Why Charleston SC Is One of the Best BBQ Cities in America
Another day, another accolade for the Holy City.
This one is pretty cool… or, should I say ---- red hot!
Charleston has officially made the esteemed short list of the Top Five Cities in the United States for terrific Barbecue. Yeee haw!
This latest kudo is according to the fine folks at Yelp. They based their rankings on various kinds of Yelp data, to come up with the ten best cities in America to get your barbecue fix. Charleston officially slots in at #5.
Charleston’s BBQ scene is hot, hot, hot…
Charleston is smack-dab in the South, the region where barbecue is king. And Charlestonians sure know how to cook, with some of the best food in the world. So it stands to reason that we would excel at roasted/smoked and sauced meats, too. The award winning BBQ scene makes it a perfect day trip for guests staying in luxury rentals on Isle of Palms.
Here’s what Yelp had to say about our fair city:
“Charleston’s barbecue scene leans towards traditional lowcountry styles — featuring meats (often pork) cooked directly over hardwood coals — and is heavily influenced by coastal South Carolina traditions, such as a vinegary sauce. The result is a unique take on Southern smoked meats. With a mix of historic BBQ joints like Poogan’s Smokehouse and modern, pitmaster-driven spots like Palmira Barbecue, Charleston blends time-honored smoking techniques with innovative flavors that Yelp users love. Restaurants like Rodney Scott’s BBQ showcase the art of pit-cooked whole hog, while newer spots like Lewis Barbecue, which was #3 on Yelp’s 2023 list of Top 100 Restaurants in the Carolinas, bring Central Texas-style brisket to the region.”
The Top Ten
In case you’re curious, here’s the full list of Yelp’s Top Ten BBQ Cities in America for 2025, in order, along with each one’s crown jewel establishment:
- Austin, Texas - Jim’s Smokehouse
- San Antonio, Texas - Curry Boys BBQ
- Kansas City, Missouri - Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que
- Memphis, Tennessee - Elwood’s Shack
- Charleston, South Carolina - Lewis Barbecue (only 14 miles from your isle of palms oceanfront rental)
- Greenville, South Carolina - Smoky Dreams Barbecue and Catering
- Honolulu, Hawaii - Ty’s BBQ and Grill
- Tulsa, Oklahoma - Alpha Grill BBQ
- Durham, North Carolina - Moe’s Original BBQ
- Nashville, Tennessee - The Ridge Nashville
A big shout-out to Greenville, our fair friends in the Upstate, for coming in right on our heels at #6. Yelp limited the list to two per any one state, so South Carolina very well could have snagged even more top spots than that. By the way, Yelp based their rankings on metrics like interest in barbecue among the city’s consumers, the area’s number of BBQ-related businesses, as well as their average business ratings. You can read the whole list of "Top 10 Cities for BBQ in the U.S". here, along with what they say about each city.
BBQ at the Baseball Stadium
Leave it to the Charleston RiverDogs to come up with yet another fun promotional event, this one centered around barbecue and country music.
Called BBQ & Boots Fest, it’s the inaugural festival that looks to become an annual thing. It takes place on a Saturday at The Joe, Charleston’s beautiful baseball park and home of the RiverDogs.
Here are the deets:
- BBQ & Boots Fest 2025
- Date: Saturday, September 13th
- Doors open at 11:00 a.m. and the party lasts till 4:00 p.m
- Location: Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park at 360 Fishburne Street in downtown Charleston
- Live performance by country music artist Austin Burke, who debuted at the Grand Ole Opry, had the breakout single, “Whole Lot in Love” and has over 200 million streams
- Plenty of BBQ options, vendors galore, and a special All You Can Eat BBQ Buffet for Ultimate VIP guests;
- Yes, there will be games
- Admission ranges from $15 GA to $99 Ultimate VIP (plus online fee), and tickets can be purchased online at Ticketbrite.
Plus a local fave near the IOP…
If you’re staying on the Isle of Palms in a Charleston beach house, be sure to check out Home Team BBQ on Sullivan’s Island. It’s a fun vibe, and they’re open every day from 11:00 a.m. till midnight. They’ve got pulled pork, chopped brisket, ribs, chicken, Fiery Dan’s Smoked Chicken Wings, smoked turkey, jalapeno cheddar sausage, BBQ nachos, carnitas, pork cracklins and super sides. Home Team has all your tastes covered with their BBQ sauce options: Red, Sweet Red, Hot Red, Pepper Vinegar, Carolina Mustard, Alabama White, and HT Hot Sauce.
And last but not least, their drink menu is stellar. Their signature frozen Game Changer will cool off a hot palate. It’s made with two kinds of Caribbean rum (gold and spiced), orange juice, pineapple juice, cream of coconut and is topped with a dash of grated fresh nutmeg. Home Team is also a great option for takeout to your Isle of Palms luxury rental. Order online on their website. They have a bulk/large party menu and even offer catering.
Next time you vacation here in Charleston, be sure to add “Eat BBQ” to your list of must-dos.
All best,
Lowcountry Lisa
your Isle of Palms vacation blogger
(Photo credit of sauces: Home Team BBQ)