Sweatman’s BBQ

This is a very friendly, clean restaurant off the beaten path. The buffet consisted of: hash, rice, BBQ Pork, BBQ chicken, BBQ ribs, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, green beans, pickles and banana pudding. It was all excellent and left us very satisfied ! You can choose to pay for «all-​you-​can eat» or just one time through. How much you eat is up to you! Different sauces are on the table for additional flavor. The 100+ year old setting simply adds to the the experience. Warning: Only open on Fridays and Saturdays.

Drove 1 hour out of our way to try this place. People were so friendly, BBQ was avg. you are limited to 2 ribs, which is fine as they are huge. I didn’t care for the ribs, but loved the green beans. Give it a try as maybe my taste buds were just not working well that day.

What a disappointment. We had heard about Sweatman’s barbecue for years and had wanted to stop there on other trips to the south. But, because of the limited days when it is open, we had never been able to do so. Now we have and it was definitely not worth it. The food was no better than ordinary and certainly not worth the detour from I-​95. Uninspired sides
, tough meat and too sweet sauce… don’t bother to eat here!

Really good BBQ spot. I really like the building, it’s over a 100 year house. So getting to see some of the old

Best barbecue I have had in my life. The staff are some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Highlight was the tour of the pits with the pit master. I wish I lived near this place, I would be there every weekend. Will make it a must every time I am in the area.

Holy grail BBQ. I’m not going to go into detail about how much this place kicks butt. Just go and find out for your self. The food and atmosphere make this my favorite BBQ spot hands down… period…end of story… take that to the bank.

Can’t say enough good things about Sweatman’s. Traveling through SC on our way home from FL, I did a search for BBQ and drove a bit out of our way based on the reviews. We were not disappointed. Excellent food and excellent service. I’m not usually a fan of buffets, but I had no qualms about eating here.

Oh my goodness gracious! I just discovered Sweatman’s yesterday thanks to the Food Network website while on a drive to Coastal SC from visiting family in NC. It’s definitely off the beaten path, 10 miles or so off I-​95, but set your GPS and you’ll be in for a treat! Only open on Fri and Sat, from what I understand, but open all day 11:30 — 9:00.
We bought a huge to-​go order to share with friends including BBQ, NC sauce, cole slaw, hash, rice, and banana pudding. Wowie! Everything was so good, but my favorite was the hash, which I put on over rice. So delicious! And we know good BBQ!

First time there. The BBQ was good me personally didn’t care for the BBQ sauce they used on the ribs but it was good! The Mac N’ Cheese, green beans, rice and hash were good next time I’m there I will do a repeat performance!

My favorite BBQ joint on Planet Earth.

I happend to find this restaurant luckily. I was in a traffic jam crossing a bridge and got bored in a passenger seat. I opened up Unilocal app as usual. I love both BBQ and Anthony Borden. They open only weekends. What?!? So I gotta try this restaurant automatically.
It is middle of nowhere. Relaxing countryside. There are big trees around the building. As soon as I entered, I remember a tv show. I knew it!
The menu is really simple. Most meals are under $ 10. I chose their buffet for $ 15. Included pitcher drinks. There is a caution. Even you order the buffet, you can get ribs up to 2. What?!? That was the best one. I wished I could have eaten more. Their chicken was good too. Coleslaw has too much mayonnaise. Beens are tasty. Mac and cheese is ok. Banana sweet is not my cup of tea but my husband ate 2. There are 3 different kind of BBQ sauces on the table. I didn’t use the. Meats are pretty flavorful and delicious. I just forgot use it. When I got really full, I remembered about the sauces and tasted them by themselves. They are good too.
The staffs are really sweet. The cashier and waitresses especially.
I wanna buy lots of ribs next time. I’m not sure there is an option like that tho. Ahhh, getting hungry for BBQ!

