There is bbq that is slow smoked over wood, charcoal, or pellets. This is not! At best I would say an electric smoker with a small chunk of wood in the bottom. We ordered wings, and a combo platter with brisket, ribs, Mac n cheese, and fried okra. The brisket was wet style but also extremely greasy with no smoke ring, the ribs were dry with no smoke ring, the wings were crispy outside and bone dry on the inside, the Mac n cheese was so mushy that you couldn't pick up one noodle with a fork without it falling apart, the fried okra was soggy like it had been sitting under a warming light for hours after frying. They had self serve drinks and sauce station. They had several beers to choose from but they were all domestic or import, no micro or local brews. read more

This place is very good. They have great food and service. I have never once been disappointed with their food.

Authentic Bar B Q a little off the beaten path in Florence. Excellent Bar B Cued chicken and brisket. You order at counter and they bring it to your table. Tonight I had the combo platter with pulled pork, brisket, fried okra, sweet potato casserole and hush puppies. Soooo good.For those travelers using Florence as a stopover on an I-95 trip , I highly recommend this place over the variety of fast food and chain restaurants at or near the highway exit read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Combo platter - Pulled Pork, brisket, fried okra, sweet potato casserole and hush puppies - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

One overnight stay in Florence SC, northbound from Florida, brought this recommendation from our hotel staff. This is a fantastic barbeque joint! It's less than 3 miles from I-95. Why stop at any chain restaurant that you have at home. Go here! We were there on a Monday night, with only two parties seated inside. That said, there was a steady stream of cars placing and picking up orders outside. (Beneath and behind the outdoor porch and all of the picnic tables, this was a former fast food establishment. The drive-up ordering has been wisely repurposed.) Just the two of us for dinner; it's a large menu with a good selection of beers. Of course, we ordered from their specialties: one 2-meat 2-sides platter and one 1-meat 2-sides platter. Between us, we sampled excellent ribs, very good pulled pork, and superb brisket. Be both got amazing mac-n-cheese, plus good collards, and a fine apple jalapeno slaw. Both platters came with plenty of hush puppies. There are large containers of 5 different Holt Brothers sauces (varying spiciness, including vinegar, mustard, and tomato bases.) Standard condiments are in a bucket on the table, with a roll of paper towels. You'll need the paper towels. The portions were huge and the prices were a downright bargain. This is the kind of place that you eat too much because the food is too good and you don't want to leave anything on the plate. At least the sides come in small plastic containers with snap on lids, so if you figure it right you might have a small lunch left over for the next day. Order at the counter; they'll bring your order to your table. There's a tip jar at the counter. Not a problem being seated, there are plenty of booths and high-top tables, with TVs all around. There's a covered porch in front with picnic tables, plus uncovered picnic tables closer to the street. Lots of parking. Pay attention to the one-way entry and exit to the parking lot (which facilitates the drive-through ordering.) They cater and have a catering truck. We loved this place and plan to stop at Holt Brothers in Florence SC (Darlington and Hartsville SC are further from I-95) each round trip to Florida in the future. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - A 2-meat platter and a 1-meat platter, both with 2 sides and lots of hush puppies. - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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We were passing through Florence and I had a taste for some BBQ. Holt Bros. was the closest place to us that was open. We called in our order to which we were told that they were out of ribs AND the fried okra, both of which I wanted, so I was not expecting much out of the place. I wound up ordering the brisket platter, the mac & cheese and the sweet potato casserole and let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed! The brisket was shredded, as I prefer, it was moist and flavorful. The sweet potato casserole was nice and sweet, good amount of potatoes with a crunchy sugar topping. Instead of the fried okra, I ordered the mac and cheese to which I'm usually not a fan of restaurant mac & cheese, but no kidding, this was some of the best I've ever had. It was creamy, cheesy and flavorful, really delicious!! I wish I'd ordered more! The better half ordered the half chicken platter with mac & cheese & green beans. He wasn't a fan of the green beans, but he enjoyed the chicken and the mac and cheese and he really liked my sweet potato casserole as well! The small hushpuppies they give you are like little bonus balls of happiness! Service was awesome and they gave us everything we needed to eat in our car. We will definitely be back when we come through again! read more

