EASTERN CAROLINA BARBECUE

A guide to the whole-hog tradition Buxton Hall carried in Asheville from 2015 to 2023.

WHAT IS EASTERN CAROLINA STYLE? North Carolina has two major barbecue traditions. Eastern style starts with a whole hog cooked low and slow over hardwood coals. The sauce is thin, sharp, and vinegar-based with black pepper and red pepper flakes. Lexington style centers on pork shoulder with a tomato-based sauce. Buxton Hall followed the Eastern path from day one.

WHOLE HOG OVER HARDWOOD At Buxton Hall, pit crews tended hogs for about 18 hours over oak and hickory coals. The meat was brushed with a vinegar mop, a Moss family recipe passed down through generations in rural South Carolina. The goal was moist, smoky pork with crackling skin and balanced seasoning that let the hog speak for itself.

THE VINEGAR MOP AND PEPPER SAUCE Eastern Carolina sauce is not thick or sweet. It cuts through rich pork fat and keeps the meat bright on the palate. At Buxton Hall, the mop went on through the cook and at the table. That pepper-vinegar profile defined sandwiches, platters, and the whole-hog presentations that regulars came back for.

SIDES THAT BELONG ON THE PLATE Eastern Carolina barbecue is not just the meat. Creamy coleslaw often topped a sandwich. Collards, cornbread, hash, and seasonal vegetables rounded out service at Buxton Hall. Many sides were baked in-house alongside whole hogs coming off the pit.

FARM PARTNERS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA While we were open, Buxton Hall sourced hogs and produce from farms across the region, including Vandele Farms, Hickory Nut Gap Farm, Gaining Ground Farm, and Farm and Sparrow. That supply chain shaped a menu that changed with the seasons rather than a fixed list year-round.

BUXTON HALL'S LEGACY The restaurant closed permanently on November 22, 2023, after eight years on Asheville's South Slope. Pitmaster Elliott Moss and the Chai Pani Restaurant Group brought national attention to whole-hog cooking in the mountains, including recognition from Bon Appetit, Southern Living, and the James Beard Foundation. Recipes and stories live on in Book of Smoke, our cookbook co-written by Moss and the Buxton team.

KEEP EXPLORING Return to the Buxton Hall Barbecue homepage for closure details and photos. Read our story, browse press coverage, or see the FAQ for answers about the restaurant's history.