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Libby Wiersema adopted South Carolina as her home more than 40 years ago. She loves exploring the state's best culinary offerings and telling the stories behind the food.
Barbecue love runs deep in South Carolina, but you wouldn’t expect less from the place said to be the birthplace of pit-smoked meat.
Our reputation for great barbecue is secure, especially as old and new generations of ace pitmasters and prime smokehouses continue to carry the mantle. But they aren’t just maintaining our standing—they are smoking the competition.
The 2025 Southern Living lineup of the South’s 50 best barbecue joints not only recognized several of the state’s barbecue hotspots but named one of our own as THE best barbecue joint in the land.
South Carolina leads the pack when it comes to fantastic ’cue, according to food writer and Southern Living contributing editor, Robert Moss. Find out why when you try these blue-ribbon barbecue joints:
King BBQ
A fusion of Chinese American and Southern cuisine defines the approach at King BBQ.
Rank: No. 44 of 50 Established: 2023 Tagline: “Chinatown BBQ made with Southern Smoke” Pitmasters: Shuai and Corrie Wang Style: Chinese-American with Southern twists Offerings: Chopped smoked pork; crispy roast pork belly; Chinese barbecue spareribs; smoked sausage; rotisserie chicken; smoked duck; grilled lion’s mane mushrooms
Moss’s musings: “Signature items include spare ribs lacquered with red char siu glaze and five-spice duck legs with silky, luxurious dark meat beneath a shatteringly crisp skin.”
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ
Rodney Scott’s BBQ is famous for their savory smoked whole hog pit-cooked barbecue, but the ribs, chicken, mac and cheese, banana pudding, and other Southern favorites are noteworthy as well.
Rank: No. 41 of 50 Established: 2017 Tagline: “Every Day is a Good Day” Pitmaster: Rodney Scott Style: Carolina traditional whole hog smoked over wood coals Offerings: Pit-cooked pulled pork; smoked pork shoulder; pulled chicken; turkey breast; beef brisket; ribs
Moss’s musings: “The core of the operation, though, remains the same as up in Hemingway: burn oak down to coals, fire the pits and cook whole hogs for 12 hours before finishing them with a fiery vinegar-pepper mop.”
Rank: No. 39 of 50 Established: 1939 Tagline: South Carolina's Original Mustard-Based BBQ Pitmaster: David Bessinger Style: Wood coal-cooked meats bathed in mustard-based barbecue sauce Offerings: Pulled pork; pulled chicken; smoked turkey breast; prime brisket; spareribs; cheddar sausage
Moss’s musings: “In 2015, David Bessinger, the son of founder Melvin Bessinger, made the weighty decision to install new pits and return to his family’s wood-cooking roots, and that change made all the difference.”
Elliott’s BBQ Lounge
Pulled pork and collards go great with a Seminar brew at Elliott's BBQ Lounge.
Moss’s musings: “The real magic happens in the gleaming new cookhouse Moss constructed beside the brewery, where he fires custom-made open brick pits with pecan wood burned down to coals in a gigantic burn barrel.”
Home Team BBQ
Home Team BBQ’s locations are equipped with kid-friendly features for stress-free family dining. Photo by by TJ Lee @CupofTJ.
Rank: No. 34 of 50 Established: 2006 Tagline: “Making Good Food for Good People Since 2006” Pitmasters: Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan Style: Traditional wood-smoked barbecue with classical cuisine vibes Offerings: Pulled pork; chopped brisket; smoked turkey; jalapeno cheddar sausage; chicken; St. Louis ribs
Moss’s musings: “The offering brings upscale fine dining sensibilities to traditional wood-cooked barbecue, and the full cocktail bar and sports bar/hangout vibe has inspired a wave of barbecue entrepreneurs to create similar good-time experiences of their own.”
McCabe’s Bar-B-Q
Even if McCabe’s didn’t have some of the best barbecue you’ve ever tasted, the rest of the food on the buffet would make it worth a 100-mile drive.
Rank: No. 33 of 50 Established: 1982 Tagline: “Old fashioned. Pit cooked.” Founder: The late David McCabe, Sr. Style: Old-school SC whole hog barbecue buffet Offerings: Pulled pork; ribs; hash; chicken
Moss’s musings: “The featured player, of course, is genuine Pee Dee-style whole hog barbecue, which is pulled into long strands and dressed with a spicy vinegar-pepper sauce.”
Hite’s Bar-B-Q
Smoking whole hogs is a family tradition at Hite’s.
Rank: No. 22 of 50 Established: 1957 Tagline: “The BEST BBQ in town!” Proprietor: David Hite Style: Classic South Carolina pit-smoked barbecue Offerings: Chopped pork with rib-cut option; spareribs; ham; chicken; hash
Moss’s musings: “The rest of the South Carolina essentials are there alongside the chopped whole hog and smoky ribs: tart yellow mustard sauce, pints of savory slow-simmered hash and takeout containers of banana pudding.”
Palmira Barbecue
Taste the Puerto Rican influences when you indulge in barbecue at Palmira.
Rank: No. 16 of 50 Established: 2024 Tagline: “Home of the Beef Cheek!” Pitmaster: Hector Garate Style: Carolina meets Texas with a hint of Puerto Rico Offerings: Beef cheeks; whole hog pork; barbacoa; house-made sausage; pork ribs; chicken; beef ribs; brisket; pork steak
Moss’s musings: “The coup de grace is Palmira’s chopped whole-hog barbecue, which bastes locally-raised heritage breeds with sofrito as they cook 12 hours over the glowing coals of a wood-fired pit—a splendid new take on traditional Carolina ’cue.”
Scott’s Bar-B-Que
Smoked whole hog is pulled and sauced, then served in a sandwich or as an entrée.
Rank: No. 12 of 50 Established: 1972 Founders: The late Roosevelt and Ella Scott Style: Pit-cooked pork smoked low and slow over wood coals and mopped with vinegar-pepper sauce Offerings: Smoked pork, ribs, chicken
Moss’s musings: “Scott’s remains the quintessential Pee Dee South Carolina barbecue experience and a must-visit entry on any Southern barbecue bucket list.”
Lewis Barbecue
At Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, which Southern Living magazine named the best in the state in 2025, El Paso-born John Lewis slices Texas ‘cue to order. Photo by Andrew Cebulka.
Rank: No. 7 of 50 Established: 2016 Tagline: “Taking Care of Brisket” Pitmaster: John Lewis Style: Texas barbecue with Southwestern/TexMex influences Offerings: Sliced or chopped prime beef brisket; pulled pork; turkey breast; pork spareribs; Texas hot guts sausage; green chile cheddar sausage
Moss’s musings: “To visit Lewis Barbecue in downtown Charleston is to witness a well-oiled barbecue machine in motion.”
City Limits Q
The ribs push City Limits Q beyond the limit of great barbecue expectations.
Libby Wiersema adopted South Carolina as her home more than 40 years ago. She loves exploring the state's best culinary offerings and telling the stories behind the food.
