About Us

Close-up of smoked or grilled meat with charred skin on a grill or smoker.

The “Honeymonk”

Lexington Barbecue was established in 1962 by Wayne Monk, who in his teenage years, served as a carhop at a Lexington, NC, barbecue restaurant and later worked directly under Warner Stamey.

At 26, Monk bought a parcel of land beside US Highway 29/70, made add-ons to the building, and established Lexington Barbecue #1 on the property, where it has remained to this day.

The white building on the hill has grown from a small cafe to a nationally known barbecue restaurant, which the locals knew as the “Honeymonk” or “The Monk.”

Our Owners

A smiling man with glasses and a checkered shirt(owner Wayne Monk) is standing in a kitchen or industrial kitchen environment, with another man washing dishes in the background.

Wayne Monk

Owner Rick Monk stands in front of a smoker filled with meat, wearing a blue and white striped polo shirt.

Rick Monk

Our Food

Lexington-style barbecue is unique because of its preparation. At Lexington Barbecue, pork shoulders cook for nearly half a day over oak and hickory coals. The barbecue sauce and slaw are flavored with tomato ketchup, not mayonnaise or mustard, giving them a sweet flavor.
Hush puppies, French fries, onion rings, barbecue beans, etc., are all offered as sides. But at Lexington Barbecue, the sides, turkey, and peach cobbler desserts are secondary.