There's no polite way to say it: something fundamental has been lost at Old South BBQ…read more On a recent sunny afternoon, a friend and I--both barbecue enthusiasts--set out to try Old South after hearing it had reopened under new management. I had never been, but my friend spoke of it with near reverence, describing a once-legendary roadside joint steeped in South Carolina barbecue tradition. And that tradition matters. In South Carolina, barbecue isn't just food--it's history. Proper whole-hog or pulled pork is defined by slow cooking over hardwood coals--hickory or oak--for upwards of 8 to 12 hours. The state proudly claims all four major regional sauce styles, from the iconic mustard-based "Carolina Gold" to vinegar, light tomato, and heavy tomato sauces. It's a place where technique and patience are inseparable from authenticity. Old South still looks the part. The atmosphere is classic and charming: a casual, no-frills roadside spot with a nostalgic 1950s picnic scene, complete with indoor seating and outdoor tables. It's family-friendly, dog-friendly, and on the surface, exactly the kind of place you want to love. The menu hits all the expected notes--pulled pork, baby back ribs, chicken--and the house-made sauces are genuinely enjoyable. But then the food arrives. The wings, ribs, and pulled pork were all missing the one thing that defines barbecue: smoke. Not subtle smoke--none. It tasted as though everything had been cooked in a gas oven. Yes, the food was tender and even flavorful in places, but without that slow-smoked backbone, it feels hollow. If smoke isn't part of the process, can it really be called barbecue? Curious--and increasingly skeptical--we walked over to the smokehouse. It looked abandoned. No lingering wood aroma, no signs of recent use, not even a stray log in sight. When I asked our server about the pitmaster, she casually mentioned he usually comes in around 4 p.m.--a surprising detail, considering authentic barbecue is an all-day (and often all-night) process. At that point, the analogy felt unavoidable: if you put a Hyundai engine in a Porsche 911, is it still a Porsche? My friend and I left with the same conclusion--Old South BBQ may still carry the name and the look, but it's lost its soul. The bones of something great are still there, but without the craft and care that once defined it, it feels like a tribute rather than the real thing. To be fair, our server was friendly and attentive, and that effort didn't go unnoticed. But good service can't replace what's missing from the pit. For a place once remembered as a cornerstone of South Carolina barbecue, that's a tough rib to swallow.

I haven't been to Old South BBQ since it was bought out and reopened by new owners. The place was…read morealways excellent with great BBQ featuring nicely smoked ribs, chicken, wings, dogs and chopped BBQ. Their sides were also top notch. I heard they reopened and me and my barbecue loving buddy decided to make a lunch time stop. The place was similar but had more outdoor seating, a fresh coat of paint and some work done to the smoke house. The menu also changed with the additions of various smash burgers. We decided to sit outdoors where the waitress gave us a menu and took our order. We opted for the BBQ dry rub wings for an app, a half rack of ribs and some pulled pork. Sides included red and white slaw, collards and onion rings. The four wings came out first and had the BBQ rub on them. They were nice and crispy but lacked flavor. My buddy put some salt on them and I reached for the Carolina gold BBQ sauce to dip them in. They were OK with the additional sauce and the salt. Next the mains were brought out. The ribs had a nice bark, but were dry and very bland with zero smoke flavor and none of the "pink" ring you see in top quality smoked meats. Again, we added some sauce(my friend used Carolina vinegar, while I went for the house tomato based BBQ) to try to kick up the flavor. They were marginal at best. We then started in on the pulled pork which was moist but also had zero smoke flavor. We sauced it up and it was a bit better. We then hit the sides. The onion rings were as good as I remembered with a nice crust and flavor. The white slaw was good also. Although I didn't taste it, my friend liked the red slaw. The collards were cooked tender but lacked any flavor. I used a combo of the Carolina vinegar sauce(which I found too sweet) and some Texas Pete's to give it a bit of zing...it was passable. Overall, I was disappointed as it used to be one of the better BBQ joints on the strand. I probably won't be going back as there are at least two others near by that I find much better.

On of the best spots at the beach for lunch! Service and atmosphere are always amazing and the food…read morechoices and sauces are excellent. Of course the WV sauce is the best.

