I love southern barbeque. I’m not talking about grilling out. I’m talking about boston butt covered in mustard based sauce. In the south we call pulled pork “barbeque.” So if a local says they want some barbeque that is what they are talking about! Some people use ketchup and vinegar as a base for their barbeque, but mustard is my favorite!
CountrySide BBQ
706 Saint Matthews Road, Swansea, South Carolina 29160
Just a 20 minute ride from Columbia and down some back roads there is a quaint little restaurant called CountrySide BBQ. This cute southern barbeque restaurant is only open on Fridays and Saturdays and their food is so delicious! The buffet includes barbecue, fried chicken, green beans, macaroni and cheese (which is considered a vegetable in the south), rice, hash, banana pudding and many other southern favorites.
FarmBoys Barbeque
525 Columbia Avenue, Chapin, South Carolina 29036
Known as “the best dang barbeque in these here parts,” FarmBoys Barbeque does not disappoint. They are open Thursday, Friday, and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. From Columbia go up I-26 toward Spartanburg and Farmboys is right off of exit 91 towards Chapin just 1/3rd of a mile on the right. Their mustard based sauce is a family secret that has been handed down for generations. You can order their all-you-can-eat buffet or off of their menu. The pork bbq sandwich is just $7.99 and you can choose from mustard based, vinegar pepper, or mixed sauce.
Hudson’s Smokehouse
4952 Sunset Boulevard, Lexington, South Carolina 29072
Hudson’s is a Lexington local favorite and on Wednesday nights KIDS EAT FREE! You can order sides of delicious macaroni and cheese, collard greens (the state vegetable of South Carolina), mashed potatoes and gravy, and many other southern favorites. Besides their award winning barbeque, Hudson’s offers catfish, shrimp, southern fried chicken, and beef brisket. Absolutely delicious!
Little Pigs Barbeque
4927 Alpine Road, Columbia, South Carolina 29223
Serving Columbia since 1963, Little Pigs Barbeque offers a full service dine in or carry out buffet. Little Pigs offers tomato, mustard, vinegar, and pepper based barbeque. Diners rave about their customer service, the freshness of their collard greens, and their delicious hush puppies!
Price’s BBQ
408 Ervin Price Road, Gilbert, South Carolina 29054
Price’s is located down the backroads of Gilbert. Just a 30 minute drive from Columbia, they offer a buffet with barbeque, salad bar, macaroni and cheese, fried squash, fried catfish, meatloaf, southern fried chicken, green beans, and other southern favorites. They are also known for their scrumptious cakes! Price’s has been serving the Gilbert area for more than 50 years with BBQ cooked for 12 hours over oak wood.
Shealy’s BBQ
340 East Columbia Avenue, Leesville, South Carolina 29070
I’m a Lexington County girl and have been in love with Shealy’s BBQ since I was a child. The restaurant is 40 minutes from Columbia and well worth the drive. Shealy’s BBQ is open every day of the week except for Wednesday and Sunday and their buffet is amazing! My personal favorites are the barbeque, green beans, fat back, southern fried chicken, rice and hash, and their banana pudding. Shealy’s offers two different sauces for their BBQ: Vinegar & Pepper Sauce and Bar-B-Que Sauce (mustard based). Be prepared to sit at a long table with other diners for this social dining experience!
True BBQ
1237 D Avenue, West Columbia, South Carolina 29169
Last but certainly not least is True BBQ. I love their mustard based sauce and their hash and rice is the best. Their hash has a sweet taste to it. True BBQ offers mustard, ketchup, and vinegar based sauce. They serve ribs and chicken too. Out of all of the listed BBQ restaurants, True BBQ is my personal favorite.
