Had dinner here tonight. Was looking to try SC bbq for the 1st time, was not disappointed!! Food was great, nice sized portion. You have got to try the onion rings !! Quiet, clean, friendly place. The ribs I had were cooked really well, sauces were all great. Don't really need sauce for the ribs they are great but if you are a condiment geek like me you will try them all !! read more

Okay maybe it's because I was raised in Charleston and this was a frequent spot growing up, but I have to say they haven't changed a thing which is AWESOME. I know you bar-b-q experts are going to argue with me, but I think this is some of the best bar-q in town. I no longer live in the area, but when I am back this is one of the "must" places to visit. I often get the little Joe beef brisket sandwich plate. Comes with a fat fried onion ring with fries. I have only visited the Savannah highway location but like I said they have never disappointed my appetite. If you come to Charleston, visit this place and give it a try. I think you will like it. The only downside to this location is the parking. Just go around the place a few times and someone will move. Gas is cheap so you can afford a few rounds. Enjoy! read more

I love their burgers, so thick and filling! There fries are seasoned so well with salt and pepper, great sweet tea and bbq sauces. I have had their bbq a fee times but I tend to order a burger. There mac and cheese is covered in gooey cheese and it's soul food! Every trip from Ohio to visit home again our family must make a stop here! read more

Yesterday. We had the most miserable experience at this often overrated place. Yearning for a bacon cheeseburger, we were, first of all in line to place an order for over 10 minutes (8 people in line), our order was taken by a young lady who claimed she was sick and therefore, was absolutely horrible to deal with. It took 15 more minutes to get our sandwiches. We were not the only disappointed patrons in the place. By the way. A Five Guys burger would have tasted better. Mine sucked. read more

I have generally enjoyed Bessinger's BBQ. Not today. Went for lunch. Ordered the Big Jo Brisket basket. Really bad, dry, chewy, flavorless brisket. The BBQ is very good. Not the brisket. I guess I thought it would be as good as Swig & Swines briskets or as good as the brisket at Smoke. No where close. The fries were on the soggy side as was the onion ring. The sweet tea was the most enjoyable part of lunch. This is not the place for Brisket at all. I hope their other items have not slipped in quality. It's going to take a while to risk another chance on lunch. Update. I wanted to try them again. Everyone has a bad day. Disappointed again. This revieww is on the counter service. They had eliminated the pager system to notify you that your tray is ready. I watched for several minutes the poor lady taking orders and a line of 8 empty trays, awaiting the food to be placed , the order number called and the tray picked up by the customer. It was chaos. I was maybe the 4th person in line. The lady taking orders stopped doiing that for a few minutes to start to try and fill orders. Creating an even longer delay in ordering. I watched her give a larger order to a customer customer. She then proceeded to take the order from the customer ahead of me. I'm growing more frustrated at how long this is taking. I mean it's lunch and should be quick. At that time the customer who had just gotten his order, returned to the counter because His order was not complete. By now I'm fed up. I along with two others give up and just leave. Terribly disappointed in seeing this long time restaurant failing so bad at service read more

Honestly the only reason I went here was because I had family in town and they read that this place has some of the best barbeque and they were right. I'm usually picky about pulled pork but their pulled pork and barbeque sauce was AMAZING! The buffet is definetly worth the money and is delicious!! read more

I have found my spot for BBQ in Charleston. Bessinger;s BBQ is perfect! I went to school in Texas, and those folks know a thing or two about BBQ. When I moved here I tried Home Team BBQ and it was ok but it did not meet my expectations for BBQ. I have eaten at Bessinger;s several times now and i will continue to come here everytime i want BBQ. Their brisket platter is spot on. The coleslaw if really good, and i love the baked beans. The booths are big and roomy so you can be comfortable even in a big group. The BBQ sauces are flavorful. The brisket doesn't actually need sauce, it stands on its own. It is that good. My wife loves the chopped pork platter and they nail it. The pork is so delicous. We always finish the night off with a banana pudding for two and we are really satisfied. Neat atmosphere, nice people, amazing food! You have to try Bessinger's, it only takes 1 meal and you will be hooked! read more

Bessinger's BBQ - Brisket platter!!! Onion rings are delicious! - Barbeque Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I was skeptical about their status as the best 'que' in SC but their 'que' was really good! Loved our meal and will be making this place a "must eat here stop" for our next trip down here! read more

This place has been in business since the 60s, and with good reason. They serve a great mustard-based pulled pork! The onion rings are huge, and their buffet on weekend night's is fantastic. Highly recommended for a bite of local flavor. read more

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

Sweet, sweet Bessinger's, how is it possible that I haven't written a review for you yet? I am so sorry, baby! I guess I could say that I've just been too busy, but we both know that's a lie. Whenever I'm in Charleston, I'll always make time for you. And one of these days, I'm going to stop running around with all of those second-rate restaurants when I slip one of those giant onion rings on your finger and ask you to be my one and only restaurant, now and forever. read more

