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No one is surprised when they hear about the rise of Charleston’s food scene, and the expanse of barbecue restaurants is no exception. These five Charleston barbecue restaurants will give you plenty of southern food that you’ll be hungry to write home about.
Just two years ago, John Lewis changed the barbecue scene here in Charleston. Having established himself as a prized pitmaster in Austin, TX, he made his way to the Holy City to make his mark on Charleston with the opening of Lewis Barbecue. Welding the custom-designed smokers himself, Lewis wakes up at 4 a.m. to tend the fire that slow cooks meat for 18 hours.
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ is deep-rooted in heritage and tradition. At a young age, Scott learned to cook whole hog barbecue watching his family do the same in the hog pits they built behind their convenience store in Hemingway, SC.
Word got out about how good the smoked meats the Scott’s were selling out of their convenience store was and people began traveling hours each week just to try it. With so much popularity, Rodney Scott decided to leave the family business and open up his own BBQ joint here in Charleston in 2016. In 2018, Rodney was named the James Beard Best Chef in the Southeast for his restaurant.
With several locations, now expanding as far as Aspen, CO, Home Team BBQ is a fresh and local-minded restaurant right down to their sauces. With experimentation always in mind, the Home Team crew is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to use smoked meats. With award-winning dishes, an expansive bar, and a fun, family-friendly environment, Home Team is the whole package!
In the heart of Charleston on upper King Street is Smoke BBQ. Smoke is one of the most diverse options of the Charleston BBQ scene. With plenty to choose from, including tacos and pastrami that is cooked 16 hours, Smoke stands out in the crowd. Check it out the next time you’re downtown and looking for some southern barbecue.
Swig & Swine features classic, all-wood smoked barbecue that delivers the juiciest smoked meats the Lowcountry has to offer. With four locations in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Summerville and West Ashley, Swig & Swine restaurants are serving up to barbecue lovers all around.