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 bbq styles. These regions make up what we refer to as the SC BBQ Trail. These regions are primarily flavored by the sauces popular within that section of the state.
Depending on where you are in our state, you might find your pork — because 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 is unique to 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 state.
START HERE TO FIND THE SC BBQ 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
- Read Restaurant Reviews
- See our Calendar of SC BBQ Events, Competitions and Festivals
- Make your BBQ Better with Authentic SC BBQ Recipes
- Get a copy of our cookbook: SC BBQ Recipes: Going Whole Hog
- See our 150-page SCBBQ Cookbook
- Check other SC BBQ Links
Learn more about South Carolina BBQ
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