13 South Carolina BBQ Joints That Still Smoke The Old-Fashioned Way
There’s something magical about the smell of wood smoke drifting through the air on a lazy Saturday afternoon.
I grew up chasing that scent through small Southern towns, where pitmasters still tend fires the way their grandparents did, using hickory, oak, and time instead of shortcuts.
South Carolina holds onto this tradition tighter than most states, with family-run joints where patience and smoke create flavors that can’t be rushed or faked. These thirteen spots prove that the old ways still make the best BBQ.
1. Scott’s Bar-B-Que — Hemingway
Whole hog cooking over hickory logs is the only method Rodney Scott knows, and honestly, why mess with perfection?
His family has been doing it this way since 1972, flipping entire pigs over open pits while most of us were still figuring out how to use a gas grill.
The vinegar-based sauce here is thin, tangy, and lets the smoke do the talking instead of drowning it in sweetness. Every bite tastes like patience, with meat so tender it falls apart before your fork even gets close. You’ll find crackling skin that shatters like candy and smoky pork that haunts your dreams.
2. Sweatman’s Bar-B-Que — Holly Hill
Friday and Saturday are the only days this place opens its doors, which tells you everything about their commitment to doing things right.
Bub Sweatman started this tradition in 1977, and the family still cooks whole hogs over oak and pecan wood in a method that refuses to bend to modern convenience.
The buffet line moves fast, but nobody rushes through their meal once they sit down. Hash over rice is a local specialty that might confuse outsiders but converts them instantly. Mustard-based sauce sits alongside the vinegar version, giving you options while the smoky pork steals the show regardless of which you choose.
3. Melvin’s Barbecue — Mount Pleasant & Charleston
Four different sauces line every table here, representing the wild diversity of South Carolina BBQ traditions in one convenient spot.
Melvin started with a single location back in 1939, and the recipes haven’t budged since then, even as the family expanded to serve more hungry folks.
Ribs get the slow-smoke treatment that makes the meat pull clean off the bone with barely a tug. Hash and rice might sound strange if you’ve never tried it, but one spoonful of this peppery, savory mixture changes minds fast. The wood-fired pits out back work overtime, sending hickory smoke signals that draw people from miles around like BBQ-loving moths to a delicious flame.
4. Dukes Bar-B-Que — Multiple Locations
Yellow sauce flows like rivers through this South Carolina institution, coating every piece of pork with that distinctive tangy bite that defines Midlands BBQ. Earl Duke opened the first location back in 1946, and the family still uses his original recipes and smoking methods across every restaurant.
Hickory wood burns low and slow in pits that have been tended by generations of pitmasters who learned their craft from family members.
The pork gets chopped rather than pulled, creating a texture that holds sauce better and delivers consistent flavor in every bite. Hash, coleslaw, and sweet tea complete the classic plate that hasn’t changed in over seventy years because it never needed to.
5. Hite’s Bar-B-Que — West Columbia
This tiny spot has been smoking pork since 1959, back when West Columbia was still figuring out what it wanted to be when it grew up. The building looks like it might blow over in a strong wind, but the BBQ coming out of those pits could survive a hurricane and still taste perfect.
Mustard sauce here has a sharpness that wakes up your taste buds without overwhelming them, balanced perfectly against the sweet smokiness of the pork.
The family still tends the wood-burning pits by hand, refusing to switch to gas or electric shortcuts that might save time but sacrifice flavor. Lines form early and often, with locals who know that good BBQ is always worth the wait.
6. Jackie Hite’s Bar-B-Q — Batesburg-Leesville
Wood smoke has been rising from this location since 1966, when Jackie Hite decided the world needed his particular brand of BBQ perfection.
The mustard-based sauce here carries a recipe that’s been tweaked and perfected over decades, creating a flavor that regulars crave like a favorite song.
Pork shoulders smoke over hickory until the meat practically dissolves on your tongue, needing nothing more than a gentle pull to separate. Hash and rice is mandatory eating here, with a peppery richness that complements the tangy pork instead of competing with it. The family still runs everything, ensuring that quality never takes a back seat to speed or profit margins.
7. Bessinger’s BBQ — Charleston
Mustard sauce was practically invented in South Carolina, and this place serves it with the confidence of someone who knows they’re doing it right.
