parlor in Blowing Rock. The smoke rising from the roof was a good sign of things to come.














The decor of the restaurant attempts to give off a woodsy feel, and I suppose it succeeds. Normally I hate any place that tacks a bunch of random signs to the walls, but I did find this pig stained glass window to be whimsical.



























We were escorted to the lower level and found ourselves a picnic table. Luckily, the table was just big enough for us, so we didn't have to sit with any strangers like we did at the Hampton store. I'm not sure what it is about barbecue that lends itself to sitting with strangers, but with our social skills, it's nearly unbearable.














Woodlands serves traditional barbecue as well Mexican fare. I think it makes sense, because you're starting with a nice moist hunk of meat that could be spiced just any way. However, we all chose bbq. CLICK HERE FOR MENU
It should be no surprise that I chose chopped chicken. Once again, sauce is on the side, so I added just a tiny bit because I wanted to get the smoky taste of the meat. It was very pleasant and juicy. Pickles were awesome and chips were meh. The whole deal cost just $4.50


















Richie got a sliced pork plate with corn, fries, and cornbread. I hate cornbread so much, just looking at this picture makes me shudder.















He also thoroughly enjoyed his pork but was a little thrown off by the meat being in slices instead of shreds. He liked the cornbread but said the fries needed more seasoning. His blood pressure disagreed.














We were in and out of there pretty fast, which was fine for lunch, but sometimes I just like to sit and relax at a restaurant. Seems like a place that is almost always hopping with people. I noticed that they will smoke ANY meat you bring into them. I would try just about anything smoked.
This was definitely the best barbecue I have had in a long time, and now I'm salivating just thinking about it. I'll have to try RJ Boars in Rock Island soon.