Our Favorite Barbecue in Charleston, South Carolina
These five places, including a Chinese-influenced spot and a classic Carolina joint, serve superb smoked meats and sides. Plus: It's our second birthday!
Welcome to the weekend!
Today’s newsletter marks two years of American Weekender! Since launching in July 2023, we’ve published a newsletter every single Friday. We’ve taken you from the coast of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico, from the Upper Midwest to Oregon wine country, and so many places in between. We’ve visited notable food destinations like Napa Valley, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, but we’ve also visited small towns with great food scenes, like Saugatuck, Michigan; McMinnville, Oregon; and Oxford, Mississippi.
And we feel like we’re just getting started. We’re so appreciative of all our readers, and are particularly thankful for our paid subscribers — you’ve kept this project growing and moving forward, and we could not do it without you. We’ve loved getting to meet so many readers out in the field, and can’t wait to see where we go from here.
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In today’s newsletter, we’re highlighting our favorite barbecue spots in Charleston. When it comes to barbecue cities, Charleston isn’t talked about much, but some new spots are changing that. Along with classic Carolina ‘que purveyors, you’ll find pitmasters drawing inspiration from places like Puerto Rico, Texas, and China and turning that into superlative smoked meat.
Summer and fall are beautiful times to visit Western Massachusetts, so if you’re thinking about a trip, snag our brand-new Field Guide to the Pioneer Valley, which includes a three-day itinerary featuring picks for coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. It’s free for paid subscribers, or can be purchased for $10 on our website.
Then, for this week’s The Order, we’re headed to Milwaukee to grab frozen custard at an 83-year-old icon. Finally, we’ll round things out with our Weekend Reading List, featuring Utah getaways, Virginia cocktails, and more.
Thanks for reading! We’re so glad you’re here.
— Amy Cavanaugh & Kenney Marlatt
Southern Smoke in South Carolina
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Charleston is one of our barbecue meccas, since we love Carolina barbecue. (Quick lesson in regional styles! Both North and South Carolina focus on pork, but there are differences. South Carolina uses whole hog; the Midlands-style uses mustard-based Carolina Gold sauce, while Pee Dee uses a tangy, spicy vinegar-pepper sauce. Meanwhile, in North Carolina, you’ll find Eastern-style, which, like Pee Dee, features whole hog and vinegar-pepper sauce, and Western- or Lexington-style, which uses the shoulder and a sweeter vinegar and tomato-based sauce.)
But, this doesn’t mean you’ll find only these styles here. The world of smoked meats has become much more expansive lately — there are Texas-style joints everywhere as well as restaurants that incorporate international influences. When you visit Charleston, you can try pork barbecue egg rolls, classic Texas brisket, whole hog with vinegar sauce, beef cheeks, hash and rice — and more. It’s a good time to be a barbecue eater, particularly in this city. Here are our five favorite spots in town.
King BBQ
Why you should go: Shuai Wang, a finalist on the most recent season of Top Chef, is behind this cool spot, where he serves a hybrid of Chinese barbecue classics like smoked duck along with riffs on American barbecue traditions in dishes like hot pot collards. Get everything — the egg rolls stuffed with pork and cabbage with hot mustard dipping sauce, the poultry combo with five-spice chicken, the smoked housemade sausage, the corn pudding with chile crisp. It’s all great.
What to get: Poultry combo, sausage, hot pot collards
2029 Carver Ave, North Charleston, SC | @kingbbqchs
Rodney Scott’s BBQ
Why you should go: In the pantheon of American barbecue, James Beard award-winning chef Rodney Scott looms large. The pitmaster, who is rapidly expanding his smoked meat empire across the South, learned his trade at the family’ ‘cue shack in Hemingway, South Carolina, where they serve Pee Dee-style barbecue. Get a plate loaded with the tender pit-cooked whole hog drizzled with tangy vinegar-pepper sauce, creamy potato salad, and silky collards. The smoked ribs, rubbed with a sweet-savory spice blend, are another worthy option. If you saved room, cap off lunch with a serving of housemade banana pudding.
What to get: Rod’s original whole hog pork plate, collards, potato salad
1011 King St., Charleston, SC | @rodneyscottsbbq
Lewis Barbecue
Why you should go: Pitmaster John Lewis made his name at Austin’s La Barbecue (another American Weekender favorite). A decade ago, he moved to Charleston and opened this ode to Central Texas ‘cue. A visit to Lewis is non-negotiable on our trips — this is our favorite barbecue joint in the country. There’s a sprawling patio with picnic tables and plenty of seating indoors, where you’ll find tables and a bar. The menu has zero misses — we always get the fatty sliced brisket and Texas hot guts sausage, and also love the spare ribs and green chile sausage. The sides are terrific versions of the classics, including creamy potato salad, vinegary collards, and the signature green chile corn pudding. Order a sweet tea and plan for an afternoon nap.
What to get: Brisket, Texas hot guts, green chile corn pudding
464 N Nassau St, Charleston, SC | @lewisbarbecue
Palmira Barbecue
Why you should go: Hector Garate serves barbecue at the unexpected intersection point of Puerto Rican, Texan, and South Carolinian influences, and the result is nothing but delicious. The luscious beef cheek is the signature item (a Shiner beer sign at the restaurant proclaims “Beef Cheek is King”), but you’ll also find whole hog, barbacoa, pork ribs, and sausage. Sides include a terrific mustard slaw that lends zip to the fatty meat and a saucy dish of Puerto Rican habichuelas. You’ll often find Puerto Rican dishes like pastelóns and specialty sausages like French onion on offer.
