Circle M BBQ

Whole Hog Tradition Continued in Liberty

Circle M BBQ has deep roots in Upstate South Carolina barbecue, starting with Marion Martin, who opened the restaurant in 1992 and built its reputation on whole hog cooked low and slow over hickory coals.

Today, Joey Link and family carry that tradition forward in Liberty. According to Circle M BBQ’s official website, “longtime friend Joey Link and his family took over the business” in 2020, bringing “some new life to the pit” while keeping the restaurant tied to its old-school whole hog foundation.

That foundation still matters here. Circle M’s pork is cooked over real hickory coals, pulled by hand, and served with a vinegar-based sauce that fits the restaurant’s whole hog style.

The result is barbecue with a clear sense of place: Upstate hospitality, Lowcountry-style vinegar influence, and a pit room still built around wood, coals, smoke, and time.

Marion Martin’s Whole Hog Legacy

Marion Martin’s name still belongs in the Circle M BBQ story. He founded the restaurant in 1992 and helped make it one of the Upstate’s better-known whole hog barbecue stops.

Martin cooked the old-fashioned way, using hickory coals and whole hogs rather than relying only on shoulders or butts. That approach gave Circle M’s pork a deeper, more complete flavor, with the sauce and juices working through the meat as it cooked.

Lake High, founder of the South Carolina Barbeque Association, praised the restaurant’s barbecue, writing that Circle M’s pork had “just enough smoke” and a flavor that was “not only different, it’s better.”

That history still shapes Circle M today, even as the restaurant has added brisket, sausage, desserts, family-friendly touches, and a broader menu under Joey Link and family.

What’s on the Menu at Circle M BBQ

Whole hog pulled pork remains the heart of the menu at Circle M BBQ. The restaurant describes its pork as cooked “low and slow over real hickory coals,” then hand-pulled and seasoned before it reaches the plate.

The menu has grown beyond the older pork-ribs-chicken lineup. Circle M now serves beef brisket, with burnt ends on Fridays and sliced brisket on Saturdays, along with smoked chicken, spare ribs, and house-made smoked sausage.

That sausage is a newer calling card. Circle M says it grinds, stuffs, and smokes the sausage in-house, using a blend of beef and chicken.

Sides are made in-house as well, with the restaurant noting that it peels the potatoes, shreds the cheese, and prepares its fixins fresh each week. Desserts rotate, but Grammie’s banana pudding is the steady favorite listed on the menu.

Sauce choices include the vinegar-pepper Circle M Sauce, a hotter ketchup-based sauce, a milder “Not Sauce,” and a sweet mustard-style Gold Sauce.

“You don’t need sauce with Circle M barbecue,” Martin once said. His point still holds: start with the pork before reaching for the sauce.

But that sauce is awfully good, too. In fact, Lake High, founder of the SC BBQ Association, said Martin's sauce "may just be the best in the state."

(Of course, South Carolina’s barbecue scene is packed with legendary joints and hidden gems. See more BBQ restaurants in SC to discover where to go next in the state or find other great BBQ joints around Clemson, Easley, and Greenville.)

No surprise that Circle M BBQ's sauce recipes are a closely held family secret, one the Martins shared with the Links when they took over.

Martin said his wife developed their recipe for Brunswick stew. The stew contains a tasty mix of veggies and meat fresh off the pit. Working together, they got it right.

Writing about Circle M during Marion Martin’s ownership, Lake High captured the restaurant’s old-school simplicity: "Circle M is simple and simply good. They have barbecue, ribs, real barbequed chicken, marinated slaw, Brunswick stew, beans, and rolls. That’s it. But what an “it” it is," High said.

But High is not the only one talking about Circle M BBQ.

What folks say about Circle M BBQ

On Yelp, Joe E compares Circle M BBQ to what is widely considered the best BBQ joint in SC:

"The whole hog pork is special. If you know about Scott's in Hemingway, you could compare it to Circle M.

"It doesn't need extra sauce as they must mix some in when they pull it; the sauce in the meat is vinegar-based with a bit of a kick perhaps from paprika and other spices.

This is the best pork BBQ in the entire Upstate of SC and that is saying something, with great places like Smokin' Pig also in the upcountry.

"The smoked chicken has a deep rub and is juicy, especially the dark meat. The surprise on the menu is the Circle M Dog, a smoked wiener, topped with a bit of their pork Q, and a heavy dose of their vinegar-based slaw.

Other hot dogs see this and claim it's just not fair!"

Again on Yelp

Also on Yelp, Cyndi B just gushed over Circle M BBQ:

"Wow, and wow again, y'all!  We have passed by this place several times and tonight we let our curiosity steer us in the parking lot.

"When we entered, we were greeted by some nice ladies who talked us through the menu. It's a simple menu but it packs lots of huge flavor.  

We settled on the 3 way so we could taste the pulled pork, ribs, and the chicken!  We chose the coleslaw and baked beans for our sides and we each also got the Brunswick stew so we would not have to share.  

"Once you order and pay, you grab a tray, collect your food and drinks and make your way to the table of your choice.  Large open dining area where the large fireplace is the main focus and lends to the ambiance of the space, as well as heat.

"The meat is cooked over hickory which is a popular low country method and includes pepper and vinegar seasoning.  The ribs were some of the best I have ever had, I could have chewed the bones because it was all so tasty.

The chicken was moist on the bone and the flavor was delicious.  The coleslaw was good, but I could only afford a couple of bites because their slaw included onions and I have an allergy.  

The Brunswick stew and the pulled pork were delicious and very unique and all had good portions.

"This entire experience was great and we loved the friendliness and sense of comfort and community throughout.  

We will be back and I intend to be hungry and order lots more ribs and pulled pork because they were my favorite."

If you're taking a road trip on Interstate 85 near Anderson, hop-off at Exit 21 onto 178 and head north. Circle M BBQ will be just under 10 miles from the exit. Just stay on 178 until you see it on your left.

Recognized as 100-Mile BBQ

The SC BBQ Association has deemed Circle M's BBQ to be 100-Mile BBQ -- BBQ worth driving 100 miles for. In his review, Lake High, founder of the SCBA, was clearly a fan in this excerpt from the longer review:

When I got some of that succulent barbeque I was so pleased that I ordered an extra pound to go.  Plus, I also got a cut of those smoky ribs to go. 

His barbeque has just enough smoke to make it very pleasing but it is not over smoked.  It has a unique flavor slightly different from most barbeque I’ve had around the state but his is not only different, it’s better. 

His ribs are more heavily smoked but they were dry-rubbed and then all that was added was the vinegar and pepper sauce.  They were so tender the bones pulled right out.

Read their full review here.

Community-Minded BBQ with Deep Liberty Roots

Circle M BBQ still feels like a family-run barbecue stop, but the current version also carries a clear community focus. Under Joey Link and family, the restaurant has continued Marion Martin’s whole-hog tradition while adding new menu items, family-friendly touches, and a mission-minded approach to the business.

One example is Circle M’s Mission Weekend, when the restaurant donates dessert sales to support a missionary or mission organization. It’s a small detail, but it says something about the way the restaurant presents itself today: rooted in barbecue, family, faith, and local community.

For travelers working their way through Upstate barbecue, Circle M remains worth knowing for its whole hog pork first. The broader menu may get folks in the door for brisket, ribs, sausage, sides, or banana pudding, but the old-school pork cooked over hickory coals is still the story that ties past and present together.

Menu for Circle M BBQ in Liberty

Note: Menu prices and options are subject to change over time. Contact the restaurant for the most up-to-date information.

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