SC's BBQ heritage (Greenville, Sumter, Orangeburg: 2009, living, restaurants)

[btard]

What say you about BBQ in SC? For such a small state, it has quite the variety of sauces & sides.

As we know, mustard sauce is king in the Midlands, as is BBQ hash. Up towards the Pee Dee, a thinner eastern NC sauce is prevalent, along with a side of chicken bog. Upstate tends to favor a Lexington NC style sauce, while the lowcountry seems to do a blend of mustard & the thin NC sauce.

What's your favorite place to eat BBQ, favorite sauce & side, and favorite cut of meat & smoking wood?

[PawleysDude]

Well, I grew up in SC but a bunch of years spent in Welcome NC a few miles from Lexington won me over. Never was a big fan of mustard-based, always seemed like a terrible thing to do to perfectly good bbq. After my time in NC, the only "real" bbq remains a pork shoulder with Lexington dip, fries, bbq slaw and hushpuppies.

My favorite bbq? My backyard. After moving down here, I realized if I wanted my style of bbq, I'd have to cook it. The only problem is that the aroma from the smoker draws too damn many neighbors... I usually smoke butts with hickory wood, although I prefer apple wood when I can get it.

Most of the decent bbq down this way is eastern NC style, with a vinegar and red pepper sauce. Some of it is mighty good (Prosser's in Murrells Inlet) some of it will set your *** on fire (Cooper's Country Store in Salters, SC). BTW, if you ever get a taste for REAL country ham, Cooper's is the place to go. The hardest part of adjusting to lowcountry bbq is that most of it is served buffet style, with sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, greens, etc. That's much too healthy eating for good old bbq.

[rubber_factory]

ohh yeah, i forgot about cooper's country store. that place is classic. man i'm gettin hungry...

[Akhenaton06]

Mustard-based BBQ is a gift from the gods. If you're ever in Orangeburg, make it a point to stop by Earl Duke's BBQ. Make sure you get a side of hash and rice, cole slaw, a slice of red velvet cake, and some sweet tea. A meal fit for kings, I tell ya.

[Geechie North]

One word: Bessingers.

[btard]

Sweatman's in Holly Hill. Pure bliss!

[Ceezer]

I grew up in Appalachia so I was raised on the smokey-sweet Memphis style tomato-based BBQ, but after living on the Crystal Coast for 6 years, Eastern NC is my preferred style.

To be honest, I'm surprised BBQ isn't bigger here in the Midlands. I don't mean to compare states, but there are BBQ all over NC and when I lived there it didn't matter where you were, you were always just minutes from a public BBQ ($5 plates with live music, maybe some boat races, etc).

Like I've said before, the guy that puts the Smithfield in Sumter is going to be a rich man. My wife (who *is* an Eastern NC gal and a BBQ fiend herself) and I have talked about it, I'm just scared to take that plunge...

Originally Posted by PawleysDude

Most of the decent bbq down this way is eastern NC style, with a vinegar and red pepper sauce. Some of it is mighty good (Prosser's in Murrells Inlet) some of it will set your *** on fire (Cooper's Country Store in Salters, SC). BTW, if you ever get a taste for REAL country ham, Cooper's is the place to go. The hardest part of adjusting to lowcountry bbq is that most of it is served buffet style, with sweet potatoes, mac & cheese, greens, etc. That's much too healthy eating for good old bbq.

I've never heard of this town so I mapquested it and it came back to a small place right above Lake Moultrie. Is that the one you're talking about?

[PawleysDude]

Yep, that's the place, it's a suburb of Greeleyville. Actually, it's just a crossroads on Hwy 521, between Manning and Andrews. Cooper's is just a small country store but they smoke their own bbq, make their own sausage, cure their own hams. It's an icon to days gone by, a throwback to how the South was really meant to be....

[rubber_factory]

Originally Posted by Ceezer

To be honest, I'm surprised BBQ isn't bigger here in the Midlands. I don't mean to compare states, but there are BBQ all over NC and when I lived there it didn't matter where you were, you were always just minutes from a public BBQ ($5 plates with live music, maybe some boat races, etc).

Like I've said before, the guy that puts the Smithfield in Sumter is going to be a rich man. My wife (who *is* an Eastern NC gal and a BBQ fiend herself) and I have talked about it, I'm just scared to take that plunge...

You think so? Sumter has good BBQ.. Southern Pride is good.. there used to be a good place called the BBQ Hut. I actually love Ward's BBQ, but for some reason a lot of people don't like it. Here in NC I have a Smithfield's right down the street from me, and I never go.. it is OK, maybe the 3rd or 4th best in town. They cook on gas, anyway.

[Skyliner]

Originally Posted by rubber_factory

...They cook on gas, anyway.

It has got to be naturally wood-smoked or it gets a failing grade from me.

In the Upstate try Henry's Smokehouse, Big Dave's, Dan Scott's Big League BBQ, and Brushy Creek BBQ for starters. I also love the Memphis-style dry rubbed ribs at Sticky Fingers RibHouse. They usually have a good hickory smoke flavor.

My Favorites:

Meat: Pulled Pork
Smoke: Hickory & Pecan
Sauce: Spicy Tomato-based or Mustard-based
Side: Corn, Baked Beans, & Cole Slaw