Bible Verses & BBQ: Dillards, Durham, N.C.

I remember being a kid in the 80’s and riding bus 92 to Pearsontown Elementary. Everyday on the ride to and from school, I would pass Dillards Bar-B-Q and always wonder what took place in that little, non-descript building, that always had the interchanging Bible verses on the bottom of the red and yellow sign. Well, I never really knew they were Bible verses until later in life, being that I was a Jewish kid and all, but eventually I got hip to what those numbers and letters actually stood for. It wasn’t till my mid 20’s, when I had left Durham for good, that I decided to venture into that building and see how this place had stood the test of time. That was the first time. The first of many.

Dillard’s is located at 3921 Fayetteville St. in Durham, N.C., where it has lived since the 60’s. All of the cooking is done out back in their barbecue pit, and the flavors are serious. Because it’s such an institution that boasts a very large, very loyal clientele, an unfamiliar face is like a new opportunity to gain a friend. Anyone who is on serving duty for the day (because its cafeteria style), is always extremely friendly and welcoming, and is more than happy to tell you the day’s choices, and trust me there are what seem to be a million. You can tell from their willingness to help you decide or allow you to sample items, that they have a passion for serving you delicious, down home, Southern cookin’. And don’t think you have to be a BBQ Connoisseur, because they are happy to explain what everything is, how it’s made, or what it’s made from.

This past weekend I was down in Durham, and since my wife had never had Southern Food (let alone been to the South), I decided Dillard’s needed to be at the top of my list of places to eat. We were greeted by a super friendly cast of characters, and a list of fresh choices that made it hard to choose. Still trying to hold on to my Jewish identity, “I don’t dig on swine,” (Samuel L. Jackson) and opted for the barbecue chicken, mac and cheese, and carrot souffle. This was something I had never as much as heard of, but was blown away when I tried that small spoonful of delicious mushiness. My wife doesn’t exactly love pig (unless it’s made real Puerto-Rican-like), but I basically forced her to get the BBQ, because I wanted to make it an authentic experience. She went with the same sides (because she’s amazingly bright), and we both were also given a complimentary serving of hush puppies. Well, everyone is, but dammit it made me feel special.

To wash everything down, I went with the classic Sweet Tea, or as I like to call it “Sweet N.O.G.,” or “Nectar of the G-ds.” (see look, I just did another Jewish thing. When we write……forget it). At some point in my life, I decided that somehow Iced Tea with about 57 cups of sugar per glass, was somehow less unhealthy than soda, and made it my main source of thirst quenching. In retrospect, it may have been one of the dumbest ideas I ever had nutrition-wise, but man those were some good years. Through out the course of the weekend I consumed approximately 2 gallons in 48 hrs. My mouth was very happy about it, but somehow I was always thirsty. If you ever go to the South, make it a point to drink Sweet Tea every chance you get.

After the meal we were both stuffed, but once I realized that my Brooklyn born bride had never eaten banana pudding, I knew it was time to make some room. Because a small desert is only $1.50, I decided I should try the piping hot peach cobbler too. Both were equal parts sweet and wonderful, but I have to give a slight edge to the ‘nana puddin’, because it tasted like home.

Maybe it’s the slow cooked deliciousness, or maybe it’s the fact that you can consume enough food to make you hate yourself for about $5, but eating at Dillard’s simply feels right. It’s not in a strip mall or shopping center, and there’s really no neighboring retail driving customers in. The decor has been updated a little in the last few years, but the same college banners and “old school” pictures still don the brick walls. While we were using our hands to eat like a squirrel in Central Park, a nice woman who appeared to be the manager came over to make sure that we were enjoying our $10 meal like it came from a 5-star restaurant. The same woman had greeted us on the way in and asked “first time?” to which I replied, “well it’s her’s but I’m from here originally.” At that point her smile grew bigger as she looked me in the eyes and said “Well then, welcome home.” I couldn’t tell if she was happier that she had a first timer, a repeat customer, or simply that it was a sunny day in Durham, N.C. But truly it didn’t matter, because somehow I just knew that after I ate, that I too would be that happy. And now that Rachel Ray has somehow found out about Dillard’s, maybe it will become a national franchise and blow up across the nation. But to me Dillard’s will always be home, and fortunately for me, a very happy one.

Share