Southern Living magazine’s new list of 50 Top BBQ Joints in the South includes 11 barbecue restaurants from South Carolina. Only Texas has more barbecue restaurants per state, with 17 out of 50. Remember, the Lone Star State has six times the population of the Palmetto State.
What’s more amazing is that the Lowcountry is home to seven of the top 50 restaurants, according to Robert Moss, the magazine’s contributing barbecue editor and former City Paper food reporter.
Local favorites include Lewis Barbecue in Charleston (#7), Scott’s Bar-B-Que in Hemingway (#12), Palmira BBQ in West Ashley (#16), Home Team BBQ in various places (#34), Melvin’s BBQ in Mount Pleasant and James Island (#39), Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston (#41), and King BBQ in North Charleston (#44).
“​​To visit Lewis Barbecue in downtown Charleston is to witness a well-oiled barbecue machine in motion,” Moss said. The “thick sliced brisket is as good as any you’ll find in the Lone Star State, too, with rich marbling and a flawlessly smoky bark.” It’s also worth noting that Southern Living readers voted Lewis Barbecue the greatest BBQ establishment in South Carolina in March 2025.
Moss reported that Rodney Scott’s “whole hog barbecue is a must, but the tender pulled chicken and the pit-smoked prime rib sandwich are worth attention, too.” He focuses on the method in which Scott burns oak down to coals, roasts whole hogs for 12 hours, then mops them with spicy vinegar.
Moss termed Hector Garate’s Palmira’s a “must-visit barbecue destination” and praised his “unique blend of Carolina and Texas styles [that] is accented by the flavors of his native Puerto Rico, and it delivers a never-ending parade of treats.”
Moss claims that City Limits Barbecue in Columbia serves the best barbecue in the South. Other restaurants on the list include Hite’s Bar-B-Que in West Columbia (#22), McCabe’s Bar-B-Que in Manning (#33), and Elliott’s BBQ Lounge in Florence (#36).
“What really pushes City Limits to the front of the pack are the Saturday spareribs, which are cooked directly over hardwood coals,” Moss says. On Saturdays, this weekend-only restaurant serves Texas-inspired appetizers and once a month, a whole hog prepared in South Carolina style. Moss also describes “contemporary fusions” as “dizzying.” Examples include brisket corndogs and char siu (Cantonese-style barbecued) pig belly burnt ends.
Moss stated that his selections for the list, which has been updated for the first time since 2023, were based on his overall assessment of each restaurant during his eating experience.
“That starts with the quality and flavor of the meats, of course, and of the side dishes, too,” he added in an email. “It encompasses the general atmosphere of the environment, the ‘wow’ effect of something new and unexpected, and all of the small finishing touches.
“I’m not saying that hanging a taxidermied cow’s head on the dining room wall is enough to put a restaurant in the Top 50, but if that cow is wearing a stars-and-stripes top hat and has a toothpick in its mouth … well, that surely counts for something.”
