Among the Southern states that pride themselves on barbecue sauce, South Carolina is the only one that boasts four varieties: heavy and light tomato, mustard and vinegar.
Following is only a handful of the popular options throughout the Palmetto State, where oodles of barbecue joints are available to spice up any meeting.
In the Columbia area, a mustard-based sauce often referred to as “Carolina Gold” is the predominant style at local eateries including Shealy’s Bar-B-Que.
According to Dayna Cantelmi, spokeswoman for the Columbia CVB, Shealy’s caters for the T&S Farm Banquet Hall, “a quaint red barn on a beautiful lawn that can be used for a number of different events.”
In Hilton Head, One Hot Mama’s is a must-visit restaurant that’s available for buyout and group catering, according to Kelly Smith, spokeswoman for the Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau.
Owner and Chef Orchid Paulmeier, Food Network Star finalist, serves Southern favorites including collard greens, cornbread and slow-cooked barbecue and ribs.
Myrtle Beach’s Smokin’ Hot Grill & BBQ accommodates groups of 18 to 50 guests.
According to Danna Lilly, director of group sales at the Myrtle Beach Area COC, Smokin’ Hot has a designated menu for groups, including pulled pork BBQ, bacon BBQ burgers and signature house cocktails such as Beach Punch, which is made with Moonshine.
In downtown Greenville is Smoke on the Water, a mainly barbecue eatery with an upscale atmosphere that features specialties such as beef brisket, pulled pork and baby back ribs, all offered with tomato-, mustard- or vinegar-based sauces. Also in Greenville is Henry’s Smokehouse, which, according to Taryn Scher, spokeswoman for Visit Greenville, uses the “leanest butt in town.”
She says Henry’s cooks its barbecue the old-fashioned Southern way, by placing top choice meats in open pits with hickory logs and cooking them at low temperatures to achieve special tenderness—pork butts for 12 hours and ribs for over eight hours.
Also, located across from Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive baseball team, is Mac’s Speed Shop, where groups will find a lively atmosphere, about 300 beer options and comfort foods ranging from ribs and wings to mac and cheese, collard greens, red beans and rice, cheddar grits and creamed corn. And in Spartanburg, a standout barbecue location is Pig Out Barbecue (www.thepigout.com), which according to Patricia Boyd, spokeswoman for the Spartanburg CVB, can accommodate 50 people in a private room.
Also in Spartanburg is Bull Hawgs Barbeque, which is available to cater group events. Menu favorites include ribs, homemade sweet sourdough bread, fried bologna sandwiches and burgers; sides including mac and cheese and Southern-style green beans; and cobbler and banana pudding for dessert.
