Always a favorite when on the west side of columbia sc. family tradition of great food and service. Can't beat the buffet

Shealy's is a Southern tradition that really lives up to the hype. Food is good, service is good, sitting at big ol tables with people you don't know is not bad. Feels like a family reunion with family you don't know real well. The rice and gravy is terrific and the green beans too. Combined with dessert bar and their fried chicken, what's not to love? Also wash your hands when in line. People will judge you if you don't. read more

Took an elderly friend for her birthday and picked up her mother up from her rest home for a trip to Shealy's BBQ. They were so excited for weeks and ended up just being embarrassed and humiliated. Very disappointed from the moment we entered. Friend has to have a walker and her mother a wheelchair. Had to open very heavy and hard to open doors. Two to get in and three to exit. Why?? Is there that must crime in this small town? On way in have an obstacle course with solid iron fence going up and down then having to maneuver a wheelchair through turns with very little room and having to lift up on back of wheelchair to make the turn. Which hurt my back and unfortunately I'm no spring chicken. Buffet was nothing to write home about. Macaroni and cheese had to be made with a can of cheese sauce. It was the worse I ever had. Hash was not good and milk gravy was lumpy. The only thing that was good was the fried pork chop and fried chicken. Very much like cafeteria style food every thing from can or box mix. Nothing like I remembered when I used to come with parents 20 years ago. On the way out had to open 3 heavy single doors the lady on walker fell trying to open second door. The door was hard to push then all of a sudden it was easy, so when she reached over her walker she had to push hard then the door swung open and she almost went over her walker and fell to the ground. Not a single manager or owner came to make sure she was ok. 80% of the diners that day were either on a walker or cane. There is no reason for that many doors if they had any common sense they would simply remove all doors but the one to outside. They need to care more about their clientele than making them making money. read more

Our ROMEO group of six went here Tuesday for lunch. It's about a 45 minute drive for us be it was worth it. Chicken is the best in Columbia area. Crispy, moist and great tasting. We each ordered a Pully Bone...which is amazing. The sides were great. I tried the vinegar based pulled pork and loved it. We had creamed corn, green beans, collard greens, chicken noodle soup and vegetable soup, mash potatoes and milk gravy. Chicken livers and giblets along with rolls. For dessert we tried the peach cobbler and the excellent banana pudding. The pudding was very light and good tasting. Always a treat for us...and we've decided that this will be an annual thing for us to take the trip to Leesville just for the buffet. Everybody gave it a 4.5 - 5 rating. read more

My family, friends, out of town business visitors, etc. have been regular guests at Shealy's for many years. It has always been a special place ...sometimes described as the 'mother church' of SC barbecue restaurants. But today was a disappointment. Today is my 83rd birthday, a son had come up from Charleston and we were looking forward to the experience of the usual Shealy's meal. But it didn't happen. With the exception of a pulley bone just out of the grease, everything else was just slightly warmer than room temperature. It's a certainty that a DEHEC inspector would have closed the buffet. It was unsafe and the food should have been checked and not brought from the kitchen until properly heated. My anticipated birthday dinner was an expensive bust. Shealy's Is better than that. read more

Good food. Good Service. Senior citizen discount $2 off . Line was long to get in the restaurant and this is one of the instances once more where I wish Yelp would offer half stars as this place is truly a 3.5 restaurant. A decent selection of menu items on the buffet line, as well as the salad bar and dessert station around the corner. Soft drinks are included in your admission price which you pay at the door before entering. We would consider returning another time. read more

best vegetables on the planet. Courteous staff. Enormous selection and great prices!,, read more

Shealy's Bar-B-Que House - Mac n cheese, corn, butter beans, collards, chicken, white gravy and green beans - Barbeque Near Me - Leesville, South Carolina

Man I was hoping that this place was going to be great, but it's just OK. There were likely a few factors that played into my disappointment: #1 - It was SUPER crowded. This might not have been a bad thing except that they offer only cafeteria style seating. Because of this, it made it hard to get our party of 4 seated together. #2 - Probably related to the overcrowding, but the A/C wasn't working all that well, making it very uncomfortable throughout our meal. #3 - Our server/attendant was not pleasant in the least - actually, very crabby. With that being said, the food was fantastic. The price was also reasonable. However, since we live in Honolulu, it seems like most everything is on sale in South Carolina. I'm sure that if we had gone during a less crowded hour, the experience would have been much better. I hope there will be a chance to visit next time. read more

