Bessingers is Best by the OI Cuisine Commando Restaurant Style: American Smokehouse Last Visit: 04/22/17 Ambiance: Casual. Plates are melmac and you come in to directly enter the buffet line. Woody benches and chairs give it the warm worn texture of home. I Confess I am not a fan of buffets because they are too much and often too aged on the steam table. This buffet persuaded me with its variety and freshness. I saw food replaced and rotated numerous times while I sat nearby. The options included she crab soup, fish soup in a tomato base,crab salad, shrimp salad, two types of potato salad, cole slaw, leaf salad, black and green olives, onions, tomatoes, green beans, baked beans, hash brown casserole, fried catfish, fried chicken, fried okra, garlic ribs, and pulled pork. All of it tasted fresh without any overcooking. Plenty of vegetarian options for the green eaters in my family. Service: seat yourself and they will refill your water but this is really self-serve. The help though is down home friendly. For Kids: Surely the kids can find something from this groaning board of desserts, mac and cheese, fried chicken, fried okra, and potato salad. Hours: F--Sat 5p--8:30p, Sun 12--8 Expense Account: Moderate. Pay on your way out. read more

We had my daughters 16th birthday party there. It was awesome. Food was so good. I highly recommend using the old buffet side for a fun catered event. 5 stars for food, and service. read more

Everyone knows I love the Texas Ribs and BBQ in Clinton , MD well call me a Polygamist but I love Bessinger's too! Yes I am a cheat and have been cheating on Texas Ribs and BBQ for four years! There I said it! Now there is some local lore about the Bessinger's and two brothers, sort of a Mondavi-esque family feud but who cares both serve up some really AWESOME Q. I like Bessinger's mustard based sauce (mustard based sauce is the deal in Eastern SC) it is so darn good you can drink it like a Pepsi! The pulled pork is killer good, juicy and full of flavor! you will love it love it love it!!! Their ribs are out of this world and you'll wanna rub the cole slaw on your face. Gimme some sweet tea with that and all that's missing is a country girl! If you go to Charleston and you don't go to Bessinger's you should be spanked (by a country girl) and then transported to Bessinger's for the very best in Charleston. If I had one place to eat here it would be Bessinger's! GO! GO ! GO! read more

Disclaimer: I've been eating here since it was "Piggy Park" and they had car-hops. Someone once said, "Never order french onion soup in a Chinese restaurant." I am forever amazed to be in line with whole families who come into this place and order burgers and salads. It happens often enough that we usually joke about it while waiting. We sat beside a group who did this just this past Saturday. I wonder if they just didn't bother to read the giant yellow letters on the barn outside. Never had a burger there. Never will. Restaurant has two parts: a sandwich shop ($) and a buffet ($$). If you're looking to stuff yourself with BBQ to the point of hospitalization, the buffet is your place. I'm not sure if it strictly fits the definition of "soul food" but everything they serve is straight out of my grandmother's cookbook (and if a woman raised on a depression-era farm in Creston, SC can't cook "soul food", I don't know who can). BBQ, hash, vegetables, ribs, chicken, salad. No flash, just good food. Desserts are worth saving room for. Buffet gets a little crowded at times. They're not open all the time. The sandwich side is where I spend all my time. While everyone rightfully raves about the SC "mustard based" BBQ, the most under appreciated menu items are their onion rings. DO NOT leave this place without eating one (or three). They are huge and unlike anything I've ever had anywhere. Being raised on them, I have been trying to find a better onion ring and can't. If you can, avoid the lunch/dinner rush. Otherwise, you'll end up waiting in line to order, then again to sit down. Bessingers is a monument to South Carolina BBQ. It's heritage traces back to the old-time names like Sweatman and Dukes. The BBQ is pulled pork, saturated with a yellow, mustard-based sauce. The sauce can be a little off-putting to BBQ freaks from other parts of the country, but it is worth the try. There are actually (at least) two Bessingers BBQ's in South Carolina. There is this one and "Maurices" out of Columbia. They are brothers, I believe. Maurice tried his hand at politics and mass-merchandising, so those chain BBQ joints are his. This one IS NOT part of the chain. The food is vaguely similar between the two, but I have always thought of this restaurant as the one true Bessingers. read more

