Smoke drifts across a North Carolina roadside, and hush puppies land on almost every tray. Beach travelers swear by this barbecue stop, but the real surprise sits behind the restaurant.
An old two-classroom schoolhouse, built around 1920 for Black children in rural Currituck County, now rests on this property because the owner refused to let it disappear. That kind of heart is rare at a lunch stop.
The building was rescued and moved here, piece by piece, to keep its story alive. Diners eating pulled pork and coleslaw have no idea they are sitting beside a piece of local history.
The smoke, the sauce, and the schoolhouse all share the same ground. Hours slip away without notice.
A meal here comes with more than a full stomach. It comes with a lesson worth carrying home.
A Roadside Stop With Deep Local Roots
My first impression was simple and happy: this place smells like a promise. Currituck BBQ Company sits right on Caratoke Highway in Barco, the main road many families take to reach the Outer Banks, North Carolina.
For years, travelers have used it as a marker, a sign that the beach is close and lunch is closer.
The restaurant is family owned and has been feeding locals and visitors since the early 2000s. That kind of staying power says a lot.
You do not last two decades on a busy beach road unless people keep coming back hungry.
Inside, the space is small and cozy, with a few booths and a straightforward menu board. Ordering is quick, which matters when the kids in the back seat are counting minutes.
The staff moves fast, even when the lunch crowd rolls in from both directions.
Outside, there is room to stretch your legs after a long drive. Picnic tables and a covered pavilion give you shade and fresh air.
A quick tip for travelers is to plan your stop here instead of a gas station snack. Your stomach will thank you, and you will arrive at the beach in a much better mood.
The Schoolhouse Hiding Out Back
Honestly, I did not expect a barbecue joint to give me goosebumps. Then I learned about the long wooden building behind it.
That structure is the historic Coinjock Colored School, a Rosenwald School built around 1920.
Rosenwald Schools came from a partnership between educator Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald, who was president of Sears, Roebuck and Co. at the time.
Thousands were built across the rural South for African American children. The Coinjock school was paid for by Rosenwald, the local Black community, the Currituck school board, and public donations.
That mix shows how badly families wanted a place for their kids to learn.
The building had a wooden exterior, an asphalt roof, and two classrooms. From 1920 to 1950, it taught grades one through six.
Kids came from Coinjock, Currituck, Barco, and Maple to fill those rooms.
It was more than a school, too. Neighbors gathered there for community meetings, making it a true center of local life.
Knowing this changed how I saw the whole property. A plate of pulled pork felt different with that history sitting just a short walk away.
Ten Years of Driving Past and Caring
Some of the best stories start with a daily commute, and this one does. Paul Robinson drove past an old, falling-apart building every single day on his way to work.
Most people would have kept their eyes on the road.
He got curious instead. Local historian Barbara Snowden helped him learn that the building was once a Rosenwald School.
After World War II, it had been sold and turned into a private home. Over the years, the ceiling started collapsing and the floors began to rot.
Plenty of folks saw an eyesore. The building had real value, though.
Currituck County recognized it as historically significant, and in 2012 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Back in 2002, the National Trust had even listed Rosenwald Schools among the 11 most endangered historic places in the country.
Even with that recognition, the county had plans to tear it down. Robinson had already spent years trying to buy the property.
When demolition came up, he stepped in and made it his own project.
I find that kind of patience inspiring. It is a good reminder to pay attention to the places you pass every day.
Moving a Building Down the Highway
Picture an 80-foot-long building cruising down the road on a truck. That really happened here, and I grinned just thinking about it.
Robinson finished buying the school around the summer of 2015. The big move came around April 2016.
Professional engineers slid steel beams under the 30-foot-wide structure, lifted it up, and hauled it with a large truck. Reports differ a little on the distance, but it traveled about a mile or less to its new home behind the restaurant.
Moving an old wooden building is tricky work. Every board has a century of weather in it.
One wrong bump could have caused real damage, so the careful planning paid off.
Now the schoolhouse sits on the same property where people line up for brisket and ribs. History and lunch share the same patch of land.
Kids who stop for chicken tenders can see a real piece of the past.
If you visit, take a moment to look at the building and think about its journey. It survived decades of use, years of neglect, and one wild ride on a truck.
That is quite a resume for a little country schoolhouse.
Big Dreams for the Old Classrooms
Here is the part that makes me want to come back in a few years. Robinson has a plan for the schoolhouse, and it sounds like a lot of fun.
He hopes to turn it into a country store, an event space, and a Rosenwald museum. One classroom would be restored to look the way it did when students sat at their desks.
The other side could hold an ice cream shop. Learning and a waffle cone in the same building sounds pretty perfect to me.
Restoration takes time, especially with a building this old. The project is expected to be a long-term effort, so patience is part of the deal.
Every repaired board brings it one step closer to welcoming visitors again.
A museum here would help families learn about an important part of Southern history. Many Rosenwald Schools have vanished, so seeing one in person is special.
Teachers, parents, and curious travelers could all get something out of it.
For now, it is worth a look from the outside. Snap a photo, tell your kids the story, and keep an eye out for updates.
Watching a place grow over the years makes each visit feel a little more personal.
Smoke, Vinegar, and Hush Puppies
My tray barely made it to the table before I stole a hush puppy. Those golden little bites come with the meals, and they are clearly a crowd favorite.
The star here is Eastern North Carolina style pork barbecue with a tangy vinegar sauce. It is chopped, juicy, and full of that sharp, peppery kick the region is known for.
Pulled brisket, burnt ends, ribs, barbecue chicken, and fried chicken round out the meats. Everything is made in house and from scratch.
Sauce lovers get plenty of choices. Along with the classic red pepper vinegar, there is a yellow South Carolina mustard sauce and a tangy brisket sauce.
Mixing and matching is half the fun.
Do not skip the sides. Sweet potato casserole tastes almost like dessert, and the fried okra, mac and cheese, potato salad, and pickled beets all have fans.
Cheesecake slices wait in the cooler if you saved room.
Budget tip: keep an eye out for daily specials. Some days bring a cheap pulled pork sandwich, and others feature a plate deal with sides and hush puppies.
Feeding a hungry family on vacation gets a lot easier that way.
Taking the Flavor Home and Out Back
I left with sticky fingers and a plan to bring some of this home. Lucky for me, that is easy here.
You can order pork barbecue, pulled brisket, pulled chicken, and burnt ends by the pound. Full and half slabs of ribs are available too.
That makes it a smart move for a beach house dinner when nobody wants to cook. Family deals help stretch the budget even further.
The homemade rubs and sauces are sold at the restaurant and can be shipped across the country. A bottle makes a great souvenir.
Your backyard grill will taste a little more like the Carolina coast.
Planning a party or reunion? Full-service catering and carry-out catering are both options.
The covered outdoor pavilion can also host events and special occasions, with picnic tables and plenty of shade.
On a nice day, I recommend eating outside. The breeze, the smoky smell, and that historic schoolhouse nearby make lunch feel like more than a quick bite.
Hours run from 11 AM to 9 PM every day, so it fits most road trip schedules.
Address: 4467 Caratoke Highway, Barco, NC 27917