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Delicious. A BBQ fan here and this place is the go to spot in florence for BBQ. They have a great menu to chose from even other dishes if your not a big bbq fan. We had friends come up from fla. And this is where they always want to go. Thank you again. Jackie read more

Always amazing food and great people always one of our first pics. If you're in the area, you have to try it. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - 2 Pulle 2 Brisket Tacos Bottled Water Hush Puppies Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

drove from Birmingham, Alabama, especially to come through Florence and eat the apple jalapeño coleslaw and arrived at 12 o'clock when they no coleslaw no ribs ran out of diet. Mountain Dew said they didn't have syrup to get it going again store seemed ill prepared. highly probably wouldn't make the through Florence just to visit read more

My wife wanted to visit this restaurant because a colleague recommended it. I like any kind of barbecue so I'm game. This one in Florence is beside Zaxby's, has a drive-thru we went inside. I went with just the Holt Hero which is the pulled pork sandwich. IMO the pork was a generous portion and taste was fine, but the sauces they have lacked any taste. There wasn't any vinegar, mustard, or normal bbq sauce so that is a zero in my opinion. It was $9.99 so price was good, my wife's ribs were okay as she said not great. We would need another visit for a more accurate rating. Of note, my one draft beer was $6.00 slightly high. read more

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Really good ribs. Friendly staff. Mac n cheese pretty good too. I'm not normally big on sauce but this rib sauce was really a good compliment to the meat. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Rib plate with Mac n cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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Pretty good bbq place, I would recommend it to a friend, I got the bbq sandwich and some fries, the meat is very vinegary so if you don't like that I'd suggest you try something else read more

Good food and fare prices. Clean and nice atmosphere. Staff is very helpful. Would definitely recommend if you are in 29501 read more

Had a bad experience at the Hartsville holt so I had always had good experiences at the Florence location well let's just say I won't be going back there either. Old food!!! Please if you have a buffet make sure the food is fresh and not as hard as a brick!! read more

Start by saying I went later in the evening... however, food was all just okay, except for the Banana Bread pudding. This saved the meal. Definitely will give this place another go during lunch hour. read more

Excellence food and service. I understand why people drive from miles around for the food.

We tried the new budget last Friday night and it was so good for the price. The chicken was great as always, but the corn especially was so good. read more

Really great food, nothing bad yet. They've got something for everyone, including one of the best burgers I've had, certainly in Florence. Wish the recipe for their biscuits were consistent, once was the best biscuit of my life & next time was average. Word of caution: their (4) superb vinegar sauces are in big steel tea dispensers that are off to the side & separated but still in close proximity to the drink station, my 10 yo daughter thought she'd found the worst tea ever, quite entertaining for us though. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Pork ribs, 1/2 chicken, insanely good cheese & mac, fries & a biscuit that was sent down from above - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

BBQ is BBQ....And then it is not. AT times, we are lucky to try something that is different. It is like you are eating at someones home. They know how to make BBQ and how to make you eat. And it is their version of what BBQ is all about. This is not typical. This is the way they make it. The way it is normally made in their neighborhood and region. Each state is different. What you have here in Florence is different than what you have in Texas, Mississippi or Alabama. This is local with the touch of the family. Spending a BBQ. Not formal. chain but from a family. And the Holt Brothers figured it out. This is homemade. It is fresh, It is tasty. It is typical with a twist. I like the tang of vinegar and spice. It is what I do look for but cannot always find. And there was plenty to eat. I had the pulled pork. It came with my side of okra that was special. It is rare to have and this was fresh from the field. Perfect. The mac & cheese was fresh from the stove. The hushpuppies were the best to try. And the cornbread was large and fresh. I had enough left to have the following morning for breakfast with coffee. This is homemade. We also had a sandwich with BBQ brisket. Also ideal. And with the fresh french fries you could not go wrong at all. That was a meal to itself. The portions are large. The price is ideal. We had enough left to have lunch the next day (minus the cornbread which was breakfast). Holt Bros is a good local choice when it comes to BBQ. You cannot go wrong on this. Give it a try. You will enjoy what is there for you. read more