Bessinger's is awesome and as a matter of a fact, legendarily epic!! Do not go to Bessinger's expecting a typical, tomato-based sauce as found in most other BBQ establishments. This sauce has a good down-home quality about it that makes it not only a thoroughly enjoyable mustard base sauce, but a FANTABULOUS barbecue sauce; especially for pork, chicken, ribs and hot dogs. I actually found it addicting. I live in Florida so I had to purchase a few bottles of sauce to bring home. I must have dipped a spoon in the jar ten times or better right after I opened it. I love those Charleston folks. Those sweet accents and wonderful service made the experience there as good as the sauce! Barbecue sauce making is an art. In fact, I'd go as far to say that BBQ sauce is a religion and Bessinger's is a holy place! read more

What a GEM!!! This is by far the best of the best on many levels - being in business for decades like the Bessinger family has been should be the first clue that this is one hot spot. I had anticipated my recent Charleston trip for so long because of all the great things I've heard about Bessinger's and it lived up to the hype, and then some! I was not properly informed that the Onion Rings are the show-stopper but let me say WOW! I've never had, nor have I seen, anything like it. The chopped pork plate w/two sides for $10 has so much food it puts most buffets to shame (ok, maybe that's a stretch but I've paid more and gotten a lot less with a lot less satisfaction so I can stretch if I want to!) I must admit, I was let down by the collard greens...In all, this is a must and do it right w/some sweet tea! If you go to Charleston and do not go to Bessinger's you probably should be deported. Oh and do save room for dessert, you're only cheating yourself if you don't... read more

Wow.. I have been deprived of good BBQ for a LONG time living in Atlanta! sorry ATL folks.. but the east GA/SC boys know how its done. We actually happened on Bessingers when driving on 17 looking for eats. Edisto Island is a great place to vacation, but a lot of the restaurants arent open early in the week. What can I say? hrmm.. the decor is what you'd expect for a bbq place.. large wooden booths and a sit yourself style atmosphere. The pork is pulled and chopped apparently.. it snot minced or anything but its cut well enough that you dont have to use a knife or anything. The meat is HIGH QUALITY.. this is what I cant stress enough for the folks in Atlanta.. you have to use better meat! The sauces are 2 as someone else said. I dont think thats a negative. "only having 2" is 1 more than you get at most places I've been.. My favorite was the mustard based sauce. The pork plate comes with 2 sides, a bread (AWESOME CORNBREAD!) and a funnel cake like onion ring. If you are in west charleston near the citadel mall and its lunch time.. you MUST check this place out! read more

We were told by locals in the area that this was the best BBQ in town and they weren't lying! Most people will write about how good and tender the meat is, which it was. I, however, am going to rave about the giant onion ring donut you get with every order. I will dream of this onion monstrosity all the days of my life. It was all deliciously decadent! read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Good BBQ. The pork here is quite supple, scrumptious, and juicy. The house BBQ sauce (mustard based) is decent. It is a little too mustardy for my tastes. The steak fries here are really really really good. Crispy, tender, yummy. The sweet tea is excellent. Definitely not for non-sweet tooths of the world. Overall pretty good. Will come back and try one of their other sauces. read more

Solid, good BBQ. Had the ribs, chicken and the pulled pork. The best thing is the mustard sauce. Comes in original, hickory and hot flavors. I like the hot one the best. The sides were pretty good - got the fried Okra and the Collard Greens. The corn bread was overly baked. Too crusty and dry. Last, the Pecan Pie was ok. A bit too sweet. I'd go back though. read more

Best BBQ in South Carolina stop in every time I come to folly beach and it never disappoints would definitely recommend if your in town. read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Best BBQ in South Carolina stop in every time I come to folly beach and it never disappoints would definitely recommend if your in town. - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I was driving back up from New Orleans to my home and tried to schedule a "Carolina's BBQ Road Trip". Bessinger's was unfortunately one of my stops. I guess everybody has an off day/gets a bad piece of meat, but I figure the kid working the flattop could care less/wasn't taught any better/doesn't know any better than to serve lame bbq. Ordered the BBQ Plate Combo with Ribs, Pulled Pork and Brisket, my friend ordered the same with Chicken instead of pork. Ribs: "Fall off the bone", about average if we're trying to claim to be non-chain bbq Pork: Dry, mustard sauce was good, but the actual meat didn't have a noticeable flavor Brisket: Awful. I was actually insulted they put this out. They slice it like a thick deli roast beef, then warm it up on a flat top/griddle? What the hell? Who does this!?!? It was dryer than and chewier than the inside of my shoe. Chicken: You know... the chicken wasn't actually bad. In my experience its usually dry/bland, but this might have been the best thing on the plate. Sides: Beans-Canned with a little added molasses/liquid smoke Cornbread- Dry/no butter Potato Salad- "Deli-style", light on flavor, super sweet Mac and Cheese- Counter girl suggested this... I think I compared it to a "Over cooked baked ziti, with no sauce, or mozzarella cheese" I dont know what kind of cheese they used, but it was dry, flavorless and decidedly un-cheesy. Onion Ring- Yes its huge, and I guess its okay? Its almost like an onion cake. So yeah, It's always sad to see a bunch of great yelp reviews and have a poor experience. Sure, some of it might be due to bad quality control, but there are some things (Brisket) that is going to be bad each and every time if they don't find a better method. read more

