South Carolina has a strong barbecue history, and the whole story begins with whole hog. Luscious, juicy and smoky, whole hog barbecue is the stuff of culinary legends.
Many of the state’s pitmasters base their craft on traditions that have been passed down for generations. That's why South Carolina is often referred to as the "Birthplace of Barbecue."
Our kind of barbecue relies upon rustic preparations rooted in our agricultural past, a time when farms were abundant and people gathered as a community to partake of meals. A hog would be slaughtered and the entire carcass smoked for hours on a wood pit.
When the meat was tender and cooked through, everyone was invited to gather around the pit and dig in. Sauces to season the meat fell into four sauce categories: mustard-based, light tomato-based, heavy tomato-based and vinegar-based, depending on the region of the state.
South Carolinians still gather ’round the pit in a time-honored ritual known as a pig-picking. Smokers are fired up, a whole hog ordered from local purveyors and the pig slow-cooked, usually overnight. (There’s one hard and fast rule: Don’t rush it.)
When it’s almost time to eat, folks show up with barbecue fixings, such as coleslaw, potato salad, sweet potato casserole or rice. There’s usually plenty of white bread for sopping. The call to “pick the pig” signals everyone to come to the pit and get their smoked pork. (Tip: The most strategic of pig pickers position themselves to go straight for the rib meat – the most coveted part of the pig.)
Add cold beverages and you’ve got a dinner party, South Carolina style.
Of course, you can experience whole hog barbecue tradition without all the hoopla. Though it’s not as common a practice these days, this treasured method of pork preparation is a specialty at a handful of restaurants operating across the state.
These establishments do the hard work for you. All you have to do is show up and fill your plate.
Get your whole hog fix at these SC barbecue houses.
Hite's Bar-B-Que
240 Dreher Road, West Columbia
(803) 794-4120
The whole hog technique has been passed down through the generations of Hite's barbecue family. Pigs are slow-cooked over hickory and oak. Sides are made from handed-down recipes. Customers line up early to get their fill before the kitchen sells out.
Saucy notes: Carolina mustard
Know before you go: Open Friday and Saturday only
Scott's Bar-B-Que
2734 Hemingway Highway, Hemingway
(843) 558-0134
Barbecue aficionados point to Scott’s Bar-B-Que as the most authentic whole hog experience. It’s where Rodney Scott, the 2018 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast winner, got his start in the family business, developing his own smoking techniques and equipment. Operating in a humble clapboard convenience store in the Pee Dee region—where whole hog cookery has long been a way of life—the Scott family has a reputation for great ’cue. Hungry crowds line up for the no-frills pulled pork served with white bread and sauce. It has been called the “most influential” barbecue in the nation. Stop in and see why.
Saucy notes: Vinegar-pepper
Know before you go: Open Wednesday-Saturday; cash only; no dining room; limited outdoor seating
Rodney Scott's BBQ
1011 King Street, Charleston
(843) 990-9535
Speaking of Rodney Scott, the celebrated pitmaster is master of his own domain these days. Rodney Scott's BBQ is smokin' in Charleston and beyond at locations in Nashville and Atlanta as well as the Alabama towns of Homewood and Trussville. He has stayed true to his process, smoking whole hogs “low and slow” for hours before flipping them and giving them a good mopping with his special sauce. When you order up a pulled pork sandwich or take home a pound for the family, you’re getting the real deal.
Saucy notes: Rodney Sauce (vinegar-pepper), Alabama white sauce, Kathy's Sauce (sweet tomato), Other Sauce (sweet, tangy tomato)
Know before you go: Open seven days a week
Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint
1622 Highland Avenue, Charleston (James Island)
(843) 790-0838
At Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, the whole hog smoking starts the day before you sit down. Originating in West Tennessee, this smoked meat operation has been well-received in Charleston and is a presence in Nashville, Birmingham and Louisville. The folks in the kitchen are cooking seven days a week, making sure everything on the menu is scratch-made. And the pits are smoking nonstop—a guarantee that your whole hog pork has been slow-cooked to perfection.
Saucy notes: Sweet Dixie (sweet and tangy tomato), Alabama white, Jack's Creek (sweet and spicy vinegar), Devil's Nectar (hot!)
Know before you go: Open seven days a week
Swig & Swine BBQ
1217 Savannah Highway, Charleston (West Ashley)
(843) 225-3805
Pitmaster Anthony DiBernardo smokes whole hogs for up to 16 hours over high-quality hickory, oak and other hardwoods to serve each Thursday at Swig & Swine. The meat is basted with a vinegar-mustard sauce, then pulled for a smoky, tender, tangy barbecue experience.
Saucy notes: Sweet red, vinegar, Carolina mustard, Alabama white, Jalapeno
Good to know: Swig & Swine has four other locations: Mt. Pleasant, Moncks Corner, Summerville and Myrtle Beach
Sweatman's BBQ
1427 Eutaw Road, Holly Hill
(803) 496-1227
The legacy of Margie and Bub Sweatman lives on in smoking glory at Sweatman's, an authentic whole hog house. When the couple went to their heavenly reward, new owners stepped in, retaining the pit team and ensuring that this barbecue gem continues dishing out the whole hog goodness they’ve long been known for. The hogs are cooked overnight over oak and hickory coals. Liver hash, rice and mustard-based barbecue sauce are the preferred pulled pork accompaniments here.
Saucy notes: Vinegar, Mustard
Know before you go: Open Friday and Saturday only
Elliott's BBQ Lounge
551 W. Lucas Street, Florence
(843) 665-9200
Elliott Moss, a James Beard Award nominee during his tenure at Asheville's The Admiral and the former Buxton Hall Barbecue, returned to the town of his birth to reinstate the fading art of Pee Dee whole hog barbecue. Now, Elliott's BBQ Lounge is up and smoking at Seminar Brewing in Florence. He employs the "low and slow" method of pit-smoking whole hogs over pecan wood.
Know before you go: Closed Mondays. Offers full bar and Seminar brews.
McCabe's Bar-B-Que
480 N Brooks Street, Manning
(803) 435-2833
The magic at McCabe’s happens in a screened-in room just off the back porch. Pigs are cooked for up to 12 hours before the meat is picked and mixed. The results deliver all the richness and juiciness that makes whole hog barbecue king.
Know before you go: Open Thursday-Saturday; cash only
