Red Slaw Country
Farther west, this long-running lodge carries the shoulder-and-red-slaw tradition toward the foothills.
Field noteMake Shelby a separate day trip unless you genuinely want a long barbecue drive.
Pork shoulder · hickory smoked
Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge
A western NC institution serving hickory-smoked pork with red slaw and house sauce.
Visit
- Hours
Closed Mon–Tue
- Wed–Sat11am–7pm
- Sun11am–3pm
- Mon–TueClosed
Double-check hours before you drive.
- Style
- Lexington
- Heat
- HickoryPrimary cook fuel when we last checked
- Address
- 2000 E Dixon Blvd, Shelby, NC 28152
- Phone
- (704) 482-8567
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Before you go
- Pit-cooked fresh daily; occasional early sellouts happen.
- Treat this as a separate trip from a Lexington lunch.
- Make Shelby its own day unless you want a long western drive.
About this stop
Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge in Shelby has slow-cooked pork over hickory since 1946, carrying shoulder-and-red-slaw tradition into the foothills.
Make Shelby its own day unless you truly want a long western drive after Lexington.
Last checked Sep 19, 2026.
On the route
Five of North Carolina’s Oldest Pits
A western North Carolina lodge for hickory-smoked pork, red slaw, and house sauce. It sits far from the Triangle, so pair it with other foothills stops rather than forcing it onto an eastern day.
Field noteClosed Monday and Tuesday. Sunday hours are shorter than the midweek service window.
From the trail
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