I'm convinced that South Carolina has little to no good restaurants. I have been disappointed every year I drive through this state going back to Florida. Here is my take on this place. "World famous banana peppers appetizer " is nothing more than canned peppers battered and deep fried also appetizer portion should not be larger than your meal. Way too much peppers! Not that good either, famous in their own mind. Pork belly tacos were gross! Salty pork and same with the sauces. The slaw was disgusting! Prepackaged in a plastic container, really! Now I know why South Carolinians are mostly over weight eating this garbage. I won't be coming back. These people are short order cooks at best. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - What is left of the greasy "famous peppers" - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

The food was very average. It lacked flavor and was smothered in oil. If you're looking for cheap bbq then I guess this is your place but don't be surprised when you take a bite and are disappointed. read more

Disappointing. Brisket was greasy, tasted like it was microwaved because cold spots, zero flavor, mushy, didn't finish my brisket taco, never seen clear oil oozing from a brisket taco. Even feel a little nauseous. The sides were the only thing good. I've been waiting over a month to try their brisket, just sad read more

Ok I've came to this place a few times now and I can clearly say I will NEVER get any thing except for the BRISKET which is very different they serve it chopped from most restaurants its sliced. Out of the 6 times I've been there my brisket has been saturated with grease except yesterday it was a ok amount added a little of their sauce and it was sooooo good. Now for the rest of that nasty menu. I have a picture here of the deep fried corn it was so salty I don't get why the batter was so salty once I peeled off the batter the corn was ok. Plus I was shown a picture of a full size corn why did I get a damn nibble corn and it was up charged. Pork bbq is a dry.... Very dry joke I knew not to get that last night My ribs yesterday was such a waste of my hard earned money they were so hard and had to be pulled very hard out of my teeth I'm 30 so no bad teeth here ok. Why are y'all serving overcooked ribs????? Over all I spent around $45 on my food and Brisket and the fried okra were greasy as heck but the clear ONLY GOOD THING ON THE MENU. The sauces are all super liquid and vinegar base nothing just regular so much vinegar it burned my lip a little which was strange to me. My church members want to come here but I would be embarrassed to direct them here y'all really don't know how to do real Bbq food. Forgot those old award signs they have hanging bc they have changed a lot. Restaurant is clean and themed very well and staff are nice but the food season is the issue Also if the owners are reading this tell your workers to pour the damn grease off of the brisket before serving. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Fried corn - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

For food around while traveling through found this from yelp and it was super yummy. The sauce is perfect and everything was smoked just right. The ribs had a bit more fat then wanted but I'll totally look past it. read more

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I am in town for business and love bbq. This place is clean but dead. I was in about 4 pm on a Monday that might be why. I see they have brisket taco so I get them. I found the meat tender but greasy. I know it is brisket but I have a puddle. It is ok I have had better bbq and worse. Found them in the middle. The staff was friendly and fast but remember I was the only person there at the time. They do have a drive through so there is that. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - 2 Brisket Tacos - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

Staff is friendly, food is great..my only complaint is the green beans were super salty this time. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Half bbq chicken, green beans,Mac and cheese! Chicken is nice and most Mac and cheese is decent but the beans were very salty - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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The staff was so friendly and the food was Amazing!! I had the wings, ribs, mac&cheese and sweet potato casserole. It was all made impeccably well!! I was just on a visit and I went there twice! Run not walk to this restaurant. You will not be disappointed. read more

Great service and food! Bbq and chicken is great! Also try the sausage! Sweet tea was on point.