Shealy's Bar-B-Que House - Barbeque Near Me - Leesville, South Carolina

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We live Shealys. They have a great salad bar. The best chicken ever !! Love when they have cornbread muffins so sweet !!!! Soft serve your self ice cream with fresh cones read more

My family all 12 of us went for supper Monday after a zoo trip. Part of the family were visiting from Massachusetts. We were looking forward to a true southern bbq treat. Sadly I was disappointed. Greens were so salty I could not even eat them. The green beans were sweeten to the point I felt they should have put on the desert bar. Hash was a modify soup. BBQ pork (both) were unremarkable. The peach cobbler was more filling than peaches and the cake part was dull. Over all the food was a 4 out of 10. I likely not make the trip from Aiken to eat there. read more

Good barbecue!! If you looking for all-you-eat southern comfort food, this is the perfect spot!

Like others have said, this is a buffet. I don't know if there has been a sharp decline in the quality of the food over the last several years, but it is now very unremarkable. It's not terrible. It's just not great. I was particularly dismayed by the taste of their ribs, I went in to buy some for my wife and I thought I would go ahead and get some for myself. If I had to take a guess I would say that they had been cooked in a pressure cooker and then finished with some sort of dry rub in the oven. They definitely did not taste like they had been slow cooked in a smoker or grill, I'm pretty easy to satisfy when it comes to food, but these were so unpleasant. I could not finish them but my dogs were happy. Everything else is pretty much your run-of-the-mill vegetables and other items you'll find on a buffet. I will say that I really like their fried gizzards and their chicken is very good. And one time this was a destination for many of the people in my department where I worked and they would travel a long way to eat here. I do not see the draw now. I dislike leaving negative reviews but I feel I have a due diligence to be honest for those of you that read this. read more

We'd heard and read many recommendations for Shealys before we finally tried it and while I'm glad we tried it, I'm not sure I'd go back. The food was good but I don't remember it being out of this world spectacular. They have good barbecue with their assortment of house made sauces that were all tasty, and the buffet setup is very convenient for trying a little of everything. I was not overly impressed by the service, but it was fairly minimal service. You pay upon entering the building (typical for buffet places) then get in line for food or find your seat. They have a few ladies working who are responsible for getting your drinks and bussing tables. When we went, the lady doing that for our part of the restaurant was not attentive at all and was moving pretty slowly and didn't smile once the entire time we were there (not typical for this part of the south!). Small issues but definitely affected my experience. They have some standard sized tables but many are long community type tables where you'll be sitting next to strangers and they are also hard to get in an out of, especially if you have kids and high chairs, which we did. The price was comparable for similar southern BBQ buffets but even though the food was good, it's probably not a place I'll visit again because I don't love buffet vibes and the service and table setup weren't up to my preferences. If you're in the area and want to try lots of well made southern food, you can't go wrong here. Just beware the wait can be long and parking is a little limited. read more

This was my first time trying Shealys BBQ and it did not disappoint. Southern style food with cafeteria style dining. The food was amazing and the restaurant had a down home feel. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. The news articles throughout the restaurant definitely capture the true feeling of the community for Shealys and the love of great food and fellowship. We will be back! read more

I had heard great things about Shealys from several individuals and even from a book about BBQ, so i was pretty exited to try it out. It might be partially due to my high hopes that i was so disappointed. Shealys is just fine, and that's about it. It's more or less a run of the mill buffet, and i didn't find their BBQ to be special enough to make them stand out from basically any other BBQ place I've ever been to. They definitely lean on quantity over quality, and If that's your jam then you won't be disappointed! They really have almost every southern food you could name, and while none of it is bad, i wouldn't say it's especially good either. Our server was downright rude, which was totally unexpected from what i thought would be a good ole South Carolina joint. She seemed like she couldn't wait a second longer for our drink order, and when our little ones were being a little difficult she was vocally upset by our existence. Hopefully she is a one off thing at Shealys. Ambiance is about as memorable as the food; everything is very sticky and you are packed in there like cattle. I'd find a better place to try South Carolina BBQ! read more

What a delicious place to eat southern food. The staff are very nice. What a great restaurant for once in a while. Very suitable for a handicap person I'm in a wheelchair. read more

