“We’re not taking shortcuts,” co-owner Sam Kochan told Anna Claire Miller of the Island Packet. “A brisket takes 12 hours, which means I’m up at 2 a.m., lighting the wood on the smoker because that’s what real barbecue is.”
That line gets right to the heart of Bordertown BBQ in Beaufort. This is a place built around Central Texas-style smoked meats, Mexican street fare, and the kind of full-flavored menu that gives diners more than one good reason to sit down and stay awhile.
Located in Beaufort Town Center, Bordertown BBQ brings a beef-forward barbecue style to a part of South Carolina better known for pork, hash, rice, and Lowcountry traditions. The result is a restaurant with one foot planted in Texas smoke and the other in border-inspired flavor.
Bordertown’s name is more than a sign out front. It describes the way Kristen Miklinevich and Sam Kochan see the connection between Texas barbecue and Mexican cooking.
“We’re offering a mix of Texas-style barbecue, Mexican street flair and Southern hospitality,” Miklinevich told Explore Beaufort.
She put it even more plainly when describing the restaurant’s point of view: “The close overlapping of Texas BBQ and Mexican cuisine is what makes our name Bordertown, and the inclusion of Mexican flavors to traditional Texas BBQ is what makes our menu different because they compliment one another.”
That overlap shows up across the menu, where brisket can anchor a barbecue tray, land in a taco, or sit alongside sides and bar-friendly snacks that make the place feel broader than a standard meat-and-three barbecue stop.
Bordertown BBQ leans into Central Texas inspiration, where smoke, time, beef, and bark do most of the talking.
According to Miklinevich, as reported by Explore Beaufort, the key is “Central Texas-inspired slow smoked meats on a 1000 gallon stick burner.”
The Island Packet reported that Kochan handles the brisket and smoked-meat side of the operation, cooking on a 1,000-gallon stick burner smoker from Texas. The meats are smoked with post oak, the classic wood choice for Central Texas-style barbecue.
That kind of barbecue asks for patience from the pit and sometimes from the customer, too. Gene Brancho of The Island News reported that Bordertown’s smoked meats are sold by the half-pound “in typical Texas barbecue fashion.”
He also quoted Miklinevich on the restaurant’s approach to cooking fresh and selling through the day: “Not running out means food in the garbage because we don’t serve day-old barbecue.”
For diners, that is useful to understand. At Bordertown, running out of certain smoked items is part of the rhythm of cooking barbecue fresh, not a sign that the kitchen forgot what it was doing.
The menu at Bordertown BBQ gives you several ways to eat.
If you’re there for the smoke, the main lineup includes brisket, pulled pork, pork ribs, turkey, chicken thighs, sausage, and beef plate ribs. Meats are available by the half-pound, making it easy to build a tray around whatever came off the pit that day.
The Mexican street-fare side of the menu brings in smoked meat tacos, shrimp tacos, fish tacos, smoked brisket tacos, and smoked pork carnitas. That gives Bordertown a little more range than the usual barbecue counter, especially for groups where one person wants sliced brisket and another wants tacos.
Sandwiches and nachos round out the menu, along with sides such as tallow fries, slaw, cheese curds, beans, and mac and cheese.
It is the kind of menu where a first visit can go in a few directions. You can keep it simple with brisket and sides, order a spread of smoked meats by the half-pound, or lean into tacos and bar snacks without leaving the barbecue behind.
The bar side matters at Bordertown, too.
The Island Packet reported that Miklinevich, a longtime bartender, handles the drinks with a focus on fresh ingredients. Signature options include the Bordertown Margarita with fresh-squeezed juice, the Boot Heel Sour with bourbon, grenadine, and vanilla, and the Big Red Creamsicle with vodka, orange, and Big Red soda.
Beer, wine, Bloody Marys, mimosas, Mexican Coke, Mexican Sprite, and Big Red soda are also part of the drink program.
That gives Bordertown a different feel from a strictly lunch-counter barbecue stop. It works for a brisket plate, but it also works for tacos, drinks, and a slower meal with friends.
Bordertown BBQ comes from owners with plenty of restaurant miles behind them.
Miklinevich and Kochan spent years running restaurants in Massachusetts, including Mission Cantina and North Village Smokehouse, before settling in Beaufort. That background helps explain the restaurant’s blend of smoked meats, Mexican flavors, bar service, and casual hospitality.
Explore Beaufort quoted Miklinevich saying, “Fate brought us to Beaufort.”
She also praised Kochan’s cooking and ingredients, saying, “Sam has been a chef for years and is incredibly talented and his passion for cooking the best tasting foods is complimented by his using quality ingredients.”
That owner-driven approach comes through in the restaurant’s setup. Kochan is connected to the pit and smoked meats, while Miklinevich’s bar background helps shape the drink side and the broader guest experience.
Beaufort has deep ties to South Carolina barbecue traditions, but Bordertown BBQ gives local diners a different lane.
Instead of centering the menu around pulled pork, mustard sauce, hash, and the familiar rhythms of South Carolina barbecue, Bordertown leans into brisket, post oak smoke, beef ribs, half-pound meat orders, and tacos built from smoked meats.
That does not make it better or more “authentic” than local barbecue. It simply gives Beaufort another style to choose from, and that is good news for anyone who likes seeing the state’s barbecue map get a little wider.
For brisket fans in particular, Bordertown brings a style that is still less common in South Carolina than pork-focused barbecue. For taco fans, it offers smoked meats in a format that feels casual, flavorful, and easy to share.
Bordertown BBQ is a strong fit for diners who want Texas-style smoked meats without leaving Beaufort, especially if brisket is the meat that gets your attention first.
It also works well for groups. One person can order sliced meat by the half-pound, another can go for tacos, and someone else can settle in with a sandwich, nachos, sides, and a drink from the bar.
Come for the brisket if that is your measuring stick. Stay open to the tacos, tallow fries, beef ribs, and whatever else is coming off the smoker that day.
Among the many Google Reviews, Local Guide Kayla Jacque gives Bordertown BBQ high marks:
I’ve been here twice now and can confidently say this is one of the best BBQ spots in Beaufort. The brisket and pork ribs were seasoned / smoked to perfection. I also tried the nachos, potato salad, and a brisket taco, and every single item was incredible.
Great atmosphere!! Everyone on staff was genuinely so kind and welcoming, especially if you’re dining solo like I was. They make you feel comfortable and right at home from the moment you walk in. You can truly tell the owners put a lot of love, care, and thoughtfulness into crafting the menu and with the quality ingredients they use.
I highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area!
Over on Yelp, Kyle M. shared the following:
I have had quite a bit of BBQ in my day - Austin TX, Kansas City, Denver CO, Nashville TN, and all around South Carolina and I'm not sure I've ever had any quite like here.
The brisket and smoked chicken thighs were other worldly. The Beef ribs and pulled pork were damn near just as good. And to be able to able to a grab a few of the best tacos I've had at the same time... I was in heaven.
Service was outstanding, the decor and the vibes are top notch. I will most definitely be coming back ASAP!
Note: Menu prices and options are subject to change over time. Contact the restaurant for the most up-to-date information.
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | |
| Saturday | |
| Sunday |
Cards and Cash, Heavy Tomato Sauce, True 'Cue Certified
The history was very interesting. I also liked having one place with so many recipes. This is a convenient source for all questions about how to prepare BBQ and the sides. You both did a wonderful job!