Bessinger's Barbeque, Charleston, SC

 

   If I had to trace my fascination with southern barbecue back to one source, it would have to be Bessinger's in Charleston. As a teenager in the early to mid '90s I had a job with a traveling construction company that took me to many areas of the country. We spent a good amount of time in the Charleston area during the rebuilding following Hurricane Hugo, and this was one of the crew's favorite dinner spots. The spicy mustard sauce and sweet, doughnut size onion rings kept us coming back for more. Several times we even drove an hour or more if we were anywhere close.

   I've been back a couple times since, but not in the last five years, so when I had a business trip to Charleston scheduled this summer, Bessinger's was at the top of my list of places to visit.

   They are located just south of downtown on busy Hwy 17, but the front porch, complete with porch  swing, leads you through the double doors to a quieter, relaxing atmosphere. You place your order and pay at the counter, and they give you a buzzer to let you know when your order is ready to pick up. (They have also added a buffet type restaurant through the entrance on the left side of the building, but I have only visited and reviewed the original sandwich shop.)
   Everything I've tried here has been good, especially the pork sandwiches. On this trip, I ordered the rib plate, which I hadn't tried before.

 

   This was a huge slab of meat, as you can see. The ribs were cooked perfectly, very tender and with delicious flavor. Still, with two sides, bread and the one onion ring, it was more food than I could handle. Thankfully, I had my family there to help. It was simply too good to waste.

   I was glad to find this place was as good as I remembered. As good as it is, I don't remember ever seeing them packed full. I would attribute this to the multitude of dining options available in the Charleston area. Hopefully they are able to continue cranking out awesome barbecue for years to come. I will be a repeat customer whenever I'm anywhere close.

FOOD RATING: 4.5 OF 5                                                      

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 OF 5

Down South Barbecue, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

I found this little gem hidden on one end of one of the many shopping strips that line A1A in Ponte Vedra. It's a tiny place, but they serve some good food and more reasonably priced than you might expect for the area. It looks fairly new, the inside is upscale for a bbq joint, but not stuffy. We took a seat and were immediately helped by one of the two waitresses.

I went for the pork sandwich, which is served piled high on garlic bread. The meat was moist and flavorful, and would have been great by itself, but they also provide a wide variety of sauces to choose from at every table. Memphis and Georgia were my favorites. My sandwich was accompanied by a side of delicious cole slaw.

 With a sweet iced tea, this lunch came to about $10. It's a little more than you'd pay at your average lunch spot, but  still a good deal for the quality of food and excellent service.

FOOD RATING: 4 OF 5

OVERALL RATING: 4 OF 5

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