Richard’s Bar-B-Que, Salisbury, North Carolina, is Closing

“The nature of bad news infects the teller.” Still, I bring tidings of woe, and on Independence Day, of all the good days of the year. Richard’s is closing. I was just thinking of doing a post on the Best 10 Piedmont Barbecue Places, and Richard’s was a sure thing for the list. You can read my initial post here. Now, via the invaluable Barbecue Bros, I learn that Richard’s is closing.

Richard Monroe started working in T & F, a barbecue place co-owned by his father in 1971. Richard was 11 years old at the time. He became manager five years later, and owner after four more years, in 1979. At that ripe age he moved the operation to a new location and renamed it Richard’s. Now, Richard’s is closing, and the building is being purchased by the local school system. Richard’s will be missed.

Richard’s made excellent barbecue, among many other things, including great vegetables. It was open for breakfast and dinner as well as lunch, and was the sort of place that builds a community. That sense of community was one of many reasons Richard’s earned a spot among the 26 Essential NC Barbecue Places. 

Richard’s was determinedly Old School. The barbecue was cooked over wood, True ‘Cue, and Richard Monroe ignored social media after a last Facebook post in 2016. He served great food and presided over the restaurant with a preternatural affability.

What a nice guy! You felt warm and relaxed as soon as you stepped through the doorway. When you left you felt like you wanted to come back.

I share Richard’s hope that the school system will use the building for cooking lessons. Schools ought to make sure that students learn life skills, not least how to cook and the effect of compounded interest on college loans. You can read the full details of Richard’s closing in a delightful Salisbury Post article, along with a digression about a man who ate nine footlong hot dogs in 45 minutes at a completely different restaurant. You know, it says a lot about Richard’s that once you start writing about it, the barriers come down and you start sharing fun stories.

I’m not sure when Richard’s doors will close for the last time. If you know, please give me a holler. I’d love to get down there one last time. If you can, go there yourself and have a wonderful meal.

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