What to get: Beef cheek, whole hog, sausage, slaw, beans
2366 Ashley River Rd, Charleston, SC | @palmirabbq
Home Team BBQ
Why you should go: There are four area locations of this Charleston mini-chain (it’s since expanded in state to Columbia and Greenville and to Aspen, Colorado), which serves well-made classic barbecue. Order pulled pork and chopped brisket sandwiches sliders so you can try both (served on Hawaiian rolls and topped with slaw, pickles, and pickled onions, they make a satisfying snack). Don’t miss the hash and rice, a beloved Carolina side dish that consists of pork and offal served over white rice. It’s a particular favorite of ours.
What to get: Pulled pork sandwich, hash and rice
Multiple locations | @hometeambbq
More Barbecue Coverage
Download All Our Pioneer Valley Recommendations
This month, our paid subscribers get our full list of Western Massachusetts favorites in our Field Guide to the Pioneer Valley. This 34-page dining guide includes a curated three-day itinerary with more than 20 recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks. It’s downloadable for offline reading, includes Google Maps and Instagram links, and is formatted for your phone — perfect for easy reference on your next trip.
As always, you can find this month’s discount code in this month’s Weekend Getaway newsletter. It’s good all month and you can use the code to get any other Field Guide you’d like, free of charge!
Custard at Leon's Frozen Custard
MILWAUKEE, WIS. — Custard, which is made with egg yolks and richer than ice cream, is a Wisconsin staple. Leon’s, which has served it since 1942, is one of the top spots in town to get it (they also serve it year-round, unlike many other custard stands). Always-available flavors include vanilla, chocolate, and butter pecan, plus you’ll find rotating options like strawberry, cinnamon, and mint. We love classics here at American Weekender, so you’ll find us licking a vanilla and chocolate custard cone, but there are plenty of other options too, like custard shakes or the Tin Roof sundae, which comes topped with chocolate syrup and peanuts.
3131 S 27th St, Milwaukee, WI | @leonsfrozencustard1942
VIRGINIA
Micah LeMon’s Cocktail Guide Returns to Shelves: We’ve made no secret of our love for Micah LeMon’s cocktail menu at The Alley Light, the small upstairs bar and restaurant just off the Downtown Mall in Charlottesville, Virginia. But while we have been longtime admirers of LeMon, we’ve never been able to get our hands on his 2017 book. Until now. After a period where it was out of print, the book is back with a new title: Ounces, Drops, and Dashes: A Cocktail Guide for Beginning and Home Bartenders. It’s now available on Amazon so if you can’t make it into the bar, you can try your hand at recreating a few of his cocktails at home.
NEW YORK
Checking In at The Bedford Post Inn: If you are thinking about a New York getaway, Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean has a photographic dispatch from the Bedford Post Inn, located in Bedford, New York. “You know the feeling when a hotel gets everything right. Often it comes in subtle waves and not one big moment,” Williams writes. “You sit down at the bar and slip into a well-made cocktail. You think to yourself. This feels civilized. You have a kind interaction with the front desk, and you feel like an old friend. You walk the hallways and delight in common rooms that feel personal and intimate. The bed is comfortable; the water pressure has the appropriate force. Eventually, things start to gather further momentum, and with each passing day, you feel like a better version of yourself.” Sign us up.
UTAH
Salt Lake City’s Cool Factor Is Rising: Writing for Travel + Leisure, Carley Thornell shares the changes taking place in Salt Lake City. “Younger adults have been relocating there because of its relatively affordable real estate, as well as the outdoor-adventure scene in nearby skiing and hiking areas like Park City and Brighton,” she writes. “This infusion of youthful energy and capital has resulted in a burst of creativity. On a recent visit, I spent time in the neighborhoods that best reflect this shift.” It’s been years since I was last in Salt Lake City and I’ve been wanting to go to Water Witch for some time. We’ll be adding some of these spots to our list.
TEXAS
How Texas Monthly Puts Together Their BBQ List: We recently linked to Texas Monthly’s list of the 50 Best BBQ Joints in Texas. It’s spearheaded by the magazine’s BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn, who talked with Hanna Raskin of The Food Section about the resources that are poured into putting together their list every four years.
PLUS
Corn of Life: The Local Palate talks with Julio Hernandez of Maíz de la Vida in Nashville, Tennessee, home to one of our favorite burritos.
The 20 Best New Restaurants In The South: The editors of Southern Living pick their new favorites, including Porgy's Seafood Market in New Orleans, which we wrote about a while back.
Amy’s New Podcast, Dish: Amy and Chicago magazine food critic John Kessler have recorded a couple episodes of their new podcast, covering everything from giardiniera to summer patios. Episodes are less than 30 minutes and are packed with Chicago intel. Give it a listen!
— Compiled by Kenney Marlatt
Want more? Chat with us on Substack, download our Field Guides, check out our archives, or follow us on Instagram @americanweekender. We’ll be back next week.
I've only tried Lewis so far from this list but the brisket + green chile corn pudding are NEXT level. Drooling!
HBD y'all! (I celebrate my birthday next week. Cancer season!)