Definitely not on the beaten path to anywhere, but damn well worth the effort to visit. Been on my list for almost 3 years but working travels plans around their Friday/​Saturday hours is a challenge. And it’s located about 30 minutes east of I95/​26 intersection, but easy to find.
Okay, the chow? That’s why we are here, isn’t it? BBQ is the name of the game; and there’s plenty to sample from: 2 kinds of pulled pork (inside da pig & outside closer to the skin & the smokey fire), chicken and ribs. I’m not a rib guy, but these fell off the bone and were juicy (me thinks someone else here just had s bad day). Ribs also basted in a light SC mustard BBQ sauce.
3 sauces to choose from … 2 SC mustards, one light, one dark with a bit of tomato in it, and a NC vinegar sauce, thinner than the mustard-​based sauces. All three very tasty; tough decision.
Sides numerous and traditional, including baked beans, southern green beans, mac&cheese, white rice and Brunswick stew, slaw, salad and banana cream pie. Not a bad choice in the bunch — found the Brunswick stew over rice to be quite nice.
It’s a little on the high side cost wise, but you can’t go wrong with «all you can eat» for $ 15.
Out in the country, house with a double wide attached to it, outside covered with weather-​beaten rough-​hewn wood siding, meant to make it look 50 – 60 years old, with smokehouses in the back where the works being done. Pay for meal, get plate, do the buffet and add to it delightful service in the dining rooms from a friendly, energetic, hard-​working attendant.
Delightful meal — hope I can return some time.
Best BBQ I’ve ever had? Don’t know, but Sweatman’s is definitely in the conversation. If you love good BBQ, make the effort.

Deliciosa comida, el puerco se derrite en la boca, las costillas mas jugosas y suaves, y lo mejor el chicharrón (pork skin)
El personal muy amable y amistoso

This place was amazing. Directed here by Anthony Bourdain’s trip to Charleston, I had to definitely try it out. The story here is that this place works all week, cooking up BBQ, and serves it only Friday and Saturday. A week long BBQ place? Oh yeah.
Finding the place was very unique, about 15 – 20 minutes from I-​26 I think it was sort of in the middle of nowhere, however when I got there… what I saw was a house turned into a restaurant. Nice little decorations, and a signature picture of Anthony Bourdain on the wall, there’s momentos all over the place and its deserving.
Now. what’s so amazing about this place you say? Let’s just start with the all you can eat buffet. Even though you would probably get full from just one plate. Ribs, Green Beans, Chicken, Pork Skin (I think they limit these though), Pulled Pork… I mean should I go on? They cook BBQ all week, and they open for just 2 days. I mean, come on if that’s not dedication for BBQ cooking I don’t know what is.
Lets start off with the BBQ. It falls off the fork and melts in your mouth. The flavor is second to none. If you could imagine, all the BBQ that you ever had to eat had to have some sort of sauce to it right? Not this one. This BBQ has been lathered with Sweatman’s mustard based sauce and been cooking with it before it reached your plate. When I ate this, I didn’t need any other sauce. I don’t think it could’ve been better with any other sauce.
All in all, you can tell my experience was amazing. I wouldn’t think Bourdain was going to steer me any place wrong. This place is definitely a hidden gem, and I am so grateful that I got the chance to eat there. If I“m ever in town, I will be sure to be back for another all you can eat. And I’ll be saving my appetite for it.

A BBQ must do! Drove 110 miles while vacationing in Myrtle Beach just for a plate of Sweatman’s pulled pork and a couple of ribs.
This is what a BBQ place should be like. All you can fit on one plate or for a few bucks more as many trips as you want!
Sweet Tea from sweet servers too!

Sweatman’s may be a bit out of the way, though it’s less than 20 minutes from I95, it feels like you are miles away from anything. The bbq here is incredible though. Only open on Fri and Sat, it’s well worth the detour from 95 on a long drive. The food is served buffet style with the option of all you can eat or as much a you can fit in a single plate. The sides were pretty good, particularly the beans and Mac and cheese. The bbq was incredible though. The pork was my favorite and the odd yellow mustard based sauce was actually delicious. Very friendly service as well.

Definitely off the beaten path, but not terribly far from the 95. Food was delicious! Worth the drive! It’s a buffet style but you have the option of paying for one time thru the line or as many as you want!

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed Sweatman’s. The food here is just as good as everyone says it is, and the staff here are absolutely lovely. Sweatman’s is out of the way for most people but it’s not that far from the I-​95 and definitely worth a detour five times as long.