I have been a huge, HUGE fan of Holt Bros BBQ since they opened in Florence. Every time I come home, I make a point to come here for the pulled pork sandwich and French Fries. It is always a highlight to my visit. However, I had a terrible experience yesterday and it's going to take me a minute to go back. My mom is in the hospital and we all thought Holt Bros would be the perfect pick-me-up. I ordered online and my dad picked it up. The sandwich was delicious, and exactly what I expected and remembered. The French Fries were good, but 'frozen' crinkle cut fries and not the usual. I ordered unsweet tea and got sweet tea. The wings, however, were a different story. They were burned and one of them had feathers hanging off of it. That happens, I get it, but when my sweet, sweet father took it back to the restaurant, the manager was not kind. Instead of apologizing, he made excuses and was quite demeaning. (Seriously, if you saw my dad, you would understand how sweet he is.) Normally, I would have given Holt Bros a 5-star, but this whole experience just made me sad. read more

The bbq is great and the pork tacos are really good. They need to work on are the sides! I've gone to the new location in Hartsville twice two weeks apart. Their cut fries that come with the plates are horrible, thin cold and congealed to the point of sticking together. Not fresh and cold! I eat Mac and cheese anywhere but not here I've had it twice and it's horrible! Banana pudding was almost $5.00 and it was frozen not fresh! I was told to thaw it before we ate it! The hush puppies were cold both times with no crunch and no taste! I just wish they would get it together because they could do pretty well in Hartsville. read more

Always a great experience! The barbecue and burgers are amazing, and they give you plenty to eat. Staff is always welcoming and kind.

Looking for a genuine barbecue place, checking out reviews and decided to eat here on our way back to Va. The owner was there, asked where we were from. Gave us a sample of pulled pork and of the Sweetwater draft. Food, atmosphere and beer did not disappoint at all! read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Combo Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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The first red flag was the front door. The glass was filthy and had a lot of greasy handprints all over. Even the handle was dirty. The floor was very sticky and so was the table we sat at. Words can not describe how NASTY the food is here. Highly over cooked and drenched in vinegar based bbq sauce. Horrible. Won't be back. We wasted $50 here today but did learn a good lesson. Everything was over cooked, biscuits were cold and hard like the "butter" they came with (which had zero flavor). My wife's brisket was SOAKED with there vinegar sauce. We couldn't finish eating this mess. We hated to waste the food but it was so bad we couldn't. We do NOT recommend this place. Ever. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - Nasty food - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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Great space, music isn't over bearing. The food is great. Above all is the heart for service. These guys had it down every step of the way. Then when I thought we were good to go I committed the ultimate husband offense; I ate my wife last hush puppy thinking it was trash ‍ I walked up to buy a single hush puppy. There was no charge for the basket of puppies the lovely bartender gave me. They've definitely earned my business. Who wants a hush puppy? I've got plenty now! read more

Holt Bros BBQ - HushPuppy Salvation! - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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Driving down to SC we discovered this delicious spot. Yelp was right. Great bbq. Order the Grace & Willie bowl!

Wow o wow!!!!! Some of the best bbq I've had! We were traveling and found this place and what else can I say. The service phenomenal the people were so friendly and the place so much room and the outside eating was great! read more

The customer service is very good. They had my order ready in a timely manner. The food was delicious and hot. I'm a fan of their baked beans! read more

Update cause I tried the brisket. Greasy and tasteless. And with that, I can be done with this place for good.

the bathroom was disgusting!!! if I had seen it first, I never would have eaten there. Chicken was good, pull pork was was very DRY as were the fries. Won't go there again. read more

Food was delicious and quick. Would have been better if the bar was open. They only had bottled beer and a couple seltzer's. read more

Holt Bros BBQ - 5 bone ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

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This restaurant was a nice family-style restaurant with a welcoming energy and a very friendly staff. Upon entering I was welcomed with a warm smile and greeting. Everyone was so nice. Plenty of menu options to choose from ranging from ribs to burgers. I decided to go for The Diablo Burger with tater tots because it seemed interesting. You order at the front counter and they bring the food to your table. The food arrived rather fast which was a plus. Although the food looked good, it wasn't that good. The tots were lukewarm. The burger was a little overcooked and dry; sort of flavorless even with the chili queso. The experience was a bit of a bummer because I had high hopes for this place. I would like to go back to try other things on the menu because of what others have said. Give it a try if you're in the area! read more

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