1. Southbound Smokehouse

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Aiken, SC

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Southbound Smokehouse

3.2 (18 reviews)
Open • 11:30 am - 4:00 pm

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SOUTHBOUND SMOKEHOUSE ATMOSPHERE

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Band
Susan M.

This was our first time at SOUTHBOUND and it ROCKED and I mean literally! We arrived at 7:45 and sat by the band area for some easy listening to the MASON JAR BAND. They were on point and played for several hours! It felt like a little slice of Nashville Our waitress, Melanie, was charming and quick with our orders and drinks. We started with chicken nachos which was plentiful and yummy for our 4 person group. Our friends ordered shrimp and grits which they said was delish and they would order again. We had the pork and shrimp tacos which were hearty individually and super fresh. Their BBQ sauces are delicious too (all flavors). I forgot to take photos of our food which is not the norm because we were enjoying the live entertainment and positive vibes all around us. People were dancing by the bar and having a blast. I took photos of the band and bar environment. Pleasantly loud and fun for a Friday night. All staff were wonderful and worked as a team. Could not have a better experience in downtown Aiken

Menu
Jeremy H.

We walked over to this restaurant after the Christmas tree lighting at the end of The Alley. This was our first time here and we were extremely impressed. There is a lot of indoor and outdoor seating available. There is great music decor everywhere and the staff is great. We decided to sit at the bar and it was busy. The bartenders were awesome and we churning out so many great looking drinks. We tried the New Girl in Town, which is recommended. We got wings and that dry rub was so good. The wings were Smokey and a little sweet. We also shared ribs with Mac and cheese and greens. Those ribs were smoked to perfection. There was only a little sauce on the ribs; however, three sauce options were bottled on every table. This will definitely be a regular spot for me. After we ate, we walked to get icecream at Flannigans. However, we returned for karaoke. I have to say that this was one of the best karaoke experiences I've ever had. The KJ was amazing. The crowd was a lot of fun. There were some great singers and song choices. This place is absolutely great.

messed up business hours.

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4 months ago

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8 days ago

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2 years ago

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3 months ago

We came in for lunch while visiting Aiken. We had great service and the food was delicious!!

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4 months ago

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10 months ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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Review Highlights - Southbound Smokehouse

“Our server Kyndal, was awesome.”

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Carolina Bar-B-Que

Carolina Bar-B-Que

4.3(83 reviews)
10.1 mi
•$

Oh man, I so wish I lived nearby cause this is my new favorite restaurant. It was just what I…read moreneeded after not eating all day while I was sightseeing, and it was conveniently located along my route from Charleston to Atlanta. It's a buffet, and I was in fried food heaven. They had basically all the fried vegetables one could imagine, from corn fritters (and also spicy corn fritters) to fried squash, okra, hush puppies (so good) etc. They also had several types of meat including pulled pork which was excellent and some type of pork stew over rice that I wasn't familiar with but it was delicious. Then they had the cold items (coleslaw, potato salad, pickles, and a number of other things). There is also a dessert buffet including three types of puddings/cobblers and ice cream, but I didn't try those. Plenty of seating, in two large rooms. I went at a weird early dinner time and there were still a number of other people there, including those getting to-go orders. Bbq sauce had several types and enjoyed them. Staff was friendly and helpful, recommending different things when I didn't know what they were. Only suggestion is that they could do with replacing the labels on the buffet, as the old hand-written ones were looking a bit unappealingly grimy. Otherwise, it was the perfect southern on-the-road meal for this starving traveler!

A Sad Decline from a Local Legend…read more Carolina BBQ used to be the place. Back in the day, everyone knew about it -- people would drive from all over just to get a plate. Now? I wouldn't drive across the street for it. The food has lost every bit of the flavor that made it famous. The BBQ is bland, fatty, and feels like it's been sitting around waiting for someone to remember what seasoning is. The potato salad? Completely flavorless -- someone forgot that mustard exists. And the hush puppies, once crispy little bites of heaven, now taste like fried bread that gave up halfway through. And all that grease makes it slide right thru. It's honestly sad to see a local legend fall this far. The place that used to set the standard for good southern BBQ now feels like it's coasting on nostalgia alone. Carolina BBQ didn't just lose its spark -- it lost its taste, too. And the parking lot? Please save your tires and park elsewhere. I have attached a picture for reference.

Photos
Carolina Bar-B-Que
Carolina Bar-B-Que - BBQ pork with hash n rice and a selection of veggies

BBQ pork with hash n rice and a selection of veggies

Carolina Bar-B-Que - Small BBQ plate with Mac n' Cheese, Fried Okra, hush puppies, and BBQ mash

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Small BBQ plate with Mac n' Cheese, Fried Okra, hush puppies, and BBQ mash

Freeman's Bar-B-Que - Ribs

Freeman's Bar-B-Que

4.2(37 reviews)
13.5 mi
•$

I got there at 4pm and mostly everything was sold out, but I was able to get the pulled pork…read moresandwich with potato salad and collard greens; it was good!!

