Jim Noble Builds “Barbecue Palace” For The Queen City

Fans of Rooster's and The King's Kitchen are eagerly awaiting North Carolina restaurateur Jim Noble's next offering, Noble Smoke.

The new 11,000-square foot barbecue palace will be his fifth restaurant in the state.

Noble Smoke's menu is described as “heartfelt Southern barbecue" with seasonal vegetables and Southern side dishes. The restaurant is located at 2216 Freedom Drive, near the up-and-coming Wesley Heights neighborhood. The building was once a garage for the A&P supermarket chain's truck fleet.

Inside, Jim Noble's staff will smoke meats in an 1,800-square foot smokehouse equipped with eight wood-fired smokers: six made of steel for Texas-style beef brisket and two traditional masonry barbecue pits for the Carolina 'cue. The dining room and bar seats more than 200 customers, plus there's an event space for another 80 to 120.

Noble Smoke will also feature a biergarten and a “Toot ‘n’ Tell” pick-up area for to-go orders. It sounds like my kind of place. The official grand opening is scheduled for July 25th, but a soft opening with a limited daily menu will begin sometime after July 4th. See you there!