Open select holidays only, Secondhand Smoke serves minced BBQ, St. Louis ribs, homemade sides, buns, and Pete’s famous sauce
“The Tradition Continues, because ALL of us learned from the Master, Pete, and we felt it would be a perfect way to honor the friend who passed down to us the art of Good BBQ.”
That line, shared in a Secondhand Smoke announcement and reported by John Marks of The Rock Hill Herald, tells you most of what you need to know about this Rock Hill barbecue tradition.
Secondhand Smoke is not just another barbecue stop in York County. It carries forward the old Pete’s BBQ rhythm from the same India Hook Road site where generations of Rock Hill diners picked up smoked pork on holiday weekends.
According to Marks, “many of the same employees and pit crew members from Pete’s are behind Secondhand Smoke.” He also reported that the meat would be cooked on the “same seasoned grills,” and that “The same sauce, beans, slaw and other items will return.”
That kind of continuity matters here. Secondhand Smoke is built less like a modern restaurant concept and more like a living piece of local barbecue memory.
Secondhand Smoke operates on a limited holiday schedule, serving on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Veterans Day.
That limited rhythm is part of the identity. Pete’s BBQ made its name by cooking big for select holidays, and Secondhand Smoke follows that same pattern rather than operating like a regular daily barbecue restaurant.
For diners, that means planning matters. This is the kind of place where you check the current ordering details, show up when the smoke is rolling, and understand that the barbecue may not last all day.
You're strongly encouraged to pre-order to be assured of getting your meal before they sell out. Follow their Facebook posts for details.
Secondhand Smoke’s connection to Pete’s is not just sentimental. It is physical, practical, and tied to the way the barbecue is cooked.
Andrew Dys of The Herald reported that the holiday barbecue tradition “was reborn over Labor Day by Secondhand Smoke, using the same pits and cooking method, according to SecondHand Smoke’s Facebook page.”
That detail says a lot. This is old-school Rock Hill barbecue, cooked in the same setting and by the same general method that made Pete’s a holiday fixture for more than five decades.
Secondhand Smoke has also described the cook plainly on Facebook, writing, “Getting ready to smoke some shoulders.” Photos from the operation show pork shoulders lined up over a long bed of hickory coals, the kind of scene that feels more like a community cook than a polished restaurant kitchen.
The menu at Secondhand Smoke is intentionally narrow, and that is part of the appeal.
Expect St. Louis ribs, minced BBQ, homemade baked beans, homemade slaw, Pete’s famous sauce, and buns. That’s the core of the experience.
The minced BBQ is the heart of the menu. Pork shoulders are smoked over coals, then minced for service in the straightforward style Rock Hill diners remember from Pete’s.
The ribs add another old-school barbecue option without turning the menu into a long list of meats and sides. St. Louis ribs bring a little structure to the plate, while the minced pork keeps the focus where it has always been.
The sides follow the same pattern. Homemade baked beans and homemade slaw are not filler here; they are part of the familiar holiday plate, especially when paired with Pete’s famous sauce and a bun.
Secondhand Smoke is not trying to be all things to all barbecue fans. It is serving a specific tradition, and the menu keeps that tradition easy to understand.
Pete’s BBQ began in 1963 and became one of Rock Hill’s most unusual barbecue institutions.
The India Hook Road site was known for smoked pork served to crowds on select holiday weekends. Marks reported that Pete’s “cooked up to 15,000 pounds of barbecue at a time,” which helps explain why the place still looms large in local memory.
Pete’s closed in 2018 after 55 years. Pete Wheeles, who started the tradition, died the following year at age 99.
For people who grew up with Pete’s, this was not just a place to grab lunch. It was tied to holidays, family pickup orders, neighborhood talk, and the smell of pork cooking in a way that told folks barbecue season had arrived.
Secondhand Smoke keeps that thread intact. The name may be different, but the appeal rests on the same essentials: pork shoulders over coals, minced BBQ, ribs, beans, slaw, sauce, buns, and a holiday crowd that knows to come ready.
Secondhand Smoke is best understood as a limited-run barbecue tradition, not a conventional restaurant.
The menu is small. The schedule is limited. The food can sell out.
When Secondhand Smoke brought the tradition back over Labor Day weekend, Dys reported in The Herald that “all the food sold out quickly.” That makes sense for a place with this much local history behind it.
Go for minced pork shoulders cooked over coals, St. Louis ribs, homemade sides, Pete’s famous sauce, and a taste of Rock Hill barbecue history that still shows up only a few times a year.
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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Seeing the various recipes from different regions of SC is what I liked most about the cookbook. Looking forward to trying them out. It's a small investment to pay to learn about various BBQ within our state, or a great way to try SC BBQ without having to actually go there. So much information on… Read more "SO MUCH INFORMATION"