Tuesday, January 24, 2012

New Bern North Carolina's King of Cue: Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque

Patrons line up at the counter for lunch at Moore's Old Tyme Barbeque in New Bern, NC. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)


History abounds at Moore’s Olde Tyme Barbeque. John Leonidas (LJ or John) Moore’s pithouse, operating in various incarnations over seven decades, might be most famous as a footnote in the subsequent states’ rights fight over the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

But, as is often the case in barbeculture, History and Mythology are intertwined. LJ’s father liked to tell his son a story about the time he, a lawyer, took the case of the stolen pig. He advised his client, charged with theft, to halve the hog, give one side back to the accusing party, and address the judge as such, “Your Honor, I can swear to you that that man has no more of that pig than I do.” His client was acquitted. You might call this the Judgement of Sowlomon.

LJ owned another story. Around 1945, he decided to enter the barbecue business, borrowed $35 from a friend, and bought himself a hog. The pig absorbed one rifle-shot and took off. Across fields and through woods, LJ followed. His son, Tommy Moore, jokes that “there went the future of Moore’s Barbeque.” LJ Moore eventually found that pig, fired again, and established a barbecue empire in the coastal town of New Bern. The present location of Moore’s, with a name that harkens back to Myth and History, opened under Tommy’s watch forty years ago.


- Rien Fertel/ The Barbecue Bus

Tommy Moore, owner of Moore's Olde Tyme Barbecue, at his restaurant in New Bern, NC. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)


Hogs are removed from the pit in the morning and chopped by machine before being served at Moore's. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

Whole pigs are delivered to the cooler at Moore's Old Tyme Barbeque. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

Zoot Saunders has been taking his meals at Moore's long enough and frequently enough to have his own seat in the dining room.

A photo of Moore's founder John Leoniadas Moore and pig art hang near the cash register of the restaurant. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

Moore's barbecue sandwich. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

The furnace area of Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

Pork skins are deep fried before being added back into the chopped barbecue at Moore's. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque, New Bern, NC. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

Pit workers remove the cooked pigs for chopping at Moore's. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)

The barbecue plate at Moore's, chopped barbecue, hush puppies, baked beans and coleslaw. (Photo by Denny Culbert/ The Barbecue Bus)


Moore's Olde Tyme Barbecue
3711 Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
New Bern, NC 28562


(252)638-3937


Hours of Operation:
Mon-Thurs 10 am-8 pm
Fri - Sat 10 am - 8:30 pm
Close Sunday



6 comments:

  1. It tastes as good as it looks. And,boy, does it smell heavenly when the pits are going.
    Great cue.

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  2. Best BBQ in the world! Love Tommy and his crew! I've been eating Moore's BBQ ever since I can remember! If you're coming to New Bern, NC and want to know what real BBQ should taste like, you MUST come to Moore's!

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  3. That's very mouth watering! The best concrete company in pearland wants to go here to try your bestseller!

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  4. The story of Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque is steeped in history and mythology. The restaurant's founder, John Leonidas Moore, or LJ as he was called, started his business in 1945 with just $35 borrowed from a friend and a single hog. However, his pig escaped after being shot with a rifle, and LJ had to chase it across fields and through woods before finally catching it and establishing his barbecue empire in the coastal town of New Bern.

    Another story associated with Moore's involves LJ's father, a lawyer who once defended a client charged with theft of a pig. The father advised the client to halve the hog, give one side back to the accuser, and tell the judge, "Your Honor, I can swear to you that that man has no more of that pig than I do." The client was acquitted, and the story has become known as the Judgement of Sowlomon.

    Moore's Olde Tyme Barbeque has been operating for over seven decades, and its present location has been open for forty years. While the restaurant may be most famous for its connection to the states' rights fight over the Civil Rights Act of 1964, its rich history and mythology make it a unique and interesting part of barbecue culture. www.excavatingcincinnati.com

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  5. It tastes as good as it looks but I want to share exam help tips with you instead of studying on your own consider pay someone to take my calculus exam we have the best services.

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