It’s one of our favorite times of the year. May is National Barbecue Month, and that means it’s time to get ready for knee-slapping, mouth-watering, fall-off-the-bone deliciousness.
South Carolina has bragging rights to one of the country’s oldest barbecue traditions. In the earliest days, it was all about whole-hog cooking. Now, it’s more about brisket and ribs slow-cooked over wood. Either way, it’s finger-lickin’ good.
A South Carolina BBQ Trail highlights its top joints. In recent years, the Charleston region has become a barbecue hub, drawing flavors and styles from other parts of Carolina and even Georgia. Check out some of our local favorites.
Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House, named on the South Carolina BBQ Trail, serves top-quality meats smoked over local hardwoods, rubbed with signature seasonings, and dripping with tangy, house-made sauces. Its signature dish is a barbecue sandwich made with an award-winning, all-natural smoked pulled pork from Heritage Farms, N.C., and topped with Carolina coleslaw served on a pretzel roll.
Another eatery on the S.C. BBQ Trail is Fiery Ron’s Home Team BBQ on Sullivan’s Island. Fiery Ron’s serves a variety of dishes made from fresh ingredients and cooked from scratch. The meats are dry-rubbed with their special seasoning and slow-smoked. Choose from pork, ribs, chicken, turkey, sausage, and brisket. Sides include creamy stone-ground grits, smoked gouda mac and cheese, collard greens, baked beans, hash, and rice.
The BBQ specialties at Mingo Point Oyster Roast and Bar-B-Que include ribs, pulled pork, smoked chicken, and grilled steaks with tons of Southern side dishes and desserts.
The menu at Huey’s Southern Eats, located at the Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms, includes a BBQ pulled pork sandwich, made from smoked Boston butt, served with cheddar cheese and pickles on a brioche bun.
For a more upscale dining experience, head to the Fat Hen on Johns Island. The menu includes BBQ brisket and slow-roasted boneless beef short rib with Espagnole sauces. Both are served with two sides.
Just a few miles away in Mt. Pleasant, three BBQ stops are listed on the Trail.
At Saltwater Cowboys on Shem Creek, choose between pulled pork, pork belly, pulled chicken, slow-smoked brisket, smoked turkey breast, and baby back ribs. You get a choice of two sides like cowboy baked beans, sweet potato fries, collards, and Geechie boy house grits. Have a large appetite? Order a two-meat plate or The Whole Smoker.
Sticky Fingers serves Memphis-style barbecue. Order an appetizer of brisket nachos or a bowl of brisket chili. Get a half slab or full slab of hickory-smoked ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage of half-smoked chicken. You can get any of those items on a plate or a sandwich.
Melvin’s Barbecue features specials daily, including a BBQ pork plate, smoked low and slow, then topped with original golden secret sauce, one side, and white bread. Or head there on a Saturday for pork rib nite, featuring six bone pork ribs and four BBQ chicken wings with two sides.
An Isle of Palms vacation rental makes a perfect home base for relaxing after a filling meal.