Jon G’s Barbecue

Jon G’s Barbecue is the Texas style pit in Peachland, an hour east of Charlotte down Highway 74. Garren and Kelly Kirkman run it one day a week, and the bar holds the highest rating of any barbecue in the region. Brisket, beef ribs big enough to share, bacon burnt ends and sausage with real snap make up the core of it. The line starts at dawn and turns into its own tailgate, with folding chairs and a genuinely friendly crowd. People who have waited since sunrise say the brisket justifies every minute of the wait.

What to know

• Staff hand out free water and a limited free beer while people wait in line.
• A breakfast service of brisket tacos and kolaches runs before lunch opens.
• Arrive by nine for a noon plate, because it sells out.
• Opinions on the sides are mixed, though nobody argues about the meat.