“It’s the best ye ever tasted” is the motto of Scott’s Barbecue Sauce, a North Carolina favorite since 1917. And though the restaurant of the same name that serves the sauce is not exactly conveniently located for casual walk-in business ( it’s 52 miles east of Raleigh), owner A. Martel Scott Jr., reveals customers have driven “from across the state” to sit down to a steaming plate of our spicy barbecue ribs.

Folks from Texas might dispute the matter, but (Martel) Scott insists North Carolina is the “home of the world’s best barbecue sauce.” The difference? Texans rely on tomato-based recipes, while Scott cooks up a pepper-based sauce with vinegar, herbs, spices and a few drips of water. He uses the same recipe his grandfather Adam Scott passed down the family line.

And while the pepper vs. tomato dispute may linger through future Scott generations, Scott Jr. hopes to settle it once and for all: “Our sauce marinates deep into the meat. Tomato sauce just sits on top. Which would you rather have?”