Buzz

From the Carolinas to Kansas City, Memphis to Texas, meat plus smoke equals barbecue bliss. Here’s what each region offers — and the best places to eat each kind.

Let’s Take a Barbecue Road Trip

At its core, barbecue is a simple food: meat plus fire plus time. Cooking meat over fire is a tradition that’s found in virtually every culture, and the U.S. is no exception. Simple as that may be, there are several variables that create distinct styles of regional barbecue, including the preferred protein, types of wood or charcoal, rubs and sauces, and techniques and timings. Plus, there are regional twists on side dishes and regional barbecue specialties.

The good news is, as pit masters set up shop in states outside their hometowns, you can find great barbecue everywhere, from Memphis-style ribs in St. Louis to top-notch Texas brisket in Charleston. And with immigrants adding their barbecue traditions to the mix, other regional styles of barbecue are emerging, too, like barbacoa in California and Tex-Mex barbecue in Texas.

Barbecue is a celebration food, an economic way to feed a crowd and an undeniably delicious way to bring people together at the table. Whether you’re eating barbecue at a mom-and-pop roadside stand or a pilgrimage-worthy destination, good barbecue never goes out of style. Here, we explore some of the defining characteristics of American regional barbecue traditions, plus where you can eat it and what to order.

South Carolina

South Carolina is primarily defined by whole hog barbecue, says Rodney Scott, owner of Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ and author of Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ. Despite often being associated with a mustard-based barbecue sauce, South Carolina’s barbecue sauces vary geographically. Scott hails from Hemingway, in the central Eastern part of the state, which is known for vinegar-pepper sauce. “In the Midlands, there’s a tradition of mustard-based barbecue sauces [aka Carolina Gold]. The Northwest part of the state tends toward a sweeter, tomato-based sauce,” Scott says.

For his style of whole hog cooking, Scott burns down hard woods such as oak, hickory, pecan or cherrywood, then loads the hog meat side down, cooking it low and slow for about 12 hours, before flipping it and rubbing it with his signature rub and mopping it with Rodney’s Sauce. “It’s a half day of committing to cooking a whole hog,” he says. Different cuts such as hams, shoulders and belly are pulled and mixed, which creates texture and a “difference you can taste.”

South Carolina barbecue sides include macaroni and cheese, green beans, coleslaw, and hash and rice, a regional specialty of pork bits and pork gravy mixed with rice.

Where to Eat South Carolina Barbecue

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, Charleston, SC & Birmingham, AL: Opt for a “taste plate” to sample a little bit of everything or Rod’s Original Sandwich for a taste of Scott’s pulled pork. Wash it down with sweet tea.