Maurice’s Piggie Park BBQ on Charleston Hwy

Where It All Began: Barbecue Tradition on Charleston Highway

On Charleston Highway in West Columbia stands the original Maurice’s Piggie Park—the flagship location where one of South Carolina’s most recognizable barbecue brands got its start. More than just a restaurant, this spot represents the foundation of a family business built on fire, smoke, and a mustard sauce that’s become part of Midlands BBQ identity.

Decades after the first pit was fired up here, the Charleston Highway location continues to serve customers from near and far who are looking for that unmistakable flavor that can only come from hardwood coals and tradition done right.

A Landmark of South Carolina Barbecue

This is where the Maurice’s story truly took shape. The West Columbia location was one of the earliest to embrace and help popularize the mustard-based barbecue style that now defines the Midlands. Founded in the mid-20th century, the original Piggie Park served as both a testing ground and a model for what would become a family of restaurants across the region.

What has never changed is the commitment to open-pit cooking. At this location, you’ll still find pork shoulders, ribs, chicken, brisket, and turkey smoked the traditional way—low and slow over glowing hardwood embers. Maurice’s has long insisted that, “pit-smoked BBQ gets its deep flavor from the natural smoke of real wood embers,” and nowhere is that more evident than at the place where it all started.

Mustard-Based Sauce That Built a Brand

The sauce that helped define a region is still being ladled out every day on Charleston Highway. Maurice’s signature “Southern Gold” mustard-based barbecue sauce set the tone for what would become a defining flavor of South Carolina BBQ. Sharp, tangy, and deeply rooted in the area’s German-influenced foodways, the sauce is as central to the Piggie Park identity as the pit itself.

Over the years, Maurice’s has introduced other sauces—including Honey, Spicy, Hickory Red, and Original Red—but the golden mustard blend remains the anchor. It’s available by the bottle at the counter and has made its way into homes across the state and beyond, thanks to national retail distribution.

What’s on the Menu at Charleston Highway

With its history as the original location, the Charleston Highway restaurant serves up a full spread that reflects the range and depth of South Carolina’s BBQ tradition. Diners can expect all the signature offerings: pulled pork, chopped brisket, BBQ chicken, smoked turkey, and tender ribs, available in sandwich form or piled high on a plate.

Sides are made fresh daily and cover the classics—baked mac and cheese, collard greens, BBQ beans, fried okra, coleslaw, sweet potato casserole, and the Midlands staple: hash and rice. The hash, in particular, is worth a mention—it’s a slow-simmered mix of pork, onions, and seasonings served over white rice, and it holds a special place in the hearts of longtime locals.

Hearty sandwiches come stacked on toasted buns and customers can opt for combo meals that offer multiple meats with their choice of sides and drink. Party packages are available for feeding a crowd, and the kids’ menu provides BBQ-appropriate options in kid-sized portions.

Fresh salads with smoked meats offer a lighter choice, while banana pudding, pecan pie, and more wrap things up with a bit of sweetness. Rotating desserts may appear depending on the season, giving regulars something new to look forward to alongside the classics.

A Destination for Generations

The Charleston Highway location isn’t just the first Maurice’s—it’s the heart of the brand. Still drawing loyal customers after all these years, it remains a gathering place for families, coworkers, travelers, and barbecue enthusiasts who appreciate the slow-smoked taste of tradition. Whether it’s your first visit or your fiftieth, walking through the doors here feels like stepping into a piece of South Carolina food history.

With pit-smoked meats, scratch-made sides, and that signature sauce still flowing, Maurice’s Piggie Park on Charleston Highway continues to carry the flame that started it all.

(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 Columbia.)

What Folks Are Saying

Google Review

Among the many Google Reviews, Local Guide Gayle Cabello discovered a diamond on Charleston Hwy:

Absolutely divine. Superb burger. My God there are too many things to choose between here! Ribs, chicken wings, quarter chicken, hush puppies, beans, Mac n cheese, baked beans were soooooooo good! Strawberry shortcake topped it off great! Good old fashioned service! This place is worth the short trip from the highway!! A diamond in the BBQ business! Stop here!!

Yelp Review

Over on Yelp, Holli H, originally a Columbia-area native, loves coming home to Maurice’s Piggie Park:

Man this is the OG spot. I live in Anderson SC, now but when I go home to Cayce, best believe this is where I go. I also stock up on sauces so I can have a little bit of home wherever I go. Brisket is juicy, and full of flavor, ribs are tender, and everything else is to die for. Don’t even get me started on the peach cobbler.

Just GO! You want regret it. Service is amazing, ask for Holly she’s the sweetest person and always remembers me. Ambiance hasn’t changed in years, and that’s what I love about it!!! The sign!! Good to come home sometimes!

SCBA Review

Yeah, ok…sure. You can pull positive reviews from a website, but what do they know about BBQ? What about the folks who train the judges for BBQ competitions in South Carolina? What do they think?

The SC BBQ Association deems Maurice’s Piggie Park to be 100-Mile BBQ, their highest rating.

Here’s an excerpt from their review:

Maurice’s is true 100 mile barbeque and it’s conveniently located so that everyone in the central part of the state can easily stop by and fill up.  And since they operate seven days a week they can do so whenever they desire.  So, for over 50 years people have come to just expect that succulent, slow cooked-over-coals, top quality barbeque to always be there and easily obtainable. 

Read their full review.

Take Behind-the-Scenes Look at  Maurice’s

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Hours of Operation

Monday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday	10:00 AM - 9:00 PM