WNC barbecue restaurant ranks high on Yelp's 2024 Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list

ASHEVILLE - A family-owned and operated barbecue joint has won over Western North Carolina customers with its tender brisket and ribs, smoked side dishes and cobblers since established a decade ago.

Haywood Smokehouse’s reputation has rippled across state lines and continues to impress diners, which contributes to its ranking No. 11 on Yelp’s 2024 Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” said Joe Beasley, who co-founded the restaurant with his wife Brenda in 2013. “Sitting back and reflecting on it, knowing there’s almost 750,000 restaurants in the United States, to make that list is an honor.”

Yelp, an online reviewer-based platform, stated that its data science team curated the top restaurant rankings list based on user submissions and analysis of ratings, number of reviews and volume of submissions. The final rankings were confirmed by its community managers.

Haywood Smokehouse's beginnings

Beasley said his family has long had a passion for barbecue and started by entering their recipes into contests 20 to 30 years ago.

In 2013, they opened the first Haywood Smokehouse in Waynesville, followed by Dillsboro in 2015, and then Franklin in 2019.

Beasley said he couldn’t have done it without his sons, R.J., Will and Wyatt Beasley, who’ve carried on the family business.

“They’re dedicated, they put their hearts into it, and I’m extremely proud,” he said.

He praised his wife, Brenda, for her contributions to the business from the beginning.

“She’s been remarkable. Super with people, and lights up a room when she comes into it," Beasley said. "I’m blessed to have a really strong team around me."

Secrets to barbecue success

In 2023, Haywood Smokehouse ranked on another Yelp list at No. 1 for Top Brisket Spots in the U.S. and Canada.

“That’s something I can’t hardly comprehend because that’s going against the heavyweights from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas City. … We’re real proud and it’s got tremendous customers and a great staff that made it all possible,” he said.

Haywood Smokehouse adopts multiple regional barbecue styles that are applied to its meats, sides and sauces. Customers will find Texas, St. Louis, Kansas City, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina-style barbecue under one roof.

The secret to the restaurant’s success begins well before the meat reaches the smokehouse.

Beasley said Haywood Smokehouse sources the highest quality meats available and cooks fresh every day.

For the Texas-style brisket, a top seller, seasonings are kept simple to salt and pepper to “let the meat do the talking,” he said. Then, the brisket is slow-cooked for 15-24 hours depending on the size and cooking temperature.

“It’s a real honest approach to barbecue. We don’t cut corners and still do things the real, old-fashioned way,” Beasley said. “As the saying is, ‘low and slow’ so it’s a commitment to quality of food first and profits after that. We look at what we can do to serve the best food and we figure if we can master that then profits will come as a result.”

The St. Louis-style ribs are prepared with a dry rub.

Meat is served with dry rub only so customers can choose their sauce journey. Seven different sauces are offered, such as the mustard-based sauces familiar to South Carolina and Georgia, East Carolina’s vinegar-based, and the Texas and St. Louis-style red barbecue sauces.

Baby back ribs are served sauced and sold exclusively on Saturdays.

Customer favorites include brisket plates and sandwiches, ribs and homemade sides like collard greens. Many of the side dishes receive the smoke treatment, like the campfire potato ― a smoked potato topped with onions, peppers and mushrooms.

Beasley said desserts that are “big hits” include the pecan pie and cobblers.

The future of Haywood Smokehouse

The Waynesville restaurant is undergoing renovations to construct a larger smokehouse facility with pits and smokers, added seating and a bar.

Beasley said he’s been approached by restaurant groups and investors to grow the restaurant into a regional chain, and he’s considering how best to do that without compromising the essence of Haywood Smokehouse.

In 2020, the Franklin restaurant was sold to restaurateur Michael Hunt.

“We anticipate that in the next year or two we’ll be opening up some additional locations,” Beasley said. “We have to make sure when we do that, we can maintain our high standards of quality.”

Other North Carolina restaurants to make Yelp's Top 100 U.S. Restaurants 2024 are Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen in High Point at No. 43, Freeman’s Grub & Pub in Greensboro at No. 49, The Table in Asheboro at No. 54. View the list at yelp.com/article/top-100-us-restaurants-2024.

Haywood Smokehouse

Where: 403 Haywood Road, Dillsboro.

79 Elysinia Ave., Waynesville.

33 Macon Center Drive, Franklin.

Info: For more, visit haywoodsmokehouse.com.

Stories you may have missed:

• 2023 recap: Asheville restaurants, breweries rank high, earn awards locally, nationally

• What's the highest-rated burger joint in Asheville? Yelp releases list of top 100 in U.S.

• Asheville shop receives 2nd-highest rating in the U.S. on Yelp's 'Top 100 Donuts' list

• Which Asheville restaurant ranks on Yelp's list of top pizzerias in all of US & Canada?

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at [email protected] or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Haywood Smokehouse makes Yelp's 2024 Top 100 U.S. Restaurants list