Destination: BBQ
South Carolina barbecue is as magnificent and diverse as its people.
For a relatively small state, South Carolina boasts distinct regions with unique barbecue styles. These regions make up what we refer to as the SC BBQ Trail. The BBQ you’ll enjoy in these areas are primarily flavored by the sauces popular within a given section of the state.
Depending on where you are in South Carolina, you might find your pork — because here in SC, BBQ means pork — steeped in a vinegar-pepper sauce, or a light tomato sauce, or a heavy tomato sauce, or the sauce that was born in our state — a mustard-based sauce.
And, just in case you’re visiting, in South Carolina, “barbecue” is a noun, not a verb — a thing, not an action. And no, that thing is not a grill.
For us, “barbecue” is pork, whether it has been pulled or chopped, served with a tangy sauce, the best of which was from a whole hog cooked for hours over hardwood coals.
We hope our site will help you find and enjoy the best BBQ in the South Carolina.
Start Here: The South Carolina Barbecue Info You’re Looking For
Use Our Interactive SC BBQ Trail Map — will find where you are (with your permission) and show you all the restaurants in your area…and even give you directions to get the place you choose.
• Download the Official SC BBQ Trail Map — download a copy of the official map from the SC Dept. of Tourism
• Learn about South Carolina Barbecue Hash Recipes, History, Map, and More
• See our Calendar of SC BBQ Events, Competitions and Festivals
• Make your BBQ Better with Authentic SC BBQ Recipes
• We Welcome your Submissions.
• Get a copy of our cookbook: SC BBQ Recipes: Going Whole Hog
See our 150-page SCBBQ CookbookLearn more about South Carolina Barbecue
Dr. Howard Conyers, actual NASA rocket scientist, SC BBQ advocate, and host of the PBS series Nourish, gives a quick look at what makes SC BBQ so special.
In this 2011 interview with SCETV, Lake High, founder of the South Carolina Barbeque Association, explains the four different types of BBQ found in South Carolina:
Image above by Melissa Venable via Flickr