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.

Our Menu