Just went through Drive-Thru and order two baby Joe meals @ $6 which includes fries, a small drink and a small bag of M&M's. I also ordered 1 Little Joe sandwich @7. When I got home it was obvious that a Baby Joe sandwich and a Little Joe sandwich are one in the same. Moral of the story is I should have ordered 3 Baby Joes. I will know the next time read more

Bessinger's is THE BEST BBQ in the state!!! I love their southern style mustard-based bbq sauce. And their onion rings are so good they could serve them on the desert menu! I always order the Big Joe Pork...simply delicious. This is a family-owned-and-operated restaurant. I've met the owners and they are the nicest folks. Their staff is always wonderful and shows off their southern hospitality. Whenever my family from up north come to visit...they always request we hit up Bessingers while they're here. :-) read more

This is it. It's weird, but when I first tried their pulled pork with its mustard based sauce I was a little disappointed. They must put heroin in there or something because after a while I started craving it! Every time I go to Charleston I'll end up here, or at their kinfolk's Melvin's. I can't say I like one over the other (they are both amazing), but since this is the place that opened up my world to the mustard based awesomeness, I'll put my stars here. read more

I had a brief stay in Charleston and was lucky to find this place the first day. I ate here every day at least once because it was so good. The sauce, the sauce, the sauce!! The onion rings are more like onion donuts! Gotta dip em in the sauce! The pulled pork, chicken, beef. It was all good. I will miss this place very much after I leave. read more

Great atmosphere, great food, and reasonable prices. I personally love the BBQ, the burgers, and the Big Chick sandwich. I love the dining room appearance and the sauce station. Hickory Red Sauce is my favorite. Also always enjoy sitting on the front porch swing after eating. Highly recommend! PS also tried their newly added Brisket, and it may be the best I ever had. read more

We love their sauces and were excited to visit the main place. We should not have come. Came on a Saturday night at 6 pm. Not crowded and after eating I can see why. Everything is so plain. Bbq not good. Chicken no taste. So sad and disappointed. read more

This was the best BBQ I've ever had. The pork was smoky and moist and the chicken was fall off the bone tender without being dry. The BBQ sauces were authentic tangy, mustardy SC style BBQ, but had a little something going on flavor-wise that was hard to place, but heavenly. I will have dreams about this BBQ. read more

Fantastic onion rings and burgers! The onion rings were very different than any I've had before. Had more of a soft hushpuppy batter on them which made them delicious! read more

This is another great que joint that's part of the Bessinger family. Their sauce is some of the best around, and you can find it in select grocery stores, such as Piggly Wiggly. This place has an awesome buffet on Sundays from lunch. It's around $10 and has a multitude of different things to eat on it. Definitely give it a shot if you're in the area. read more

Free WiFi, nice and fast food. Not too expensive and can eat as much as you want. Music choices wasn't bad either.

Before writing this review I took a look at the other reviews to see why in the world this place is only rated 3.5 stars...I was shocked...come on people be serious..."I'm a vegetarian and went to a bbq place and was disappointed because even their veggies were cooked in meat"...."I went there and tried a burger"...COME ON BE SERIOUS! I took my wife here about 15 years ago (She is from TX) and she was pre disposed not to like it...as a matter of fact she told me that she purposely was not going to give in....TX vs SC pride. Immediately after the first bite...she looked at me and said WOW..ever since it has been one of her favorites as well. Here is what to order: Plate of BBQ, Hash and Rice, choose your sides...prepare to have everything taste like is was cooked on or around meet...put on a little yellow sauce...eat your pork w/ the hash and rice...enjoy the onion ring (never had one like it anywhere) And now write a review! I lived in Charleston for 20 years and just the thought of going made my mouth water! Can't speak to the buffet side as I never tried it. Also, for a couple of you, if you want to complain about the price...go price brisket, divide it by the size of the piece you want then add sides, a soft drink, oh yeah and by the way staff, a building, government robbery, etc and see what price you come up with. Bet you can't touch it! BTW if you need the mustard sauce recipe...I've got one that is crazy close...can't name my source but just trust me read more

We really enjoyed Bessinger's. Easy to order and the food was delicious! We had the beef and pork platters with mac and cheese and potato salad on the side. Everything was delicious! We even bought some sauce to take home and cook with. I also liked the added touch of the onion ring on the side. read more

I've eaten at a tons of BBQ places and this by far one of the best in the south. Highly recommend the lil Joe was the perfect size for lunch. read more

After 4 years away from SC I realized how much I missed the BBQ. Bessingers is an excellent choice!

This is awful. Huge chunks of supposedly sliced brisket no service and high prices. Sheesh.

BBQ is barely worth mentioning. The rest is just bad. Driest cornbread ever! Staff is courteous and pleasant, food is not good.

