5 barbecue restaurants with 9 Charlotte locations, from Plaza Midwood and South End to Ballantyne and Steele Creek, with hours from their own sites.

Last checked 2026-10-12. Refreshed every three months.

Charlotte’s barbecue restaurants sit along Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood, on South Boulevard and Old Pineville Road between South End and the airport side of town, and on Freedom Drive west of Uptown and in Belmont and Optimist Park east of it, with outposts in Ballantyne and Steele Creek.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside the Charlotte city limits, the same records behind our local business directory, checked against each place’s own website on 2026-10-12. We left out places whose own sites say they have closed, places whose sites would not load or no longer belong to the restaurant, and national chains whose location pages blocked us. The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

Name Address Hours as published Phone
Mac’s Speed Shop (two) 2511 South Blvd. (South End); 2414 Sandy Porter Road (Steele Creek) South End: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Steele Creek: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday 704-522-6227; 704-504-8500
McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon 4630 Old Pineville Road 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday (bar to 10 p.m.); 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday (bar to 11 p.m.); noon to 7 p.m. Sunday 704-523-6330
Midwood Smokehouse (three) 1401 Central Ave. (Plaza Midwood); 540-C Brandywine Road (Park Road Shopping Center); 12410 Johnston Road (Ballantyne) 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 704-295-4227; 980-237-7929; 980-430-1086
Noble Smoke (two) 2216 Freedom Drive; 1115 N. Brevard St. (Optimist Hall) 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 704-703-5252; 980-300-8383
Sweet Lew’s BBQ 923 Belmont Ave. Not found on its site Not found on its site

The places

Mac’s Speed Shop. A “beer, bikes and barbecue” restaurant with two Charlotte locations, on South Boulevard and in Steele Creek, and more across the Carolinas. Its site lists live music, weekday lunch specials and catering.

McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon, 4630 Old Pineville Road. A scratch-kitchen barbecue restaurant started by brothers Ryan and Jim Register and their father, Namon. Its menu lists pork smoked for 14 hours over pecan wood and pulled chicken, and it books holiday parties.

Midwood Smokehouse. A barbecue restaurant group with three Charlotte locations, in Plaza Midwood, at Park Road Shopping Center and in Ballantyne, plus Huntersville, Raleigh and Columbia, South Carolina. It offers takeout, delivery and catering.

Noble Smoke, 2216 Freedom Drive. A barbecue restaurant west of Uptown with a second counter in the Optimist Hall food hall. Its site lists catering and a pitmaster experience.

Sweet Lew’s BBQ, 923 Belmont Ave. A North Carolina barbecue restaurant in the Belmont neighborhood, with online ordering, catering and Thanksgiving preorders on its site.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get barbecue in Charlotte?

This list has five barbecue restaurants with nine Charlotte locations: Mac’s Speed Shop, McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon, Midwood Smokehouse, Noble Smoke and Sweet Lew’s BBQ.

Which Charlotte barbecue places are open late?

Mac’s Speed Shop on South Boulevard lists 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. the rest of the week.

Where can I get barbecue in Ballantyne?

Midwood Smokehouse is at 12410 Johnston Road in Ballantyne, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where can I get barbecue near Optimist Hall?

Noble Smoke has a location at 1115 N. Brevard St., Optimist Hall, open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.