10 South Carolina BBQ restaurants you must try this summer
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – If you are going on a road trip this summer, you know that there's no shortage of fine barbecue establishments to whet your appetite for pulled pork, ribs, stew and anything else that comes off a hog. Lucky for you, South Carolina has specialties you wouldn't want to miss out on.
Along with ribs and pulled pork, the best-known red tomato-based barbeque sauce can be found statewide. But, unique to Carolina is the golden-mustard based barbeque sauce, which can be found as you drive closer to the coast.
We've compiled the best there is in South Carolina and put them in a list for you. Next time you're on the road, drop into one of these joints and get your grub going.
Belly's Southern Pride
2508 Augusta Highway, Lexington
Directly across Augusta Highway from Lexington High School, Belly's has limited dining space and a booming business. Its traditional Midlands barbecue, excellent sides, and what one independent judge called "the best ribs in South Carolina."
Bobby's BBQ
1301 N. Main St., Fountain Inn
Tay Nelson first formulated a seasoning blend, drawing on his father's recipes. Then he fell in love with Central Texas-style barbecue. At Bobby's, Nelson uses those spice mixes to turn out wildly popular brisket, pork, ribs, sausage, and turkey, and even offers barbecue Jackfruit at this popular spot.
Henry's Smokehouse
240 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville (flagship of multiple locations)
Henry's has expanded to Woodruff Road and Simpsonville, but the Wade Hampton Boulevard location still draws a crowd. The award-winning pork and ribs are the main features, and are now available in Henry's new food truck, dubbed the "Hog Hauler."
Hite's BBQ
240 Dreher Road, West Columbia
In the Midlands of South Carolina, David Hite once said he's never seen a high school football game. He's too busy cooking whole hogs the old-fashioned way at this meat market/barbecue joint. You'll have to call and reserve a rib cut, you can order skins "off the hog" and he's open from Friday morning "until it's gone." On a holiday weekend, that's EARLY.
Midway BBQ
811 Main St., Buffalo
Midway is legendary in Union County and beyond. A combination butcher shop/meat market/restaurant, Midway is renowned across the Upstate for chicken stew and beef hash, and the restaurant’s pulled pork is fantastic, served with your choice of sauce.
Pig Out
1945 Drayton Road, Spartanburg (one of two locations)
Tucked beside the Drayton Post office, the newest of two Pig Out locations has a bigger menu and a more visible location. The original, at the intersection of New Cut and John Dodd roads in a former service station is as old-school as barbecue gets. Venture in for Friday lunch, and you'll often find workers on break and captains of industry sharing a table (and passing the sauce).
Rodney Scott's BBQ
1011 King St., Charleston
National acclaim and a James Beard Award-winning pitmaster have brought a ton of attention to Scott's restaurant, and for good reason. It's seriously good, and ultra-traditional, featuring whole-hog barbecue cooked over coals in cinderblock pits.
Smokin' Pig
6630 Clemson Blvd., Pendleton (flagship of multiple locations)
Every ESPN Gameday trip to Clemson seems to include Smokin' Pig, and commentators marvel over the brisket, ribs, chicken, and pork. There are locations in Easley and Williamston, but the Pendleton location is where the magic starts. Pro tip: get the banana pudding, and say yes to the pork skins before your meal.
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Thin Cue Line
13241 Asheville Hwy., Inman
With a former Sheriff's Office detective as owner/pitmaster, Thin Cue Line has an intensely loyal following. There's also a menu that goes deep beyond the basics, including smoked steak specials and BBQ lasagna.
Wise BBQ House
25548 US-76, Newberry, SC
Absolutely no-frills barbecue buffet. Turn into the low cinderblock building, walk through the line, and pick from pulled pork, hash and rice, ribs, pork skins, slaw, baked beans, and warm mustard sauce. That's it, and that's all you need.
Best of the rest
Gameday BBQ, Duncan
165 W. Main St., Duncan, SC
Former Boiling Springs football coach Bruce Clark turns out excellent pork, ribs, chicken, and brisket. The sides alone are worth a trip, as is the homemade banana pudding.
Southside Smokehouse, Landrum
726 S. Howard Ave., Landrum, SC
A menu featuring Cajun and Creole specialties and local favorites, as well as an extensive bourbon list, features fantastic barbecue. Served with a sauce close to a Lexington-style dip, it's not to be missed.
Mike & Jeff's BBQ
2401 Old Buncombe Road, Greenville, SC
An open fire and a low and slow approach make this nearly hidden destination in Greenville worth finding.
The Pompous Pig
3320 N Main St., Anderson, SC
Dry-rubbed meats slowly smoked and a menu that reaches wider than most traditional South Carolina barbecue destinations.
Brown's Bar-B-Que
809 N., Williamsburg County Hwy., Kingstree, SC
Local restaurant featuring a vinegar-based sauce and a cherished buffet with traditional items aside from pulled pork, if anyone is ever so inclined.
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Duke's Barbeque
1178 Main Hwy., Bamberg, SC
A well-known name in South Carolina barbecue, Duke’s has spawned other locations in the Lowcountry, and it’s celebrated for its “Orangeburg sweet” mustard-based sauce.
Maurice's Piggie Park
1141 Lake Murray Blvd., Irmo, SC
Wood-fired since 1939,” Maurice Bessinger’s namesake barbecue joint is a standing tradition of pork and mustard-based sauce that’s weathered controversies brought by away-from-the-pit activities of its founder.
McCabe's Bar-B-Q
480 N. Brooks St., Manning, SC
Old-fashioned pit-cooked barbecue at its finest.
Rogers' Bar-B-Que House
2004 2nd Loop Road, Florence, SC
Traditional buffet offerings of barbecue dressed with “secret sauces” and seafood selections, all true to the Pee Dee.
Sweatman's BBQ
1427 Eutaw Road, Holly Hill, SC
Family business that’s served up fine barbecue since the 1970s with wood selected for smoke and its own take on the mustard-based sauce that’s unique to South Carolina.
Ward's Bar-B-Que
1087 Alice Dr, Sumter, SC
It’s not as renowned as other places that have received more publicity, but it can stand with any barbecue, and the locals swear by it.
This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: SC BBQ: The 10 best barbecue restaurants to try in the state