I'll preface my review by saying that I've only been one time, and it was on the buffet side of the restaurant -- not the sandwich shop. Sadly, this one visit did not leave me with the urge to return. I've lived in Charleston for most of my adult life -- 20 years. I've had plenty of southern food and tons of BBQ. What I ate at Bessinger's was by far my least favorite. The BBQ was dry, the grits were hard, and I'm pretty sure the shrimp was frozen. I know it's a BBQ restaurant, but living on the coast, you don't expect to find anything but the freshest seafood. The fried catfish was edible, and the vegetables were prepared in a typical southern style...overcooked with lots of butter. My son said his favorite thing on the menu was his Coke. :-( I might give the sandwich shop a chance someday, but if you're looking for good BBQ in Charleston, I'd go somewhere else. read more

So here's the thing - I eat a lot of BBQ. Do I love it? No - but my spouse does. But I do appreciate a delicious pork that can stand alone. I enjoy a good sauce. I REALLY enjoy a good mac and cheese. The first time I stopped in here with some friends, I was blown away. The sides were great, the pork was yummy, the service was great.... And then I came last weekend on Father's Day. The experience was the complete opposite. For starters, their cook was apparently out. I understand everyone needs time off, but you should definitely have a back up who knows the recipes. The place wasn't super busy, but the service was just spotty. Our waitress seemed to be around when we were fine but disappeared anytime we actually needed refills. We did the buffet and what a disappointment it was! I couldn't even eat the mac and cheese. The most delicious things in the restaurant were the salad bar and the jello - definitely not what I went to a BBQ joint for. The pulled pork was cold in some spots, hot in others, drenched in sauce, and just unappetizing. They had a chicken option (some kind of pan chicken?) that was super dry. I was so disappointed. Either their backup cook needs a lesson in cooking or my taste buds all of a sudden died. Then comes the bill. $40.00 for two terrible buffets and two (almost always empty) drinks. When we asked why it cost so much more this time than the last time we went, the cashier couldn't give us an answer...I was not thrilled. Honestly, I may give them one more chance but I doubt it. Swig and Swine is right across the way and always provides a delicious (and affordable) plate of goodness. read more

This place stinks. Waited 30 minutes for the food and finally got a refund for it after we waited so long. The manager on duty was just standing around and other girl was just walking around like she was lost. This has been happening for the last two months. We have been eating here for over 30 years but we will never step foot back in there again. It is so mismanaged the Bessinger's better wake up or they will be out of business!! read more

Came here on a Sunday night because all the other BBQ buffets were closed!! :( It was kind of empty but the service was very friendly and nice (albeit a bit young). The buffet had a nice salad bar with cold mayo based salads like shrimp salad, potato salad, imitation crab meat salad, macaroni salad, etc and greens with lots of toppings. I focused on the hot food though. The hot food section included 2 soup selection (didn't particularly like the okra soup - too tomato-ey for me). Proteins included fried chicken (YUMMY! nice crispy skin and juicy meat), pulled pork (too dry for me. even the mustard based bbq sauce couldn't salvage it enough for me), fried catfish (the bf liked this a lot), roast chicken, and roast beef. Sides included collard greens, sweet potato, hash, rice with sausage. It was good enough of a selection for two hungry travelers but there wasn't much that I had tried that I wanted to stuff more into my stomach (very rare for me at a buffet). There were bread and multiple types of desserts laid out at the end of the buffet already plated. We didn't try any. Dinner buffet was $13 per person. read more

Stopped on impulse driving by on way to downtown Charleston. Had Sliced brisket plate with collard greens as sides (more keto friendly). Lady had pulled chicken plate with fried okra. Everything tasted great. Brisket may be the best tasting I had, but more fat than I'd like (and have to pay for by the pound). Anyway, solid barbecue. Hit the spot read more

