High Cotton BBQ

Growing up in Nash County, North Carolina, he was often called on to to cook for events and family reunions around town. An accomplished tool and die maker for 25 years, it wasn't until he continued to receive praise and catering requests that he even considered quitting his day job. As the only cook for his father-in-law's 300 guest retirement party, he realized that he might really love to do this for a living one day. Driving over the Wright Memorial Bridge after another wonderful Outer Banks visit, his wife sighed and said,I sure to hate to leave this place... He turned to her and said,Well then let's not. He called up his brother-in-law& Will Thorp and a year later High Cotton was born. No stranger to the Outer Banks restaurant business, Will Thorp moved to the Outer Banks in 1984. After years spent learning the ropes in culinary school, he began his restaurant career working at Kelly's and other famous restaurants up and down the beach. In 1989 he opened Tortuga's Lie and in 1993 he started the Rundown Cafe. A native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Thorp has always had a love and appreciation of real southern food. So in 2002, he and his brother-in-law Matt Cooper found their calling, and decided it was time to open an authentic, Eastern North Carolina Barbeque restaurant right here on the Outer Banks. Over 10 years later and the rest is history. High Cotton Barbeque is loved by locals and has become one of the must visitï establishments for any Outer Banks vacation.