The Bessinger family has been in the BBQ game since the 1930s, perfecting a tangy, golden sauce that coats smoked pork like liquid sunshine.
Pork shoulders smoke for hours over hardwood, developing a bark that crunches before giving way to juicy, tender meat underneath. The hash here is legendary, with a recipe that’s been guarded like a state secret for generations. Coleslaw provides the perfect cool contrast to all that smoky heat, and the hush puppies are crispy little clouds of cornmeal happiness.
8. Little Pigs Barbecue — Multiple Locations
Buffet lines here move with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine, but the BBQ itself is made with the patience of someone who understands that great food can’t be rushed. Since 1980, this family operation has been proving that you can serve lots of people without sacrificing the traditional methods that make South Carolina BBQ special.
Wood-fired pits work around the clock, producing enough smoked pork to satisfy crowds while maintaining the quality that keeps those crowds coming back.
The sauce selection gives you choices, but the hickory-smoked meat is so good that some folks skip the sauce entirely. Hash, fried chicken, and all the classic sides round out a spread that feels like Sunday dinner at your favorite relative’s house.
9. Shealy’s Bar-B-Que — Batesburg-Leesville
Buffet-style service here doesn’t mean assembly-line quality; it means more opportunities to pile your plate with different variations of smoked perfection. The Shealy family opened this spot in 1969, bringing together the best of South Carolina BBQ traditions under one roof with enough seating to handle serious crowds.
Hickory and oak logs feed the pits that produce tender, smoky pork with a bark that adds texture to every bite. Mustard sauce is the star, but vinegar and tomato-based options give you the full South Carolina experience on a single plate.
The hash here has achieved legendary status among locals, with a recipe that balances spice, smoke, and savory richness in ways that keep people guessing.
10. Brown’s Bar-B-Que — Kingstree
Whole hog cooking over wood coals is an art form that this family has perfected since opening in the late 1980s. The pits here work overtime, turning out pork that’s been kissed by hickory smoke for hours until it reaches that perfect balance of crispy, tender, and impossibly flavorful.
Vinegar-based sauce keeps things traditional, letting the smoke and pork flavors shine without heavy sweetness getting in the way.
The meat gets hand-chopped, ensuring every piece carries the right mix of crispy bark and juicy interior. Locals treat this place like a community treasure, and one taste explains why newcomers quickly join that devoted following.
11. McCabe’s Bar-B-Que — Manning
Since 1948, this family has been proving that patience and wood smoke create magic that modern shortcuts can’t touch.
The pits here burn hickory logs that get tended like campfires, with pitmasters who know exactly when to add wood and when to let the coals do their work.
Vinegar sauce with a peppery kick is the traditional choice here, cutting through the richness of the pork while enhancing every smoky note. The meat pulls apart with fork-tender ease, showing hours of careful cooking that can’t be faked or rushed. Hash, coleslaw, and cornbread complete the classic plate that’s been satisfying hungry folks for over seven decades.
12. Shuler’s BBQ — Latta
Wood smoke and pork fat have been perfuming the air around this spot since 1954, drawing people off the highway with promises of authentic pit-cooked BBQ.
The Shuler family still uses the same methods that made them famous decades ago, refusing to modernize in ways that might compromise flavor for convenience.
Vinegar-based sauce is thin and tangy, soaking into the chopped pork without making it soggy or hiding the smoke flavor underneath. The pits burn hardwood that gets sourced locally, maintaining connections to the land that have defined Southern BBQ for generations. Every sandwich comes together with meat that’s been smoked low and slow, creating tenderness that makes each bite memorable.
13. Palmetto Pig — Pawleys Island
Beach towns don’t always get BBQ right, but this spot proves that coastal living and serious smoking can coexist beautifully.
The pits here work just as hard as their inland cousins, burning hickory wood that creates smoke rings and bark worthy of any competition, except this is everyday cooking, not showmanship.
Multiple sauce options reflect South Carolina’s diverse BBQ heritage, giving you mustard, vinegar, and tomato-based choices that each bring something different to the smoked pork. The meat itself needs no introduction, with tenderness and flavor that comes from hours over real wood fires. Sides stay traditional, with hash, coleslaw, and beans that complement rather than compete with the star of every plate.