The Sons of the American Legion bring a long-running barbecue cook-off to James Island each fall, with professional and amateur teams competing at American Legion Post 147.
The event is sanctioned by the Southern BBQ Network and raises money for local veterans organizations.
Friday: Anything BBQ
Friday features the Anything BBQ competition, where teams can get creative with dishes built around the meats used in the weekend cook-off.
Pork can be part of an entry, but teams cannot simply serve plain pulled-pork samples. The public gets to taste the entries and choose the winner by popular vote.
Saturday: Pork, Ribs, and Chicken
Saturday brings the main SBN competition, with teams judged in pork, ribs, and chicken.
- 9 a.m. – Pork turn-in
- 10 a.m. – Rib turn-in
- 11 a.m. – Chicken turn-in
After the final turn-in, the focus shifts to the public. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., tasting wristband holders can visit the individual cook sites for samples of the teams' remaining competition pork and anything else the cooks decide to share.
The tasting wristband also includes a pulled-pork lunch from Martins. Current 2026 information does not yet list the public wristband price.
The awards ceremony follows the tasting at about 1:30 p.m..
A Pro-Am BBQ Cook-Off
The cook-off uses a Pro-Am format, putting established teams that compete for SBN points alongside local amateur cooks.
That gives the weekend a little different feel from a strictly professional competition: experienced teams are chasing sanctioned results while local cooks get to see how their barbecue measures up.
Barbecue That Supports Local Veterans
The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 147 host the cook-off at their James Island post, with proceeds benefiting local veterans organizations.
What to Know Before You Go
- Location: American Legion Post 147, 968 Folly Road, Charleston, SC 29412
- Friday: Anything BBQ competition with public voting
- Saturday competition: Pork, ribs, and chicken
- Public tasting: Saturday, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.
- Awards: About 1:30 p.m. Saturday
- Beneficiary: Local veterans organizations
- Contact: Chris Nisoff, 843-860-2109
Date and Time
- Start
- October 23, 2026
- End
- October 24, 2026
- Event Categories
- Competition, Festival
Organizer
- Name
- Chris Nisoff
- Phone
- 843-860-2109