The fragrance of BBQ was a sign we were in store for a tasty meal. When we mentioned to the lovely…read morewoman at the register that this was our first visit, she came to our side of the counter and gave us a great description of the menu and history of the restaurant. That level of service continued throughout our dining experience from meal pickup through table service and then when we left. It was obvious to us that the employees enjoyed their work and wanted to represent their brand with pride. We ordered a pulled chicken sandwich, a one item dish of pulled pork and two sides which was more than enough to share. The meat was perfectly smoked and flavorful. We appreciated that we select the sauces as the meat came smoked without sauce. Their baked beans were a meal in it of itself. The Mac and cheese was not as creamy as we would like, but the bowl was empty when we left. My only complaint is that they have no restaurants where we live in Southern California! Maybe since we're known as "southern" CA, they'll consider expanding to our community?

Excellent BBQ !!! Probably one of the best BBQ brisket I have ever had ... cannot wait to bring…read moreothers to try his fare

I asked for the brisket dinner for $16. They charged me five dollars for a container of sauce and…read morefive dollars for my side of coleslaw. I got one piece of brisket and two other pieces of meat that I don't even know what they are and a dish that had sauce in it, pickles in it and onions in it and it was nasty. I recommend you never go to this place cause I hate getting ripped off by people.

The food is amazing. We started with pork rinds and pork hush puppies. Both absolutely amazing. We…read moreordered different sides to try each others. Mac & Cheese 10/10 Potato salad 10/10 Brunswick stew (spicy) 10/10 Brisket sandwich 10/10 Smoked Turkey 10/10 Smash burgers 10/10 But the food isn't the only star the attentiveness of our server Debbie was amazing not a single empty cup not a question left in answered. I wish I lived closer to eat here everyday. The wife and I will be back before we leave to get some pork rinds for the road.

Great service Food was amazing we did the $80 family…read moreplatter. - Smoked turkey was good - Sausage was good as well - Smoked pork belly was amazing - Ribs were tender and had a lot of flavor. - Pulled pork had a good smoke flavor and juicy - Brisket was fork tender and tasted fantastic - Wings don't sleep on these, probably the best wings I've ever had (dry rubbed) Sides were good Mac n Cheese is home made with real cheese not a bunch of milk. Corn pudding was also good. Greens were on the sweet side so not what you would expect. And the little side of pickles were great. For dessert we had banana pudding it was really good. Real banana flavor not the artificial kind.

I give 5 stars because food was fresh and hot . There is a young man who works there and he broke…read moreout into song . A star for just that ! Very friendly staff , I am in town for work and had 3 different people tell me to go here for comfort food . Fried chicken on point Mash potato's were instant so that was my least favorite . ALL the other veggies I tried were seasoned nicely and were very good . Lima beans were the best I have ever eaten . Peach cobbler was strangely good with the strange looking topping . I would eat that every time I went

