MIDWOOD SMOKEHOUSE pitmaster Mike Wagner says people oen
judge a barbecue restaurant by its exterior—if it’s worn-down or well-
hidden, it must be legit. “Just because it hasn’t been around for a hundred
years doesn’t mean it isn’t authentic barbecue,” he argues. “Barbecue is an
experience that’s cemented in a lot of people’s minds as kids, so it’s a hard
thing to beat when people have a memory or a favorite. I think that hap-
pens with barbecue more than any other food.”
Midwood Smokehouse is Charlotte’s big-box barbecue restaurant, the
default spot for families with young kids, a safe bet for out-of-towners,
and the one most likely to turn up in a Google search of best barbecue
restaurants in the city. It’s a concept from FS Food Group and longtime
restaurateur Frank Scibelli, who operates four of them in the Charlotte
area. (He’s got another in Columbia, South Carolina, and one planned for
Raleigh, too.)
Each location stays true to the original on Central Avenue, with over-
sized tables and plenty of bar space, at-screen TVs visible from each seat,
and barbecue- and beer-themed art on the walls. Platters come heaped
with hickory-smoked pork, beef brisket, pulled barbecue chicken, and all
of the essential sides. Its only drawback, perhaps, is that it isn’t steeped
in history.
It’s why Scibelli spent more than two decades researching barbecue
before he opened Midwood’s rst location in Plaza Midwood in 2011. He
traveled through Texas with James Beard Award-winning chef and food
writer Robb Walsh to meet with the region’s best pitmasters and learn
the history and avors of authentic Texas barbecue. And he continues to
send his pitmasters to ’cue camp (yes, that’s a real thing). It’s three days of
intensive workshops, demonstrations, and extensive tastings.
Midwood’s menu is a fusion of dierent regions—Texas, the Carolinas,
and Kansas City. Executive Pitmaster Matt Barry’s Kansas City-style burnt
ends remain a fan favorite, and he says it’s what he’s proudest of. “There’s
this abstract idea of ‘perfect brisket’ that I’m always in pursuit of,” he says.
“I’m never satised, always trying to make it better.”
For Scibelli, that’s the denition of Charlotte ’cue. “We didn’t have much
of a barbecue culture here when we rst opened Midwood; that’s why
we’ve worked so hard to put it on the map,” he says. “As long as it’s deli-
cious, that’s Charlotte barbecue.” —T.B.62 CHARLOTTEMAGAZINE.COM // JUNE 2019
MIDWOOD
SMOKEHOUSE
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS, MIDWOODSMOKEHOUSE.COMEST.^2011At Midwood’s Huntersville
location, Executive Pitmaster
Matt Barry presents a plate of
burnt ends with slaw and greens
and pecan cobbler topped with
vanilla ice cream.