Restaurants & Dining
The Ultimate Guide to Carolina-Style BBQ in Myrtle Beach
There’s often some confusion when tourists visit Myrtle Beach and order barbecue. While the Carolinas is known for having some of the best barbecue in the country, it isn’t always exactly what someone from other regions would expect. To help clear up the confusion we’ve put together this guide explaining what Carolina-style barbecue is and answering some common questions.
How We Define “Barbecue”
When we say “barbecue” here in Myrtle Beach, some people from other parts of the country may immediately think of ribs, steaks, sausages, and other types of items that would be found at a backyard cookout. However, when someone from the Carolinas speaks of BBQ, they’re talking about mouthwatering pork that is slow cooked, and then pulled, chopped, or shredded; oftentimes served on a plate or on a delicious sandwich.
What is Carolina-Style BBQ?
Most times, the wood used to smoke the Carolina-style barbecued pork is a hardwood like hickory or oak. In addition to smoking the meat with hardwood, the pork can also be covered with a rub or a seasoning liquid before or during the cooking process. Of course, Carolina BBQ doesn’t stop at naked pulled pork; Carolinians will tell you that there are a variety of sauces appropriate to smother your pulled pork with, and some will even argue that one type of sauce is superior to another. This is because some sauces and rubs are more popular in some regions rather than others.
Difference Between SC and NC BBQ
Barbecue enthusiasts will tell you that there is a vast difference between South Carolina and North Carolina BBQ, with North Carolina boasting two distinct variations of the dish. In North Carolina, Eastern North Carolina BBQ is made with the whole pig and is characterized by a thin, vinegar-centric sauce with spices such as cayenne pepper. On the other hand, Western North Carolina barbecue, aka Lexington barbecue, is made with only the pork shoulder and is topped with a vinegar-based sauce with tomato. Lexington is famous for their Lexington Barbecue Festival where guests can sample this delicious style of BBQ.
South Carolina’s barbecue has some similarities to North Carolina barbecue, specifically in the way that western South Carolina BBQ uses a ketchup-based or peppery tomato sauce that is akin to Lexington barbecue. However, in our part of the state, “Carolina Gold,” or, a mustard-based sauce, is used. When thinking of South Carolina barbecue, the yellow, mustard-based sauce is what comes to mind for most. In some parts of the coastal Pee Dee region, though, barbecue enthusiasts use the whole hog with a watery sauce made with vinegar and pepper, much like Eastern North Carolina barbecue.
Where to Get Carolina-Style BBQ
If your mouth is watering like mine is while writing this, then you’ll probably be interested in knowing where you can try different types of Carolina-style barbecue in Myrtle Beach. Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! Check out our blog post featuring the top 10 Carolina-Style BBQ restaurants in Myrtle Beach. Many of these offer a choice of sauce or even leave the meat naked so that you can experiment with variations of sauces from North and South Carolina!
