North Carolinians know a thing or two about good barbecue. So, when there’s a barbecue dish that gets residents of the Tar Heel State drooling, we come running.

For those of you who don’t know, King’s BBQ Restaurant in Kinston is an eastern-style barbecue institution voted best barbecue in the nation. What began in 1936 as a filling station and convenience store on the King family farm, has since grown to include four bustling locations–three in Kinston and one in nearby Snow Hill. And the menu item that keeps customers coming back for more? A one-of-a-kind sandwich called the Pig in a Puppy: delicious vinegar-sauced pulled pork and coleslaw packed into an oversized hushpuppy bun.

Yes, really.

Only found at Kings, you might want to wear a bib when you chow down on this mouthwatering sandwich creation. It was the brainchild of employee Faye Lewis who ran the restaurant’s Piggly Wiggly outpost in the 1980s. "Faye took the cornmeal and balled it up to make a bun, deep fried the whole thing just right, cut it in half, and put the barbecue and slaw inside it," says owner Joe Hargitt. "It’s become the hottest thing on the menu.’"

So, head over to King’s and order up the original Pig in a Puppy sandwich. Just make sure you’ve got plenty of room in your stomach and maybe an extra shirt in case you get a little happy with the BBQ sauce.