Melton's Barbecue

History

Bob Melton, a horse trader from Rocky Mount, initially cooked whole hog barbecue for friends in an open pit near the Tar River and later sold meat by the pound to townspeople. He opened a restaurant in either 1922 or 1924. The original building was a large shed that Melton built and later expanded. The restaurant became a popular caterer for social gatherings; food writer Beth Tartan noted that people in Raleigh would call to have barbecue and fixings sent by bus.

In 1929, a plate of barbecue with boiled potatoes cost 45 cents, and a barbecue sandwich cost 15 cents. By 1988, a plate with coleslaw, hushpuppies, and Brunswick stew cost $34. After Melton died in 1958, the restaurant was owned by his business partners W.B. Melton, T. O. Fulghum, and Add Smith. In his 1993 book Southern Food, John Egerton reported that the restaurant had switched from charcoal to gas and woodchips, a change he considered controversial and resulting in inferior flavor.

The low-lying location frequently flooded; during Hurricane Fran in 1997, customers reached the restaurant by boat. The flood damage was repaired eight months later, and a plaque was added marking the high water line. In 1999, the restaurant celebrated its 75th anniversary but was forced to relocate after Hurricane Floyd caused floodwaters to rise above the ceiling and cover the building in silt. The new location in a strip mall struggled due to a worsening regional economy, and the restaurant closed in 2005.

Description

This restaurant served Eastern North Carolina barbecue, a whole-hog style it helped make popular alongside the Lexington variety. The meat came from 80-to-90-pound hogs, was chopped fine, and got its tang from a vinegar-based sauce. A 1988 review compared its texture to chopped peanut butter. Sides included boiled potatoes, coleslaw, cornsticks, hushpuppies, and Brunswick stew.