6 North Carolina Meat‑And‑Three Restaurants Using Cast Iron And Real Butter

There’s nothing quite like Southern comfort food prepared the old-fashioned way; with cast iron skillets and real butter. Across North Carolina, meat-and-three restaurants (where you select one meat and three sides) keep tradition alive while serving up plates that make your taste buds dance. I’ve spent years hunting down these culinary treasures, and I’m thrilled to share my absolute favorites with you.

Beasley’s Chicken + Honey – Charlotte

The sizzle of chicken hitting hot cast iron is practically a symphony at Beasley’s. Chef Ashley Christensen’s Charlotte outpost elevates fried chicken to an art form by drizzling it with honey; a sweet touch that’ll make you close your eyes in pure bliss.

Their cast iron cornbread arrives piping hot in its own mini skillet, with butter melting seductively across the golden crust. The collards are simmered low and slow with ham hocks, while the mac and cheese sports a crackly butter-kissed top that should be illegal in at least twelve states.

The Pit – Raleigh

Holy smoked meat heaven! The Pit’s pitmasters are wizards with fire and iron, turning humble pork shoulders into tender, smoky masterpieces that practically fall apart when you look at them sideways. Their secret? Patience, cast iron, and enough butter to make your cardiologist wince.

I’ve watched grown adults fight over the last hush puppy here; crispy outside, fluffy inside, and baptized in melted butter. The Brunswick stew simmers all day in seasoned cast iron pots that have seen more action than a soap opera marathon. Don’t miss their butter beans; they’re swimming in a broth so rich it could buy a mansion.

Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen – Greensboro

Grandma’s cooking meets fine dining at Lucky 32, where cast iron skillets older than most customers turn out comfort food that’ll make you want to hug the chef. Their seasonal vegetables; always three perfect choices – arrive glistening with real butter and fresh herbs.

The skillet-fried chicken here changed my life. No joke. It’s brined overnight before meeting a hot cast iron bath, resulting in skin so crispy it should come with a noise warning. My favorite side is their voodoo pork black-eyed peas, cooked low and slow with butter that carries hints of pepper and spice. Save room for their iron-skillet peach cobbler!

Crook’s Corner – Chapel Hill

Legend status isn’t given; it’s earned through decades of butter-laden excellence. Crook’s Corner practically invented elevated Southern cuisine, all while keeping those cast iron pans working overtime. The restaurant’s iconic pig statue out front should be wearing a crown!

Their shrimp and grits will ruin you for all other versions; creamy stone-ground goodness swimming in butter and topped with bacon-laced sauce. The Carolina crab cakes contain barely enough binding to hold together mountains of sweet meat, seared in; you guessed it; cast iron with clarified butter. For sides, I’m physically incapable of skipping their cheese grits, collards, and hoppin’ John.

The Blue Door – Asheville

Tucked away in Asheville’s River Arts District, The Blue Door looks unassuming until you taste what’s coming out of those well-seasoned cast iron pans. Mountain cuisine meets Southern tradition here, with butter from local creameries taking center stage.

The fried green tomatoes arrive stacked like little towers of tangy goodness, each slice kissed by buttermilk before meeting hot iron. Their rainbow trout; caught from nearby streams; gets the cast iron treatment with brown butter and mountain herbs that’ll transport you straight to grandma’s kitchen. My strategy? Order the butter beans, sweet potato casserole, and pickled beet salad as sides. Thank me later.

Mert’s Heart & Soul – Charlotte

Soul food royalty reigns at Mert’s, where cast iron cooking isn’t trendy; it’s tradition going back generations. Walking in feels like being welcomed to a family reunion where everyone can actually cook.

The salmon cakes emerge from ancient cast iron with crispy edges that make me want to weep with joy. Their cornbread arrives in a skillet so hot it continues cooking at the table, with a puddle of melting butter creating little rivers of deliciousness. My perfect three-side combo? Mac and cheese (crusty corners only, please), candied yams swimming in buttery goodness, and collards so flavorful they don’t need hot sauce; though I add it anyway.