I had some business to attend to in South Myrtle Beach and as I finished up I started to get hungry…read morefor lunch. Luckily I saw a packed place on Mr. Joe White Avenue called Simply Southern Smokehouse. Place looked legit and had a full parking lot so I pulled in. There is only one way in and once you get in, the cashier is on the right with the $15 all you can eat buffet right next to it. The $15 also included all you can drink soft drinks, water and sweet tea. I paid my money and grabbed a plate and ran right up to the buffet. They start out light with vegetables and sides, working up to the main courses of fried chicken, fried fish, pulled pork, smoked chicken and some hot wings. After that, they had some mac & cheese, and then the desserts which was blueberry cobbler, peach cobbler, homemade banana pudding...and a couple of other things. I started off with some broad beans, stewed okra and tomatoes, smoked chicken and hot wings. I brought my plate and my silverware to an empty table, which was getting hard to find as the place was so packed and then went up to fetch me a glass of water to wash it down with. They serve Pepsi products and of course sweet tea but I was going to save my calories for dessert. The place was clean, well lit and the seating was well designed with booths along the wall and tables in the center... and plenty of room between the tables. Once seated I dug right in. The broad beans were excellent. Done right and full of flavor. The stewed tomatoes and okra, although cook correctly was a bit bland for my liking. The smoked chicken was excellent and I used a bit of the golden SC BBQ sauce on it...great...and homemade. The hot wings were the real deal meaty and moist with a nice kick. I finished the plate in about five minutes. Time for round two. On my second trip up, I put some collard greens, lima beans, a piece of fried chicken and a piece of fried fish on the fresh plate. As I sat down to eat, I put a bit of hot vinegar sauce on the collard greens and dug in. The collards were excellent and the homemade vinegar hot sauce gave it a bit of a kick and bite. The Lima beans were soft and loaded with flavor. I then moved on to the fried chicken, which was cooked correctly with the skin crispy and well battered and the meat moist on the inside. That said, it was bland. Given how well the beans were seasoned I was surprised. Same thing with the fish, but they had a real good house sauce for it which gave it a nice flavor and saved it, but overall both the fried chicken and the fried fish were bland. I then went up for a plate number three and realized I was not gonna be able to eat anymore mains, which was a shame since the pulled pork looked great... It will have to wait for the next time I come. I did, however leave a bit of room for dessert and I'm glad I did . The banana pudding was delicious with a full banana taste and 'Nilla wafers on top and bottom adding a bit of crunch. I only had enough room for one of the cobbler so I chose peach and it did not disappoint. Nice and warm with a sweet peach flavor and tasty crumbles. I wanted more but controlled myself. As I got up to leave, I placed five dollars on the table for the cleanup guy who was hustling and keeping the place neat and tidy. I then looked around and noticed this was a real local spot full of people from Myrtle Beach. You have families, elderly people, young people, construction workers and people from local businesses. For $15 it cannot be beat. Not only will I be back again but I plan on bringing some of my friends from up north who are going to love this place...plus I gotta try that pulled pork and Mac and cheese...if the fried chicken and fish have more seasoning, I'll up them to 5 stars.

Update: The Shack is one of my favorite restaurants for home…read morecooking. We got there around 1 pm and waited for over 30 minutes for a table. That's how popular the restaurant is! I got the chicken and dumplings with three sides: one side was peanut butter pie which was delicious. The lunch meal also includes a beverage and bread corn bread or a store bought cold roll. Get the corn bread! It's so tasty! Service was good, and the restaurant was busy.

I've been driving by this spot for years and it's always been packed... not regular packed but…read morepeople parked in the street and the road trying to get in packed. This Thursday I was heading up with the wife to buy some fish and we decided to go for it. Of course there was zero parking with a parade of cars in the parking lot waiting to pick up food, when my wife noticed a pick up truck right in front of the place about to exit. She sped right next to the spot and jumped in before anyone realized it. We're in...or so I thought. We strolled up and there were about 35 people sitting on benches and rocking chairs under a tent right in front of the place all waiting to get in. I figured this is not going to be easy. I went up to the hostess station and asked how long for a table for two and she said 35 minutes or so. I looked at my wife and gave her my name. I had to find out what all the hub bub was about. In about 30 minutes they shouted my name and I sprinted to the front door...I wasn't about to lose my table. In we went and we're shown a nice size table in the middle of the place. It kinda reminded me of a beachy mom and pop diner. The friendly waitress came to the table right away, gave us our menus, showed us the specials board and took a drink order. The menu was simple but had some choices on it. While we were thinking, she came back with our drinks and we quickly ordered an appetizer. In this case, onion rings. A few minutes later my wife settled on a crab cake app and a salad which she asked to be combined. I went for the soup of the day(NE clam chowder) and one of the specials...pork chops(I took my grilled not fried) with 3 sides, Lima beans, okra & tomatoes stewed and green beans. The meal came with a choice of cornbread or roll. I opted for the cornbread. In a flash, the onion rings came out followed by the soup. Now I do love me some onion rings and these were fantastic. Crispy, flavorful and not stringy. The soup was home made. Creamy with bits of clam and chunks of potato. No salt or pepper was needed as it came out steaming hot and perfect. It was a meal in itself and I ended up taking 3/4 home with me(something rarely do). After a few minutes, the main course came out. My wife dug into a very large homemade crab cake, chock full of crab meat and very flavorful. She loved it. The salad was fresh and crisp. My pork chops came out and the size of the plate shocked me. Now, I almost never talk about price but my plate was $12.49 and I got two large perfectly prepared, juicy pork chops with a healthy helping of the best okra and stewed tomatoes I ever had plus absolutely delicious green beans and tasty lima beans. What a deal! The only thing that wasn't above average was the corn bread which was a tad dry and plain. Most of the regulars opted for the home made roll(and the fried chicken which was being served at every table!). I was stuffed and had trouble finishing my plate. My wife who said she was full, managed to save enough room for dessert. Now everyone was eating the homemade peach cobbler so I suggested that. My wife never had it before and was thinking about the Oreo pie, but I persuaded her and she was glad I did. Instead of the usual whip cream she wanted vanilla ice cream with it and it was a fantastic combo. The cobbler came out piping hot and crumbly with sweet chunks of peaches that paired well with the cold vanilla ice cream. She attacked it so fast that I couldn't get a picture. I broke my own rules and dipped in for a few spoonfuls and I'm glad I did. It was heavenly. The bill came and I couldn't believe how reasonable it was. Now I know why you can't get into the joint. We paid our bill and gave the super friendly waitress a nice tip and were on our way. We will absolutely be back and will try to time it a bit better so we can find parking...or we'll take an Uber...it was that good.

