The siren song of meat

I had every intention of going home for lunch today, when on my way, I was ambushed by meat. The smell that only comes from an old school barbecue place, where they still have real fire and they cook it low and slow, cannot be ignored. I am blaming the weather. It was finally nice enough to drive around with the windows down and thats how the mischief let itself in. The source of the enticement was Old Hickory House on N. Tryon. This is not a place I frequent but I have been known to stop in from time to time.

The Old Hickory House is one of the last true barbecue places left in Charlotte. A place where time stands still and as soon as you get a bite you don't care. The building is an unassuming block bunker with no windows and as soon as you walk in it's the '60s. The walls are paneled and the restaurant is lined with vinyl booths and strewn with tables. There is all manner of country kitsch on the walls and a couple of TVs play silently in the corners.

The staff is endlessly sweet and attentive; as soon as you hit the seat there is someone asking if you want tea. While they retrieve your drink of choice you have a couple of seconds to peruse the simple menu and make up your mind. I have, over the years, had everything on this menu and it is all delicious. Today I went simple with a pork sandwich and fries, not wanting to weight myself down to heavily before going back to work. But they also offer beef, chicken, and ribs as sandwiches or platters. Sides include slaw, Brunswick stew and hushpuppies along with the fries.

The sandwich is heavenly. Slow cooked pork, chopped, and put on a plain white sandwich roll. Now, this is not either Carolina style pork. It is in fact Georgia style, which down plays the vinegar and has a lightly sweeter tomato base to it. For those unfamiliar with the Carolinas barbecue styles I will not get into it now but is definitely a subject I will tackle on a later date. I'm sure there is a Wiki page for both Eastern and Western Style barbecues. The fries that come on the side are fine, filler as far as I'm concerned. They are steak fries, fried well, but nothing special. Normally I wolf down my food, but today it was nice to just sit and enjoy the food and surroundings. I love that places like this still exist. There's nothing fancy; just good food and good people.