The Top 10 South Carolina BBQ Joints

From the mountains to the beaches, here's the best barbecue the Palmetto State has to offer.

By Robert F. Moss

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South Carolina has one of the oldest barbecue traditions in the United States, and it is home to two distinctive barbecue styles and several other sub-variations.

In the Midlands you'll find the unique bright yellow mustard-based barbecue sauce along with the classic side dish hash-and-rice. The Pee Dee region in the northeastern part of the state is known for cooking whole hogs on open pits and dressing the finished pork with a fiery pepper and vinegar sauce.

I grew up in the Palmetto State and have been eating its barbecue almost all of my life, and over the course of many years have sampled the best offering of pitmasters from the mountains of Oconee County to the beaches down near Beaufort. Here are my picks for the Top 10 barbecue spots in South Carolina today.