The service was top notch!! I've never had Any better…read moreBar-B-Q!! Delicious and super moist chicken and pork!! Mac n cheese was just like my mom's!!!!

I stopped here a few days ago for the first time. It's a small , family owned bbq place beside a…read moregas station like you would find in a small town in the South. The employees were nice and I heard the cashier telling someone it was her family's business. It's not decorated fancy , but the dining room is clean and has honest bbq. I got the Pulled Pork Plate with 2 Sides and a Sweet Tea. I also ordered an extra side. If you're a Veteran like me , your drink is free. The Pulled Pork was tasty and a good portion and they give you a bun even though you didn't order a sandwich you have bread to go with it. I ordered Hush Puppies as my bread , but still ate the top bun with my meal. Hush Puppies were pretty good when warm , my last one when it cooled down then tasted a little oily so eat them while they're hot. Usually I get a Pulled Pork Sandwich instead of a platter and have Slaw on it. Well I got a side of Slaw and it was Mayo style , not Vinegar style and I didn't like it. The young lady let me replace them with the Beans and they were very good. Potato Salad was average , I like a little more mustard in mine. Now for the BBQ Sauces. They have 5 BBQ Sauces which is a good variety to have. I liked the Hot , Vinegar , and Rob Sauce the most. For Pulled Pork I found if you mix the Hot and Vinegar Sauces it worked the best. If I would've had Brisket then the Rob Sauce would be my pick for it. The Mild was okay , but I prefer more of a kick. The Mustard Sauce was weak and not tangy enough and I usually like a good mustard sauce sometimes on pulled pork , but prefer the vinegar. Sweet tea ok , not too sweet like some places. Overall it's a well rounded bbq place. My total with tax was $19.70 with my free Veteran's drink , pulled pork platter and 3 sides. I would like to come back and try the Brisket next time. I would recommend you giving it a try and support a local family business.

Quaint, family-owned seafood and burger restaurant with a charming "Mom and Pop" feel. After…read moreplacing your order at the outside window, you can choose either indoor or outdoor seating, which adds to the relaxed coastal atmosphere. I ordered the senior oyster plate, which included a beverage. Before ordering, I asked about the size of the oysters because I was a little hesitant. The cashier kindly showed me an order that was ready to go to another table, which helped me decide. Even though oysters are currently out of season, they were absolutely delicious! I can hardly wait to visit the coast again, and I will definitely return to Bennett's for oysters!

Simple & delicious. I've been here several times and have always enjoyed the food. The inside of…read morethe restaurant is small, but there is outdoor seating available as well. Self serve drinks. The burgers are seasoned well and taste fresh. The chicken tender basket is also a go-to - generous portion and tastes great! Another member of my party ordered oysters and was very pleased, said they were some of the best they had ever had