A&M Grill

Today's feature resturant is a true roadfood gem. I love the feel of the A&M Grill. Very good inexpensive food, the best being the sliced cue in my opinion. The A&M to me is one of the most underrated places in N.C. How do you Tarheels feel about this place?

I've never tried it, but I will. I can tell from the pictures that the coleslaw isn't in the western NC tradition. Most western (or Lexington style) joints serve slaw using bbq sauce (or dip) instead of mayonaise or vinegar.

Wayne Monk of Lexington # 1 fame also apprenticed under the watchful eye of Stamey in Greensboro. However, I think that the pupil proceeded to make a better product than the teacher.

Hillbilly, Glad you brought this up. The cole slaw at A&M is better than most I have had. Certainly better than Wayne Monk's. The chopped Cue however is not as good as #1, but the sliced may be better. Thanks for your input.

Being a Northerner, I am certainly no expert on Carolina 'que. But Lexington #1 is my favorite anywhere. If you are saying that A & M Grill is close in some regards and better in others to Lexington, then I am definitely going. And soon!

You guys want to meet up at A&M sometime this fall? I'd like to try it, have been going past there for several years and never stopped. Either there or Lexington #1 is fine with me on a Sat. afternoon or evening.

quote:

Originally posted by Oneiron339

You guys want to meet up at A&M sometime this fall? I'd like to try it, have been going past there for several years and never stopped. Either there or Lexington #1 is fine with me on a Sat. afternoon or evening.

I'm on a project in Irving, Texas until August 18, then back in North Carolina from August 25 until I leave on September 9 for a 2 month gig in Boston. I'd like to get together if it can be arranged during the 2 weeks I'm in NC.

And yes, some locations are better than other on certain cuts while others excel with other cuts. My overwhelming favorite is a chopped tray (NOT coarse chopped) of outside brown at Lexington # 1 while my favorite sliced is Bridges Barbecue Lodge on the US74 bypass southeast of Shelby (there are other Bridges in Shelby that don't ring my chimes).

A&M is a puzzle to me, to be frank. It has two entrances - one is a great BBQ shack like place and the other is a more upscale restaurant in a 1960s-70s kind of way. The one time I made the mistake of going into the restaurant it took forever to get served. (And that just ain't right for a BBQ place.)

I like the Q and the slaw, but that sauce just doesn't work for NC BBQ. It's unlike anything I've had anywhere else in the state (except perhaps the mountains, where there are different BBQ influences going on).

So, moral of the story is to make a note to self to remember to order the BBQ without the sauce when dining at A&M. And make sure you go into the left entrance to stay out of the restaurant.

Bob Garner says that A&M serves pink slaw which is not really Western NC barbecue slaw or eastern style. I like it as well as their barbecue.

There is a great bar/grill about a mile east of A&M called Nancy's. You can get a double cheeseburger with mustard, chili, onions and slaw with a cold beer for $ 4.50. They also sell cubed steak sandwiches which you don't see on many menus. Going to have to go abck and try that.