First review of 2025 and it's a good one! We finally got back to Freeman's before they sold out and…read moreit did not disappoint. I'm not necessarily a culinary professional but I am a southern gal who loves food and loves to cook, and my family and I have strong feelings about BBQ. Since moving to the CSRA, we've found lots of "pretty good" bbq but nothing GREAT. Then we finally had Freeman's! They make traditional BBQ, slow smoking the whole hog and they only smoke about 1000lbs a week and they sell out in the three days they are open (Thurs-Sat). The pulled pork is great (and for other reviewers questioning, pulled pork is the real BBQ, other meats can be good but don't bother on a first visit with anything other than pulled pork), I think it can stand alone without sauce just because it's tender and smoky, but the sauce (a delicious and not too sour vinegar based BBQ sauce) only makes it better. I've got strong feelings about hash too, and their hash was quite good. A little on the watery side for me BUT it wasn't liver hash (a pro in my mind) and it was not overly sweet like many hashes tend to be (including my own recipe, that I'm now going to fiddle with). The Mac and cheese was good but needed salt (as most restaurants do, we love salt). That's all we got- pulled pork, bbq sauce, hash, Mac and cheese. We went there to order takeout and brought it home so I cooked rice myself. They have a very small seating area inside, a few tables with hole-in-the-wall vibes. I definitely think they are better suited to doing what we did- takeout to eat at home or elsewhere but the restaurant dining area was clean and if we didn't have a toddler who can't sit still I'd probably be more inclined to stay and eat. Their menu is limited but that is a GOOD thing, and I can only vouch for what we had but I suspect the other sides are good too. We talked with Mr Freeman, the third generation owner, and he was very helpful and kind in answering my questions about BBQ and helping us decide how much food we needed for our group. IMPORTANT: as I mentioned, they run out of their pulled pork every day. The first time we tried to go was at 5pm on a Saturday and they were sold out. The second time we went was around 12:30 or 1 on a Saturday and he said they were already on their way to being sold out for the day. Go early (they open at 11) to ensure you don't miss out on the best BBQ in the CSRA!

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Freeman's Bar-B-Que
Freeman's Bar-B-Que - Chicken breast

Chicken breast

Freeman's Bar-B-Que - Hash and rice, pulled pork, collard greens

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Hash and rice, pulled pork, collard greens

Bobby's Bar-B-Q Buffet - Ribs

Bobby's Bar-B-Q Buffet

2.7(39 reviews)
6.4 mi
•$$

It is seldom that I defer to the overall rating of a business on Yelp, but this is one of those…read moretimes. Even with the lower number of reviews, it just seems extreme. So here's my suggestion; read my review and any/all of the others, but take the time and try Bobby's for yourself. I had an amazing experience, which I'm getting to, and thoroughly enjoyed the food. I will start by mentioning that this place was recommended to me by someone who was born and raised in Augusta. They stated more than once that this was the best spot for barbecue in the area. And after 15 years, I finally listened to them. I had had a barbecue hankering for over a week so I knew either I would decide on a spot and go or continue in this daily misery for perpetuity. Also, I was very hungry. And that's when Bobby's came to mind. New (to me), barbecue, and a buffet. This could either be a meal I wouldn't forget or one I wish I could. The location isn't that far from any point in the CSRA so don't let that be a hesitation. And the parking lot is huge. That's due in part to them having a second building solely as an event space (something I will be sure to remember). The restaurant (inside and out) feels like a giant cabin. And the team here is just as warm and welcoming. Now I don't know if they have other options besides the buffet (I had a singular focus), but I will mention that you can add ribs to the buffet (I will save that for another visit). Another marker that it was going to be delicious was the loaf of white bread at the front of the line. Actually two. More country cooking sides than your grandma on Thanksgiving, with pulled pork, chopped pork, and fried chicken to eat on. Everything that I had (which was everything on the buffet) was delicious. And when I reached my lunch capacity, I turned my eyes to dessert (because there's always room for dessert). They have a ice cream machine (vanilla, chocolate, and swirl) and a giant pan of banana pudding! You already know what I went for...twice. If it weren't for the sweet tea keeping me awake, I fear I might have taken a nap in the booth. I had a great first visit and it will NOT be 15 years before I visit again.

This is easily the worst buffet I have ever been to. Most of the food is usually cold or lukewarm,…read morethe chicken is greasy, and much of it seems like it's been sitting out for a couple of days. They say they close at 8:30 pm, but I have been there several times at 7:30 pm and they start mopping the floors so you are smelling chemicals while you're trying to eat. It always seems like they are trying to rush you to get out so they can leave. I would give it a -5 if I could!!

Photos
Bobby's Bar-B-Q Buffet - Ribs

Ribs

Bobby's Bar-B-Q Buffet - Ribs

Ribs

Bobby's Bar-B-Q Buffet - Bobby's Bar-B-Que

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Bobby's Bar-B-Que

Southbound Smokehouse - bars - Updated October 2026

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