The food was pretty good. I got the combo with pulled pork, chicken and ribs. The meat was delicious. To be in the south I expected better MAC -N-cheese n collards but over all it was good. I will go back when in town again. read more

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Outstanding BBQ. I had the Little Joe pork sandwich basket and will be back to sample more from their menu... read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I grew up in Charleston and recently visited. Hands down the best barbecue in town. The brisket is a little overpriced but you can't go wrong with the pork or chicken. The greens are to die for also!! read more

We went to the Friday night rib buffet. I have to admit I was very impressed with the quality for the cost. The buffet was only around $11 and it included as many ribs as your heart could desire. The ribs were meaty and had a great smoke flavor. The side dishes were great, especially the mac n cheese and hushpuppies. I also really liked the meatloaf. The desserts however, are terrible. read more

I'm always trying to find a delicious BBQ treat. This place was decent. Good, traditional Southern-style atmosphere, which I appreciated. As far as I could tell, here's your "To Try" list for Bessinger's: 1)Pulled pork 2)Chicken 3)Onion ring (Yep, there's just one...but it's huge and delicious) 4)Sweet tea The brisket was not so tasty, as in not good at all, and is the main thing keeping this place from being a star up. All in all: not bad, not great. read more

I'm usually not a huge fan of BBQ that doesn't involve a buffet, but Bessinger's is good enough to overcome that hurdle. Not EPIC status pulled pork BBQ, but this is a great spot to hit up if you need a BBQ sandwich and some fries. The onion ring is a thing of beauty, and I don't even like onion rings. read more

While I have not tried the BBQ (plan on coming back for another visit), I did try the sandwhich side of the restaurant. The food didnt blow me away, but the food wasnt bad either. I tried a bacon cheeseburger and an order of onion rings. I've had better burgers but, this was a good average burger. The onion rings I didnt enjoy at all, way to bready for my liking. If you enjoy 90% bread with a litlte onion hidden between the fried bread, these onion rings are for you. They reminded me of huge circular hushpuppies instead of actual onion rings. read more

Classic South Carolina bbq. The onion rings are amazing and the hash is one of my favorites. The cropped chicken is really good but again the hash and rice is amazing read more

The food was very good. We dined in and the dinning room was clean and great service. It has a country motif with country music and rustic wood booths for sitting. The only complaint I have is the way things are priced on the menu. When you order, you think you are getting one thing and they up charge you for baskets or in my case brisket by $4.00 extra. I did not see that on the menu. It says one meat plate and when I chose brisket, the plate went up by the additional $4.00. This did not make me happy but overall the food was good. My wife got a sandwich with sides and she could not eat it all. Well worth your stop but be careful what you order, your bill might much more than you thought. read more

Always on the look-out for BBQ places when I travel. If I come back to Charleston, I won't be back to Bessingers. We went on a Sunday afternoon, where you can either go to the buffet dining area or to a separate sandwich area. The buffet is only served Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We made the bad choice of going to the buffet line as we figured it would be a great value. Wrong! If I had a do-over, I would go to the sandwich section. Here at the buffet, there were no ribs and no brisket. Only pulled pork, which wasn't bad but nothing to write home about. Other meat choices were pathetic, country fried steak that was so overcooked that it looked like a hockey puck with crust on it, fried chicken (at a BBQ joint?!) and beef stew (again, this is a BBQ joint, right?). They had a bunch of sdes, but nothing stood out. I liked the corn best, but it probably came out of a can. When I went through the line, there were barely any mashed potatoes left and they were stiff-like. Later on I went back for mashed potatoes and they were too runny, the complete opposite of what they had before. That's weird, there must be no quality control on Sunday. Skip the numerous desserts and save yourself the consumption of empty calories. They are colorful, but your can find better desserts at a fund raising bake sale at a school or church. If you're visiting, don't go. Spend a little more money at a nice restaurant in town. Your tastebuds and your tummy will thank you. read more

