Lexington

Lexington calls itself the "Barbecue Capital of the World" Since 1984, the city has hosted the "Lexington Barbecue Festival", one of the largest street festivals in North Carolina. As of 2004, the city has over twenty barbecue restaurants: an average of more than one per thousand residents.

Lexington-style BBQ is made with pork shoulder cooked slowly over a hickory fire, basted in a sauce (called "dip" locally) made with vinegar, ketchup, water, salt, and pepper.

One of the distinguishing features of the "Lexington Barbecue Sandwich" is red slaw. Lexington's red slaw is a combination of cabbage, vinegar, ketchup and pepper added to taste. This key difference sets the Lexington BBQ sandwich apart from many others across the state. The norm in Lexington is to use red slaw; however, across the state of North Carolina many barbecue sandwiches come with coleslaw. Many Lexingtonians consider red slaw a staple for a quality barbecue experience.

Lexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem, near the intersection of I-85, U.S. Highway 29, U.S. Highway 70, U.S. Highway 52 (soon to be I-285) and U.S. Highway 64. Lexington is part of the Piedmont Triad region of the state. Lexington, Thomasville, and the rural areas surrounding them are slowly turning into bedroom communities for nearby cities such as Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point.