Because Sweatman’s is only open on Fridays and Saturdays, and I don’t live in the area, I’ve literally been trying to plan a visit here for years. I did try on a Friday night a few years back, not knowing that they close for the Thanksgiving weekend. So today’s lunch was long anticipated by both my husband and me. I have learned, however, to temper my barbecue expectations, as this seems to be one cuisine where people go overboard with the love when it’s not all that deserved. Sweatman’s is a case in point.
There was much to like here and a couple of things that had me shaking my head. I’ll start with the positive. This is a self serve (mostly) buffet. Today’s choices were baked beans, mac & cheese, butter beans, pork rinds, SC hash and white rice, pulled pork (they smoke the whole hog here, but separate the light from dark meat on the buffet), smoked chicken, smoked ribs, cole slaw, pickles and banana pudding. We both opted for the all you can eat, because we’re realists, and I took a bit of almost everything. I skipped the chicken, as it didn’t look appetizing. The woman behind the line serves the ribs to you, I guess to stop folks from taking too much. The pulled pork was good. I took a bit of both the inner (light) and outer (dark plus bark) meats, as the dark is moister and keeps the less fatty parts from drying out. I honestly don’t know why they separate the meat this way… most whole hog pit masters mix them together. Anyway, both were good, especially with the NC style vinegar sauce that was at the table. They have 2 mustard sauces table side too, and I liked the darker one; the lighter one just tasted like yellow mustard with a few spices to me. The baked beans were terrific; they put bacon in them, and I’m now wondering why more places don’t do this. The mac & cheese was also excellent. Had I just tried these 3 things, this might be a different review. But there’s the matter of the ribs…
There was nothing good about these ribs. They were tough, dry and flavorless, with not even a hint of smoke. They tasted like they had been cooked days earlier. I just don’t get it. The hash was decent, but the slaw had way too much mayo in it. On a positive note, the banana pudding was divine, so lunch ended in a very happy way. Service was also very friendly, and I like the old house and the surrounding countryside… it’s a beautiful setting. So, if I ever get the chance, I’ll return for more of that pulled pork and the delicious sides. I just can’t give them 4 stars with ribs that bad.

This place has been on my list since before the ownership change but I couldn’t make it because of their short schedule. I’ve learned to temper my enthusiasm for «famous» BBQ joints so entered with an open mind.
The place itself is awesome. I love the converted old home. The staff is similarly homey and welcoming. The food gets mixed reviews from my point of view. I’m really sorry I couldn’t have made it sooner before it apparently has gone down hill.
The pulled pork is great. I chose to try the inside and outside pig, light and dark respectively. Tender and tasty. The light was dryer. The vinegar North Carolina sauce was some of the best I’ve had. I didn’t care for the mustard sauce that was yellower in color. It just tasted like mustard but I loved the one that was a bit redder. Nice! A little sweet and a little spicy. These both are good with the pork.
I liked the sides. None were awesome but they were all solid. I tried the baked beans with bacon, Mac n cheese, and butter beans. The baked beans were the best choice. I passed on the overly soaked mayo slaw. I would have liked some greens. The banana pudding is great.
The ribs are some of the worst I’ve had. They smelled like they were cooked yesterday and left in an old shoe and tasted like braised pork with a hint of their mustard sauce. Nasty. There’s no hint of smoke. They’re grey with a hint of yellow and look as bad as they taste. I asked about when they were cooked and my fears were confirmed. You’re open 2 days/​week. Do what you have to do to get your lazy selves out of bed and smoke me some fresh Bbq! It’s $ 15 for all you can eat. It’s less at Duke’s in Walterboro and the food is better. So is the selection. If you hadn’t served me these ribs I would have given you 4 stars without hesitation. There’s no excuse for serving me food without any life left in it.

I rarely give a place five stars. This place had it all. Nestled off on the side of the road, 15 minutes off I95, Sweatmans is a five star bbq joint.
Ribs are smokey and tender.
Chicken falls off the bone.
And my favorite was the skins. Oh how i enjoyed them. Be sure to dip them in mustard bbq sauce.