Food & Eateries

Barbecue

When it comes to food, Cleveland County is pretty much synonymous with barbecue–specifically pork barbecue. Even before there was an official Cleveland County, there was mention of “barbacue.” This 1840 newspaper clipping came from The Lincoln Republican:

Another barbecue mention, c. 1860:

Why pork? There were many practical reasons pork was favored:

• Pigs were easier to raise and reproduce quickly. Most farm families in the 19th century probably slaughtered only one hog per family per year. Slaughter would take place in the late fall on a cold day. The meat would be smoked, salted, or sugar cured so that it would last all winter.
• Pigs were efficient in converting feed into calories and could consume various types of food, including leftover scraps that might otherwise be wasted. Who hasn’t heard of their ancestors having to go out and “slop the hogs.”
• Raising cattle required greater investment in land and labor, as they were large and valuable for work (e.g., plowing fields). Chickens were primarily kept for eggs, which provided a continuous source of food, making it less desirable to slaughter them for meat as often. 

So pork it was–and still is.

Warner Stamey was born in Lincoln County in 1911. At some point he moved to Cleveland County. Two of his uncles were the pair of brothers who founded the Stamey Store in Fallston. After the death of his parents, Warner apparently moved in with a sibling; records show he attended Shelby High School from 1927 to 1929. He then moved to Lexington to live with his sister and graduated from Lexington High School in 1930. The photo above is from the school’s yearbook.

While he was in Lexington he learned the process of pit cooking barbecue from Jess Swicegood and Sid Weaver who sold their food out of a tent set up in town. Pretty soon Warner moved back to Shelby where he met and married Mary Linda Bridges in 1933. Stamey’s Barbecue was operating at 230 S. Washington Street in 1937.

Alston Bridges learned the barbecue smoking process from his brother-in-law, Warner Stamey. Alston and his wife, Mabel, moved to Lexington for two and a half years where he honed his skills as manager of Stamey’s Log Cabin Barbecue. Alston and Mabel moved back to Shelby and in 1955 bought the property at 620 East Grover Street where it has flourished ever since. Alston Bridges died in 1970. Management of the restaurant fell to his son Kent and his wife, Linda. Presently, Kent and Linda’s children operate the business, continuing the legacy their grandparents began.

Warner Stamey taught another Bridges man how to cook barbecue. Elmer Leroy “Red” Bridges and Alston Bridges were not related, although they may have shared a common ancestor back in the 1700s. Red Bridges started selling barbecue in 1946. It was called “Dedmon’s Barbecue” because it was located at the Dedmon Livestock Barn on Hwy. 18 North. About 1949, Red opened a barbecue restaurant at 230 S. Washington Street in Shelby, then moved to the present location on Hwy. 74 in 1953. Read more. . .

It is often asked, “If both founders learned the cooking process from Warner Stamey, is there really any difference?” Over time each restaurant has tweaked its process. For those who like a smokier flavor than the sliced barbecue offers, chopped or minced barbecue is an option. Alston’s is minced and therefore has a bit finer texture than Red’s, which is chopped coarser.

Of course a barbecue meal would not be the same without hushpuppies. A “hushpuppy” refers to a small, short cigar-shaped lump of cornmeal-based batter. The name is believed to have originated from a story about tossing them to dogs to stop them from barking. Recipes vary from savory to sweet. The hushpuppies at Alston’s are not sweet, but their tea most certainly is; Red’s hushpuppies are sweet–and so is their tea.

Bill had several years experience in the barbecue business, having learned the process at restaurants in Lexington and Greensboro.

Bill and John Ed went into business together about 1953, opening in the old Carolina Dairy building at 800 Grover Street in Shelby. About two years later Bill bought out John Ed’s interest. By 1959, Bill opened a new location at 810 Grover Street. It was about 1965 when Bill opened a second location on Hwy. 74 directly in front of Shelby High School. Soon after he closed the Grover Street location. The All-Da operated at the Hwy. 74 location until his retirement.

Other barbecue restaurants that have come and gone were Ponder’s Bar-B-Que, operated by Thomas and Madge Ponder. They started their restaurant in the same building at 230 S. Washington Street where Red Bridges had been located. Goody Goody Bar-B-Que operated in Kings Mountain and Mike McSwain’s Porta Pig was on the Hwy. 74 Bypass across from the All-Da Barbecue (dates of operation unknown). Izzi ‘Que, across from the Bobby Bell Pavilion in Shelby, operated from 2019 to 2025. A recent opening is Thelma Lou’s Barbecue across from the Shelby Airport.

Barbecued pork ribs is also a Cleveland County favorite. One very famous restaurant that specialized in these was Ed Fortenberry’s. It was located on Hwy. 74 eastbound at the Buffalo Creek Bridge in the former Buffalo Fish Camp building (which later became Satterfield’s, now demolished to make way for the new Hwy. 74 bypass.)

Presently, Johnny Ray’s in Fallston is taking their place in history for their ribs.

