Recently the Omnivore sat down at Stamey’s Barbecue in Greensboro, North Carolina, with some really resourceful Birmingham–Southern College students. The four fraternity brothers have figured out a way to get actual course credit for traveling across five states wolfing down ribs, pulled pork, brisket, pork rinds, and some pretty exotic stuff like barbecue spaghetti and barbecue nachos. Learning never tasted so good.

Trying to take notes while talking to four young men who all want to tell you how good the barbecue was in Lexington, North Carolina, at Honey Monk’s, is a little like trying to shake hands with an octopus. “I am here to study barbecue,” said Jeff Vaughan, a business administration major from West Palm Beach, Florida. Or was that Matt Lee, a pre-engineering student from Cullman, Alabama? “It was sort of tough and crunchy on the outside, but sweet and juicy on the inside,” said Art Richey, a poli-sci major from Russellville, Alabama. Will Foster, a business administration major from Alpharetta, Georgia, who had his first taste of pork rinds in the Tar Heel State, said, “My heart said ‘NOOOOOOO,’ but my gut said, ‘yes.’”

These are smart lads, who somehow talked their English instructor into letting them take January off to get a clue about ’cue while posting their results on a Web site. Now why didn’t I think of that when I was in school?

“We’ve gotta do a 10-page paper when we get back,” one of them said. “Writing’s hard,” one of them says, starting a sentence, “sitting down for 30 minutes before I get anything on paper,” another one says, finishing it.

From Greensboro, they headed east to Greenville, North Carolina, where they hope to eat at the legendary B’s Barbecue. Then it’s on to Wilber’s in Goldsboro. In South Carolina, they’re going to try Sweatman’s in Holly Hill.

They’ll be in Georgia this week, hitting Athens, Newnan, Macon and other areas. Then they’re ’Bama bound. They’ll want to know where to go, so contact them via their Web site and give them suggestions.

You know you want to help them all make A’s.

David Bailey
Delta Sky Magazine