For more than 20 years, Claire Calvin has been a Texan living abroad, which is how Texans think about living anywhere that’s not Texas.
When she and her family opened their first restaurant, The Porch in Winston-Salem, she built a menu around the food she missed the most— the tacos and queso and flautas of Tex Mex cuisine. It’s been a Winston staple for more than a decade, leading to two other restaurants and a reputation for excellent margaritas.
East of Texas, Calvin’s Texas barbecue restaurant, opened this week in Durham’s American Tobacco Campus, an expansion of the smoky, Texas-style spot that opened in Winston in 2023. That same year, The News & Observer included it in a list of 64 restaurants defining what North Carolina barbecue means right now.
The new East of Texas barbecue restaurant brings Texas-sized vibes to Durham’s American Tobacco Campus. jdjackson@newsobserver.com Drew Jackson East of Texas menu
First and foremost, East of Texas is unabashedly Texan, from Willie Nelson and Beyoncé murals on the wall, to brisket getting top billing on the barbecue menu.
“There’s so much great North Carolina barbecue we’ve enjoyed ever since we’ve lived here, but I really still miss Texas barbecue,” Calvin said. “I grew up eating it, and it’s been funny watching the country sort of discover Texas barbecue when for us, it was just a normal thing people would eat all the time.”
East of Texas serves a variety of sandwiches, including brisket and pork sandwiches, a hot chicken sandwich and a burger. Courtesy of East of Texas What is Texas barbecue?
In the Triangle’s increasingly crowded and passionate barbecue scene, East of Texas stands out immediately for its blend of traditional smoked meats and Tex Mex classics.
The menu includes trays of smoked meats by the pound, like lean and fatty brisket, burnt ends, pork belly, lime-glazed pulled pork and ancho-rubbed smoked salmon. In a nod to Tex Mex, the trays are served with flour tortillas and fixings, including barbecue sauce and salsa, charred jalapeños and street corn salad.
East of Texas serves nachos topped with chipotle queso and a choice of brisket, chicken, pork or veggies, served with street corn salad, salsa, shredded lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos. Courtesy of East of Texas
There’s also smoked turkey, housemade sausage and pork ribs. The sandwiches include sliced and chopped brisket sandwiches, pulled pork and Winston-Salem style dipped hot chicken.
On the taco side, there’s trendy birria, mole brisket, smoked chicken and a pulled pork taco with mac and cheese and spicy pickled onions.
Margaritas with a following
Calvin acknowledges that her margaritas have quite a following, and despite seven varieties, most people order the house marg, which can be kicked up with jalapeños or habanero peppers. There is also North Carolina craft beers and simple mixed drinks.
Durham’s historic American Tobacco Campus just added the new East of Texas barbecue restaurant. jdjackson@newsobserver.com Drew Jackson
East of Texas introduced itself to the ATC crowd last weekend with a pair of open house days, selling drinks, but giving away brisket tacos and flautas and making cotton candy and banana pudding, while a cover band played country hits.
Calvin said it was a chance to get the custom JR all-wood smoker tuned up and say hello to Durham. It turned into more than that.
The new East of Texas barbecue restaurant in Durham features a pair of garage-style doors opening up the space to the American Tobacco Campus. jdjackson@newsobserver.com Drew Jackson ‘This feels like home’
“I met a lot of Texans who told me, ‘This feels like home,’” Calvin said. “I love North Carolina, but I definitely feel like a Texan living outside of Texas. When I was creating the first East of Texas, that was always the highest compliment someone could give me, that our food reminded them of Texas. It makes me feel a little less homesick.”
The restaurant East of Texas serves smoked meats including brisket, turkey and chicken, along with Tex-Mex-inspired sides such as chips and salsa, queso or guacamole, and Tajin street corn salad. Courtesy of East of Texas
East of Texas in Durham is entering its soft open phase, with hours evolving over the next week. The first all-day service will be Saturday, Aug. 1, starting with breakfast at 9 a.m. followed by lunch and dinner.
For specific hours, check out East of Texas on social media.
This story was originally published July 31, 2026 at 3:24 PM.
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Drew Jackson writes about restaurants and dining for The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun, covering the food scene in the Triangle and North Carolina.