Livermush

Unique to Cleveland County is livermush. It is very similar to scrapple, but has more pork than cornmeal. As a matter of fact, by NC law, genuine livermush must consist of at least 30% pig liver. Two families from the western part of the county began making livermush during the Great Depression–the Jenkins family and the McKee family. Their livermush businesses still thrive today as Jenkins Foods and Mack’s Livermush and Meats.

In 2021 Gene Cox wrote a song about livermush. He, his family, and his band, Haggard Dolly, made a music video which has garnered thousands of views on YouTube.

Fish Camps

Beginning in the 1940s, “fish camps” were becoming popular all over North Carolina. The name originated from the practice of setting up temporary water-side kitchens along rivers and lakes to cook the day’s catch. Over time these evolved into brick and mortar restaurants with regular hours. One of the first fish camps in Cleveland County was operated by Greek immigrant, George Mohas, and Roy McSwain; it was the Morrison Springs Fish Camp three miles south of Shelby.

Early on, fish camp menus were simple. Most offered little more than freshwater perch, catfish, and trout. Over time, the offerings expanded to saltwater fin fish like flounder and other “white fish,” as well as shellfish like oysters, scallops, deviled crab, and “green” shrimp–the latter a reference to the juvenile stage of the shrimp, not its color.

Now called “seafood restaurants,” only a few are still operating–Fisherman’s Feast and Kelly’s Seafood in Shelby and Love’s Fish Box in Kings Mountain. Creekside Clock is operating in the old Shelby Fish Camp building. Their menu is more “Southern comfort” food, but they do serve “fish camp-style” seafood as well.

Fish Camps of Old	Owner/Years Operated
Abby’s Fish Camp, Mooresboro
B & F Fish Fry, Shelby	Thelma G. Beatty (sold to Kelly’s)
B & L Fish Camp, Boiling Springs	Charles Loyd and
Beatty’s Fish Camp, Kings Mtn.	Therman & Oree Beatty
Bob’s Seafood, Mooresboro	Bob Hord, late 1970s
Buffalo Fish Camp, Shelby	Jess Johnson
Cleveland Fish Camp, Lawndale
Cooper’s Fish Camp, Mooresboro
Cotton’s Seafood & Grill, Shelby	Kay Ferguson, 1988-2018
Golden Anchor, Lattimore	Gene Jenkins
Mellon’s Fish Camp, Fallston
Morrison Springs Fish Camp	George Mohas and Roy McSwain
Paul’s Fish Camp, Kings Mountain	Paul and Ruby Hord; Paul Hord, Jr.
The Pier, Kings Mountain
Rock Springs Fish Camp, Shelby
Shelby Fish Camp, Shelby	Lloyd Kiser, 1957-2011

Eateries of Old

The oldest restaurant in Cleveland County is the Shelby Cafe at 220 S. Lafayette Street in Shelby. The building housing the restaurant was built in 1907. According to research conducted by The Shelby Star, a Turkish man was the first to operate a business in the space. It was a candy store. Then in 1922, a Greek immigrant named James Balamoutis bought the building and opened the Shelby Cafe. Although ownership has changed, the cafe has been operating under the same name ever since.

Across the street from the cafe, Bill Nicopoulas and George Psilopoulas were working at the Sanitary Lunch for their father-in-law, Gus Canoutas. They bought the Shelby Cafe in 1959. Two years later their brother-in-law, Nick Canoutas, joined their operation. They expanded the space in 1991 after buying the former Shelby News Stand. In the late 1990s, the restaurant was sold to Bryan Green. George Rizkallah became a co-owner in 2001. The pair are the current owners.

Cleveland County baby boomers remember their three favorite ice cream places. Shelby’s first Dairy Queen franchise was opened about 1953 by William and Edna Mae Aaron. They had worked at the Dairy Queen in Gastonia for a number of years before moving to Shelby. Their first location was at 620 S. Lafayette Street. They moved their operation to 100 Interchange Blvd. about 1959 or so. Their hot dogs and hot dog chili became a local favorite. According to the current owner, Milton Rachels, the Aarons operated the Dairy Queen until 1965 when they sold it to Gordon and Hazel Bell. The Bells sold it to Cecil and Millie Rachels in 1971. The Rachels added coleslaw as a topping in 1972. The Rachels also owned Twin Pigs restaurant on S. Dekalb Street. After Cecil’s death in 1975, his wife Millie married Bill Nettles, but continued to work in the restaurant until son Milton Rachels took ownership. The Rachels family continue operating the Dairy Queen which is now located on S. Dekalb Street in Shelby where the old Twin Pigs stood.

The Little Moo was also a favorite. It was located on the north side of Hwy. 74 just west of the Ford dealership.

The Dairy Bar was located on the south side of Hwy. 74 at the connection to County Home Road. James Odell and Bibby Davis Humphries were the owners. Their “Monk Burger” (after Odell’s nickname) was a favorite, as were the ice cream selections.

Other Cleveland County food favorites. . .

Brothers Charles and Ralph Walters established Joy Creme Doughnut Company in Shelby in the 1950s. They were a county favorite.

Duke’s Mayonnaise

If you poll the people of Cleveland County about their preference of mayonnaise brand, the vast majority will say Duke’s. But very few people know the Shelby connection with the woman who started the company.