The chicjen is the best fried chicken around. So moist and delicious. The vegetables potatoes Mac and cheese all wonderful. There are 3 kinds of barbecue, all delicious. Soft serve ice cream for dessert is yummy. Servers all friendly and attentive read more

I went to this place while on vacation in Aiken. I was told that since Duke's BBQ had not yet been rebuilt, this was a great alternative. The building is very large and offers a lot of seating. We were in and seated quickly. I will give credit where it is due. The price is incredible for what you get and the staff were absolutely great. The macaroni and the fried pork chops, I could eat all day. It was delicious. However, the BBQ sauces need recipes. They offer three sauces and I didn't like any of them even a little. However, this could be an easy fix and I'm not saying this restaurant is the worse place I've ever been by any means. I just won't go for the BBQ. The deserts were good and I got my full there for sure. read more

Shealy's Bar-B-Que House - Buffett - Barbeque Near Me - Leesville, South Carolina

First visit to Shealy's BBQ. Dropped by around 2:15 on a Saturday and the parking lot was almost full. So it must be good... right? If you like country style bbq buffets and family style seating this is the place to go even though it's a little off the beaten path. The serving line had a good selection of vegetables, ribs, chopped 'que and fried chicken plus hash n rice. There is a salad bar (wonder if anyone actually gets a salad) and a dessert bar. I love collard greens, Shealy's are pretty good and most importantly these were fresh! The hash and rice is excellent. I can't speak for the other veggies as I only ate the collards. I tried the chopped 'que with vinegar based sauce. It was a little too vinegary for me. The short ribs were tender with a mustard base sauce that was good. Now if you like fried chicken.... run don't walk! Shealy's makes fried chicken just like my grandmother! It is tender and delicious!!!! I'd go back just for the chicken! Unfortunately the dessert bar left me wanting more as the banana pudding and peach cobbler were both very disappointing. This kept me from giving Shealy's a 5! Overall it's worth the price of admission. One price gets you "all you can eat" plus your choice of drink. read more

Great lunch spot if you are in there neck of the woods the bbq and sides are definitely worth the stop

Food and services all ways good . Go Tuesday seafood after 3:00 . Catfish stew very good

Delicious! The sauce variety was amazing to pair with the delicious pulled pork barbeque!

Best buffet hands down in Leesville,SC! Possibly in Lex County- even all of SC. Buffet breakfast on Saturday mornings are so good. Then the buffet at lunch and supper the other days are wonderful. They offer take out plates and bulk orders!! Even catering!! We love our Shealy's BBQ! Come see them soon! read more

This place is an instant classic definitely worth an hour driver over here best bbq in South Carolina can't wait to come back went on the fourth of July was in very quickly even with lines !!!! I love Shealys and the nostalgia of the place is just delightful I love the family style seating you get to sit with someone you don't know and every time we've made friends read more

Shealy's Bar-B-Que House - Barbeque Near Me - Leesville, South Carolina

I've been coming here since I was a child and it is consistently one of the best restaurants in the state. If you want to try authentic mustard - based barbecue, this is the place for you! read more

Food was good, the atmosphere lacks. The tea was good and the chicken was good. Not a fan of the Barbeque.

Can't go wrong here. They have bbq & hash down to a science. Excellent value on top of that.

On 3/28/25 my husband and I decided we needed Shealy's. We were extremely disappointed. Most of the food was devoid of any flavor....even the breading on the chicken was like a big grease ball, no spices (salt would have been nice)....not like the Shealy's of yesteryear. If you want flavorful BBQ, try Farm boys in Chapin, Maurices, or Little Pigs on Alpine Road in Columbia. read more

Every thing is delicious would recommend it to anyone The waitress are always very friendly and pleasant

Went to lunch first of the week and hadn't been in a few years. Enjoyed the mustard sauce BBQ and vinegar pepper sauce BBQ. And they had Spainish rice that I enjoyed. It had Italian sausage in it and vegetables. My waitress kept my tea filled very nice. Will have to get back down that way to eat again sometime. read more

I am not sure what is going on with Shealy food use to be really good not so much anymore. Nothing is probably seasoned from the meat to the vegetables. read more