Good BBQ. Not amazing, but good. Pork and brisket were both A-OK. Their mustard-based sauce was better than their tomato-based one. read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Combo plate, double pork... Mmm... - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Well, it was BBQ. Was it great? No. The cornbread was hard as a rock and collards tasted strange. The pulled pork was okay, and the sauces adequate. The onion was good. The place was clean and service decent, so they get a star for that. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Pulled pork platter - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I'm sitting here as I write. When I came in, there were a line if cars going through the drive through. I was told this was a nice place. It is except, the young 20 something lady who took my order made me feel I was a bother and was not friendly at all. That confuses me, I am very polite and curtious wherever I go. I worked hard all day and just want a good meal. So why, why me, what did I do or say. To be barked at and not even looked at . Than the gorgiouse plate of food. Except my 20 dollar plate, well, my beef plate was cold. The beef was flippeen cold. What did I do, I did wait a good 15 maybe 20 min. I just wanted a good dinner. Sorry to be a bother, sorry I just wanted a dinner that was above room temp. Maybe a bad night. Maybe I wont be back. I haven't decided. read more

Oh no. Horrible service must be the new normal for my favorite #scbbq spot. Once again I had to go to the counter to check on my order status which looked like it was sitting there between the grill and me...it was. I finally had to ask someone to check my order (little joe and single ring) since the girl at the counter was oblivious to it or me...The kitchen and counter were far from understaffed but the other 5-6 people were chatting or on their phones the entire time except the guy on the grill who was filling orders as the came over. My sandwich had been sitting there for at least 5 minutes wrapped up so the bun was already super soggy and the bbq was just ok...far from the legendary sandwiches that made this place fantastic. My onion ring was great and the tea was good. Self serve tea and sauce area was wrecked but dining area was still super clean. The Bessinger family must know that service has been an issue here for quite awhile now (as previous reviews ring true to my recent trips there) but cannot get ahead of it. THESE KIDS ARE RUINING YOUR BUSINESS. There are lots of choices nowadays in town and even the mediocre places nearby have better Yelp reviews, Shame read more

If I know any thing , I know BBQ. And we'll this was a disappointment. The buffet was over priced , and there was so very many things wrong with the food. First , please don't fry the chicken in the same oil as the fish. Chicken should not tast like old fish . Second, hush puppys should have corn meal in the recipe. They Should be tasty and well, good. Third, a rice dish should not be crunch, Mac and cheese should be flavorful, rolls should not be stale. And where was the ribs?? For a price of 15 USD per adult plate. This meal should have rocked, insted it fell flat and well short of," best low country BBQ" read more

I love Bessinger's mustard style BBQ. Got a plate which came with the huge onion ring (love it!), we also got hash and rice, and beans. Got a side of Carolina cole slaw, and that was the only thing I didn't like. read more

I've always come here because I'm a mustard sauce BBQ pork guy but the brisket sandwich rocked my boat. Dad gum good brisket sandwich. What a dilemma. read more

We came here for good straight up BBQ and that's what we got. We got a three meat plate and it didn't take too long to come out. Place was cool and clean. There's a lot of history up on the walls. Again, BBQ was tasty and hit the spot. I definitely would recommend this spot. read more

I just saw Bessinger's on the Cooking Channel. Did you know that the original Mr. Bessinger's created the mustard bbq sauce that South Carolina is known for? My husband and I first stopped at Bessinger's on a whim. We were in Charleston getting our car serviced and were looking for a place for dinner on our way back to Myrtle Beach. Everything we had was wonderful. I had a brisket plate, my husband had pulled pork and brisket. The onion rings were as big as doughnuts! I enjoyed the beans, and my husband loved the collard greens. Simple but delicious! read more

Should have stuck with yelp reviews and not the travel channel food shows. This place was mediocre at best. The brisket tasted like it was half cooked in the microwave; toughest brisket I have ever had. The sauces were so commercialized that they were 90% dies and preservatives. Stay away, go to one of the places with good reviews on yelp! read more

Worst bbq I ever had-horrible sauce, ribs so so, beans ok, macaroni ok, slaw tasted old, collard greens bad. BIG disappointment.

I ordered the pulled pork basket with Mac n Cheese and okra as my fixins. With the basket comes the option of corn bread muffin or a roll. I opted for the corn bread and that was one delicious muffin let me tell ya. The pulled pork and okra were also very good. Here's why I didn't give them 5 stars; the Mac n Cheese was dry and seemed like it was nothing more than macaroni with a slice of melted cheese on top. Doubt I'll get the mac n cheese again but the rest was great. Oh yeah, and the onion donut that comes with the meals and I hate onion rings but this onion ring was very good...more of a donut with that thick breading. read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Best BBQ outside of Texas. Great variety of meat and sides, delicious sweet tea, and uniquely good mustard tasting BBQ sauce. We will be back read more