There were ZERO chances that we would not make it to Rodney Scott’s restaurant when visiting Charleston on our Southern Road Trip.
Rodney Scott is a name we’ve heard a lot over the last few years. Since he was eleven, he’s been doing Whole Hog BBQ in South Carolina. If you’ve seen any cooking shows on TV related to BBQ, chances are you’ve seen, Rodney Scott.
Last Day in Charleston!
We saved the best for last. On our last day in Charleston, we spent a little time along the waterfront because another obvious Charleston must-do is to see the iconic Pineapple Fountain.
From the fountain, we headed over to Rodney Scott’s, which was not far from our Airbnb. We thought we’d have a late lunch, make it our main meal of the day and head back to the Airbnb to chill.
But, as you’ll see, the plan changed.
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ – Charleston
Rodney Scott opened Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in Charleston in 2017. That year they were named one of the 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit Magazine. In 2018, Rodney Scott was awarded the James Beard Foundation’s award for Outstanding Chef Southeast.
Rodney Scott’s BBQ
1011 King Street
Charleston, SC 29403
The place is super cute; it sits along King Street, in a free-standing brick building, with a large shopping center next door. {PRO TIP: There’s plenty of parking in the shopping center lot!}
There are a few tables along the edge of the building. But, just beyond the Drive-Thru, there are some tables in a little garden.
Inside, the restaurant was pretty quiet. We placed our order at the counter, got our drinks, and took a seat – our food was brought to the table in a few minutes.
Rod’s Original
While Rodney Scott’s offers some Salads, Sandwiches, and Plates featuring Pork Ribs, Chicken Turkey and even Fried Catfish, we were there for ONE THING – Whole Hog BBQ. That’s what Rodney’s known for!
We both got Rod’s Original Whole Hog Pork Plate ($15.49). It comes with eight ounces of perfectly seasoned Pit Cooked Whole Hog, a slice of White Bread, and two sides.
Mark went for the Collard Greens and Baked Beans, while Chuck got Collard Greens and Mac and Cheese. And, we added a side of Hushpuppies and Honey Butter ($4.99). All of the sides were delicious and well made, but the star of the show was definitely the Pork. The Whole Hog Pork was delicious, moist, and tender, perfectly cooked with a taste of the vinegary ‘mop’ they use to baste the hogs with.
On the table was Rodney’s Sauce, which tastes like the seasoning mop and has a great pop of Black Pepper. A little bit goes a long way as the Pork is pretty impressive on its own. They also offered Cathy’s Sauce, a Sweet BBQ, and Other Sauce, which is just labeled BBQ Sauce. We didn’t try the last two but made it a point to buy a bottle of Rodney’s Sauce to take home.
We would encourage you to visit when you are in Charleston. But, they’ve also opened restaurants in Birmingham, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia. And, we just heard they’re opening another places in Nashville partnering with Eric Church!
We Went Hog Wild
We were thrilled with our lunch at Rodney Scott’s. The food was terrific, the staff was friendly, and the restaurant was spotless.
Chuck does a lot of smoking when we’re not traveling, and Mark spent a decade as chef of a restaurant featuring Mesquite Smoked Meats. So, we decided to walk around the back, hoping we could see wood piles or smokers for an Instagram photo or two.
Unfortunately, the pits and equipment are inside a large screened-in patio. Climbing through the bushes and pressing our faces against the screen, we couldn’t see much. But, we guess the pitmaster inside could see or hear us.
And, she invited us to come inside and see the operation. MAJOR FANBOYS!
“There are no strangers at Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ. Everyone has a seat at our table. Our customers are family. Our crew is family. We are all family, spreading food, spreading love, and having fun. The glass is always half full here.” -Rodney Scott–
Whole Hog Pit Smoking
Inside there were six pits. At the time, there was only one hog smoking. Alongside the pits were several smaller smokers for smoking other meats and an oven where hardwood was burned down to glowing embers to cook the whole hogs.
The pitmaster could not have been nicer, walking us through their process and even showing us a few hogs they had hanging in the walk-in cooler.
Absolutely beyond our wildest expectations!
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
After chatting about our Southern Road Trip, other BBQ places we visited, and where we were heading next, she asked us if we had been to Hannibal’s Soul Kitchen. We answered that we had not, but unfortunately, this was our last meal in Charleston. We were heading to St. Augustine the following day.
Hannibal’s Soul Kitchen
16 Blake Street
Charleston, SC 29403
The New York Times had recently listed Hannibal’s on The Restaurant List for 2021! It’s a list of ‘The 50 places in America we’re most excited about right now.’ So, needless to say, we had to take her advice and make a pitstop.
Hannibal’s is about ten blocks away, so we chose to drive. However, a residential neighborhood and a series of narrow one-way streets made parking difficult.
Hannibal’s is one of the last old-school restaurants making Gullah Geechee restaurants in Charleston. The article touted Hannibal’s Crab Rice. Crab Rice is seasoned Blue Crab meat over White Rice – the meat is sweet and a bit crispy. It’s a straightforward dish.
Gullah-Geechee food is a fusion of West and Central African cooking techniques and Lowcountry ingredients. Dishes created by descendants of enslaved people truly did farm-to-table cooking.
Get The Specialty of the House
We decided to order the Crab Rice ($12.50) with Baked Mac and Cheese ($3.49) and Collard Greens ($3.49) to-go and took it back to our Airbnb to reheat later. Everything was good, nothing was AMAZING, for us the crab was almost too plain. The menu says ‘Sautéed Crab Meat with Peppers and Onions,’ but we were hard-pressed to find any Onions and Peppers. We also felt like the sides were tiny for the price.
It was easy to see that the article, released only fifteen days before we were there, had sent them into a spin. It appeared that they had added some new seating outside. Inside, the small dining room was filled with fantastic local artwork and looked newly renovated. Plastic tarps hung behind a bar, between where we ordered and the kitchen, with the bar area filled with plywood and construction materials.
Even placing a take-out order with only one other person there was an ordeal for them. We’re sure they’ve been slammed with locals who never knew they were there, and things had gotten hectic. We’d still recommend checking them out when the dust settles.
The rest of the menu offered fantastic options ranging from Lima Beans, Okra, or Collard Greens with Smoked Neck Bones and Pigs Tails to Fried Whiting, Shrimp, or Carolina Ribs.
Thank you for going where most wouldn’t dare and peering through the slats, holes, nooks and crannies. Maybe they will say NO, but make them say it! You got a huge YES on this adventure. I wish I had more than just my two thumbs for this review. Bravo!!!
You are too kind! As a former employer of Mark’s always says -“If you don’t ask the answer is NO 100% of the time!”