This saddens me to post. I've eaten here since I was a baby with my family. This is why I won't eat at this buffet ever again. I bit into a huuuuge piece of hair and the manager bold faced lied to me that they all wear hairnets here. I would have been ok with an apology minus the lie. I'm looking at these folks bring out food and in the back dealing with the food - no hair net. My thing is why lie? NEVER AGAIN. Plus the quality and taste of food has changed so much. This place user to be so good. read more

Super cheap for a country all you can eat. The food was really good. It is long family style tables. The ladies who got your drinks were very nice. read more

Stopped by for lunch. Because it's open as a self serve buffet and patrons were going in without a mask we chose to just go to the back and get carry out and eat in the car. Would have gotten a plate because there were good selections but not having an outdoor space to eat we chose a BBQ sandwich. We didn't get a choice of sauce. I would have preferred their vinegar base but it came with mustard. It wasn't my favorite BBQ sandwich and I was disappointed with their Covid protocol and didn't feel "safe" eating inside. I wouldn't go back during pandemic . read more

Yuk , not the buffet sort but got to go. Fried chicken absolutely no seasoning and cold . Pulled pork no smoky bbq flavor and actually kinda dry amd the yeast rolls I paid extra for were old. The coleslaw (which is probably not 'homemade ') was pretty good . Good for them they are always busy maybe because all the people love the ayce buffet . Y'all just go ahead and eat. Not this person , ill go to piggy park read more

Lowd.. sweet baby Jesus. If you haven't had this make plans for it.. and if you have and didn't like it your the problem. Country fried steak green beans mac n cheese.. all amazing. read more

Nestled in picturesque Leesville/Batesburg, Shealy's is the place to go for the majority of your southern fare fixin's. After winding through the cattle corral and paying the admission of $12 per adult, you're invited to indulge in a buffet of meats: fried fish, fried chicken, 3 kinds of pulled pork (vinegar & pepper, mustard, and hickory), ribs; sides: collard greens, green beans, yams, creamed corn, hush puppies, corn bread, hash, rice & gravy; as well as a salad bar and a dessert bar replete with peach and apple cobbler, banana pudding, strawberry cake, brownies, jello, and soft serve ice cream. Drinks are brought to your table, and the service is extremely friendly. Great value for the quality! read more

Always a great experience at Shealy's. The staff is so personable and of course the food is phenomenal. Some of my favorite BBQ.

Food great. Service great and buffet well stocked. Atmosphere perfect and will return.

While enroute to Charleston, SC from Atlanta, I stopped by to get some southern soul food... I've never been to a buffet style restaurant. Being first timer, I asked the guy working behind the buffet and he told me, grab a plate, grab the foods you want and sit down anywhere and enjoy. So that's what I did... for the first plate, I got the green beens, greens, baked Mac-n-cheese and fried chickens. On the other side, they have some salad and dessert... when I tried to get my own drink, I was told that they would get the drink for me, so i returned the cup, found myself a seat and that's when other waitress came by and asked me what I wanted to drink, I went with Diet Coke. For 2nd plate, I went with the pulled pork options and corn. Green Beans - definitely not the same green beans you'll get in north, I couldn't determine why this green beans were different, but it was a new taste for me... must try if you stop by... ended up getting this 3x. Collar Greens - I'm used to the long boiled version of the greens, here it seemed like they boiled it and pan fried it with butter and bacon. Definitely new kind of greens for me, like the green beans, ended up getting 3 servings :) Fried Chicken - is it me or did I miss something? I only found white meat, where's the dark meats??? While the chicken was crispy, some portions of the meat were dried. Pulled Pork - I tried all three (vinegar, hickory smoked and mustard) - they all had their unique flavors, but unfortunately I was not fan of the pulled pork. Their BBQ sauces were ok, maybe it's the southern style, but it wasn't what I'm used to... and even with the sauces on top of the pulled pork it did not help. But for under $13 with a drink, not bad. Definitely my first southern family buffet experience and would like to find other joints like this to explore. From what I understand, you can find similar restaurants in Columbia, so when I can come back to visit, will have to visit Columbia and explore!! Pulled Pork - they have 3 kinds - Carolina's (vinegar), mustard and hickory smoked. To be honest, I was not a fan of all three... even adding the BBQ sauce did not help. I expected this place to be a southern bbq joint with ribs, etc, but read more

Shealy's Bar-B-Que House - Barbeque Near Me - Leesville, South Carolina