I have never let my schooling interfere with my barbecue. – Mark Twain
My grandfather loved BBQ. And I think he ate at every BBQ place that he could. Because of his great love for this culinary delight, our family has become BBQ snobs. Regardless of the sauce, a good BBQ must first be based on quality meat. It must be well smoked, moist, tender, and not shredded into bug dust. My favorite part is the blackened edges of meat. I prefer pork by far. But a good brisket should not be ignored.
Because of our family origins in South Carolina, my favorite is mustard based BBQ sauce. We loved it so much that my great uncle Marvin created his own sauce based off Maurice’s BBQ Piggie Park. My grandfather went to elementary school and played baseball with the founder of the restaurant. Our little connection to greatness 😀
Bessinger’s Bar-B-Q in Charleston, SC

It is tradition that we go to Bessinger’s when we are in Charleston. There are several locations but we prefer the one on Savannah Hwy.
With numerous awards under their belt, Maurice’s makes the best pork BBQ with fantastic onion rings and phenomenal sweet tea (tea like only you can find in the South). There is always a ton of food. The Platter is shown below (About $15)… That includes BBQ chicken, pork, and brisket along with three sides.

I have no idea how you could leave without being completely satisfied. We love the simple, food focused presentation. They don’t do that super commercialized thing. See how they do kid’s meals… Gotta love the marker decorations! Proof that you go here for the food not the toy!
If you are every in Charleston, you HAVE to go to Bessinger’s! We rate it 5 out of 5. Pure Southern hospitality!
The Smoky Oak Taproom on James Island, SC

This place is the BOMB! It truly is all about the food! Everything we ordered was phenomenal.
Stuffed Jalapenos ~ crabmeat, wrapped in apple smoked bacon ~ $8.99
This was the BEST thing I ate in Charleston, hands down!

The Vegetable Plate with 4 choices ~ $7.99

The Grilled Smoked Sausage Sandwich with Mushrooms and Onions ~ $4.75

The Regular Potato ~ $4.29

Everything at the Smoky Oak Taproom was tasty, fresh, and well prepared. If we lived on James Island, this would be our regular hang out. The atmosphere was chill, the food excellent and fairly priced, the service was attentive. I can’t say enough about this place and STRONGLY encourage you to check it out, even if you have to drive a bit to get there. We rate it 5 out or 5.