If you hadn’t noticed from previous blogs, we love to eat local food wherever we travel. On this Southern Road Trip, local food ranged from Championship BBQ in Savannah and other cities through various types of what most of the world calls “Southern Cooking.”
But, BBQ was a must-do for us, and we were excited that we got to try several varieties of incredible Championship BBQ.
Wiley’s Championship BBQ
Wiley’s Championship BBQ in Savannah came highly recommended in all of our research. They seem to be iconic, and from what we experienced, it’s well deserved.
Wiley McCrary moved to Savannah in 2005 with a catering background that focused on BBQ and Grilling. In 2008, the catering business transformed to what is now Wiley’s Championship BBQ.
He’s won numerous BBQ competitions and titles, along with critical acclaim from the press. This includes Savannah Magazine readers voted them “Best Savannah BBQ” 7 years in a row.
Try Everything!
With many BBQ places, they have become well known for one kind of meat. When we researched, Wiley’s it seemed everyone raved about something different. From don’t miss appetizers to incredible sides and all of the meats.
As we pulled up to the no descript BBQ join in a strip mall outside of Savannah, we stopped to take a photo. This guy, coming out the door with takeout, shouted something along the lines of “try everything!” But then he stopped and told us not to miss the Potato Salad – a rather odd recommendation.
The place is very relaxed, with a busy take-out business and it’s absolutely the kind of place where people will make friendly recommendations based on their personal favorites.
Many online reviews rave about Wiley’s “Redneck Nachos”—housemade potato chips loaded up with pulled pork, gooey cheese, jalapenos, and tangy barbecue sauce. We saw some and they looked amazing!
Wiley’s Championship BBQ Sampler Plate
We opted to cut to the chase and pile on the meat. We ordered their Sampler Plate with Beef Brisket, Pulled Pork, ¼ Chicken, and we upgraded it, adding 3 Pork Ribs ($32.00).
The sampler comes with Texas Toast, Schwartz Pickle, and a choice of two of Cotton’s Sides. For our sides, we chose Collard Greens and Potato Salad.
It was hard to pick a favorite as each was well prepared, nicely seasoned, and perfectly smoked. The smoke was light and didn’t overpower the meat. If we had to pick a weak link, it might have been the Chicken as it was not as moist as everything else. But the Pulled Pork was pretty incredible.
The Greens were delicious. The Potato Salad was similar to a Loaded Potato. While it had great flavor and plenty of “stuff,” it ate more like Mashed Potatoes and less like Potato Salad. Good, but not enough to stop a total stranger to recommend.
The BBQ Sauces were what many people might consider traditional, Tomato based BBQ Sauces. They call them Better Than Sex “K.C Competition BBQ Sauce.” They were all excellent. I think we both preferred the slightly peppery bite of the Extra Tingly.
For us, this was an excellent start to a series of unique and different BBQ meals along our road trip. If you are looking for some incredible Championship BBQ in Savannah, this is a Must-Do.
Wiley’s Championship BBQ is located at 4700 Highway 80 East, Savannah, Georgia 31410.
While they list their hours as Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 am to 7:30 pm. But, they also list the disclaimer “or until the BBQ runs out!
