As the birthplace of barbecue, South Carolina is naturally included in the great American BBQ Belt, which is found in both of the Carolinas, Texas, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri's Kansas City, and Tennessee's Memphis. Our state’s BBQ Trail includes many restaurants throughout each region of the state, some of which are absolute must-visit stops. The ones we are featuring below include restaurants along the BBQ Trail in South Carolina that serve all four of the basic barbecue sauces. This is the only state in the country where you can enjoy all four sauces. And not only did we narrow our spots to restaurants serving all four sauces, but we also included only those places with a 4.5-star Google Reviews rating or higher. So pack your bags and let’s get started on this delicious journey to experience some of the best barbecue of your life!

We've put together a Google Maps interactive map to help you plan your trip out and visualize the route. You can adapt it to better suit your situation or, for example, if you wish to pick and choose from these stops and not visit them all.

At a total of about 8.5 hours of driving time, you'll want to take at least two days for this trip.

1. Southside Smokehouse & Grille ~ Landrum

Starting in the upstate region of South Carolina at Southside Smokehouse & Grille in Landrum, which has a 4.5-star Google Reviews rating, you will enjoy house-smoked meats, produce from local farmers for the best of this area, and desserts baked fresh locally!

2. Pig Out ~ Inman

Another upstate spot, Pig Out in Inman (Spartanburg area) is rated 4.6 stars on Google. The ribs here are fall-off-the-bone tender, and the BBQ sauce has amazing flavor.

3. Hite's Bar-B-Que ~ West Columbia

Now we will head into the midlands region of the state to Hite's Bar-B-Que, rated 4.5 stars on Google. Hite's specializes in "whole hog" BBQ, which you can get on a sandwich, plate, or by the pound, and its hash is popular as well.

4. Belly's Southern Pride BBQ ~ Lexington

Continuing through the midlands area, our next stop on this trail is Belly's Southern Pride BBQ, rated 4.5 stars on Google. Its brisket is very popular, which you can get in chili or on a sandwich.

5. Carolina Bar-B-Que ~ New Ellenton

Our last spot in the midlands is Carolina Bar-B-Que in New Ellenton with a Google rating of 4.5 stars and an all-you-can-eat buffet. The restaurant has been open since 1969.

6. Home Team BBQ ~ Sullivan's Island

The rest of our BBQ trail is in the lowcountry area of South Carolina, starting with Home Team BBQ on Sullivan's Island near Charleston. With an impressive 4.7-star Google rating, you'll want to have the wings here and the Game Changer specialty drink is very popular, too. Military discounts are offered here!

7. Swig & Swine ~ Charleston

Another 4.7-star rated stop is Swig & Swine in Charleston, where the top menu items are pork belly, corn pudding, and pork rinds. Oh, and be sure to try the chocolate bourbon pecan pie for dessert!

8. Dukes Barbecue ~ Charleston

Editor's Note: Unfortunately, Duke's in Beaufort is permanently closed.

We've got another good old-fashioned buffet on this trail at Dukes Barbecue in Charleston, rated 4.5 stars by Google Reviewers. Try the banana pudding for dessert!

9. Dukes Barbecue ~ Beaufort

Located in close proximity to Parris Island, we'll be visiting another Dukes Barbecue in Beaufort, yet another buffet-style spot, featuring items prepared using old southern family recipes. Dukes has been named by Southern Living as one of the best BBQ Restaurants in the country, and this one is often visited by families with Marines who have just graduated from boot camp. Oorah!

10. One Hot Mama's ~ Hilton Head Island

For our final two stops along the BBQ Trail, we're heading onto Hilton Head Island, first to One Hot Mama's, rated 4.5 stars on Google. Most popular here are the jalapeno cornbread, burnt ends, and brisket chili items from the menu.

11. Bullies BBQ ~ Hilton Head Island

Now, our final stop on this trail is not shown on the map above, as Google Maps allows only up to 10 stops. But Bullies BBQ is also on Hilton Head Island, rated 4.5 stars on Google, located in a gas station, and serves only the freshest lean pork which has been "slow-smoked" over hickory and mesquite woods. Chef Bob Sutton is famous for his South Carolina pulled pork, making this one a special treat.

See the South Carolina BBQ Trail Map for the complete listing of all spots throughout the state, but be advised that some of these eateries are sadly no longer open. In fact, about one-third of the restaurants serving all four types of BBQ sauces have closed, thus, reducing the number of potential stops we could include in this list.

With so many places to eat, you may want to stretch this trip out over several days. If you’d like to break it up and spend the night at a couple of places along the way, we suggest the most famous historic hotel in South Carolina for your first night. There’s another great BBQ spot there, Dukes Bar-B-Que, that is currently closed for renovations but planning to re-open during the first half of 2023. If you are taking this trip after that point you could always stop by there as well! For your second night, try the oldest hotel in South Carolina after eating at the Charleston spots if you’re up for a stay in a haunted hotel.

Have you heard of or eaten at any of these BBQ spots in South Carolina before? Which BBQ sauce is your favorite? Share with us in the comments section below!