I have erased this review several times because I tend to get ugly when pissed. So I am from Texas and I haven't been able to find some good brisket out here yet. Someone told me this place had good brisket sandwiches. I'm done for new places right...I ordered up a Big Joe's Brisket Basket. Brisket sandwich, fries and a "single golden onion ring". Woohoo, I was so excited. Paid my 12 clams, no drink comes with it.. good thing I already had some Bojangles tea. This bag of food smelled great! I drove all the way to Riverfront Park to enjoy some lunch by the water. Open it up, looks delicious, I even got 2 onion rings and a small ball jalapeno. SCORE...right? Nope, sever let down. The brisket was full of nothing but fat. Seriously, it's ok to trim some of the fat off. There was zero flavor and zero bark on the meat. I was beyond upset but thought I would try this ring. It was a freaking donut with a thick onion inside it. I swear it was as thick as a donut and cooked like one...again zero flavor. Surely the fries gotta be good right? Nope, no salt, no seasoning, nothing but stale oil flavor. For the amount of money I spent, I could have went to McDonald's and eaten like a king! Very bad Bessinger...get some flavor on your food, please. Salt it at least. Can't pay me to go back. I'd give zero stars if I could! Stay away! read more

This place is pretty good! I love the huge portions and they always have homemade goodies as you check out such as, brownies and cookies. Defiantly not my favorite bbq joint but still tasty and friendly. Oh yea, the big onion ring is crazy delish! read more

Second best BBQ in SC! The price can add up if you want all of the trimmings and all of the trimmings are GOOD! Go here if you want great SC BBQ with a pleasant and nice staff. The whole family does good BBQ, but Bessinger's is the best of them all. read more

This place is supposedly rated number one in the state. I do not know what all the hype is about. I went later on a Sunday afternoon upon arriving in Charleston. I was eager to try all this BBQ the state was raving about. We were immediately ushered through the buffet before sitting down to eat. The salad bar was amply stocked and had delicious items. My main issue was with the main course bar. The fried catfish was very tasty being some of the best fish we have ever had. The fried chicken livers were way overcooked and inedible. Now onto what should be the star of my plate...the pulled pork. It was dry and cold. Pulled pork should be moist. It had sat on the buffet line for too long. It had no flavor and no amount of delicious mustard sauce could fix that. This is the number one bbq restaurant and it needs to get its priorities straight and serve better BBQ pork. read more

Visited the sandwich side of restaurant & had the pulled pork sandwich with fries, onion ring and a side of collard greens. Really good pulled pork, solid (but plain) collard greens and so so fries. The onion ring was a very nice surprise - basically a french beignet sweet bread with onion tucked inside - different but really good. I'll be back when I get back out to Charleston. read more

This place is my all time favorite place to visit in charleston. The food is great! We've been to the sandwich shop and the buffeteria. The best night for the buffeteria is Sunday. The sweet potatoe casserole and the hash over rice are amazing. Bottom line this place has great food but needs a major facelift. Also if you see tommy bessinger, one of the owners don't expect a hello. Personally if I owned this place I'd go around and ask how people's meals were but obviously he thinks differently. Other than that a must go to in Charleston. The person that wrote a review comparing this place to McDonald's obviously knows nothing about good bbq food read more

Enjoyed a tasty pork sandwich with fries and an onion ring.

I am more of a fan of vinegar based BBQ but this wasn't half bad. I had the rotisserie chicken

Good Q and a damn good onion ring. The ring is like a Vidalia onion and a Crazy Crab hushpuppy hooked up on a hot summer night and made sweet love. read more

Economical and Great BBQ! I'd recommend going on the Saturday evening buffet. I believe it starts at 5pm. It features a large variety of meats, a nice salad bar, a soup or two, and several vegetables. They have rice, hash, and macaroni and cheese. Honestly, if you enjoy fresh fish, the fried fish is out of sight! read more

Place was packed for a car show, and we decided to stop in since it smelled so good outside. My dad and I shared a rib platter with fried okra, cole slaw, and italian green beans. Everything was just okay except for the onion ring that comes with everything. It was humongous and diffed in some fluffy, sweet batter. Worth going just for a plate of those! read more

The outside of this place makes it look like it is going to be huge! which maybe it is... but we went on weekday and were most likely the first customers of the day I think we arrived at 10:30 AM when they opened because it was a must stop at BBQ joint on our vacation to do list. We ordered 2 sandwiches and drinks. I feel that it was over priced for what we got. I did like the chopped pork sandwiches. I loved the mustard base sauce so much that I came home and taught myself how to make a similar sauce! but without the sauce the sandwich would have been super dry. So the sauce wins. The price loses. The decor of the place reminded me of cracker barrel. I would go back if I was in the area.. but I would not make it a destination. read more

Terrible. Usually go to Melvins on folly road but went to this one bc of convenience. They got my husbands burger order wrong. The bbq was super dry, green beans lacked flavor. Cole slaw was dry, and my husband said it tasted sour. the tea honestly made us gag. Won't be returning to this location. If you want this style bbq, it's worth the drive to Melvins on Folly Rd. Very disappointed. read more

After living here for 18 yrs., this is like going to the McDonald's of b-b-q. Hometeam on Sullivan's Island or West Ashley is what that subject is about. read more