When I lived in SC, I would pass by the Smokin Pig and wonder why the line was always out the door. Usually, this means they're doing something really good but because I don't eat pork, I was hesitant to even try going there. Before I came here for a visit, my sisters tried the place and they were super impressed they insisted I try it when I come over. The Smokin Pig only opens on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The reason (as my sisters learned) is that they need about a week or so for the meat to cook/smoke to their standard. Pretty impressive! So we decided to try it yesterday. My sisters recommended the chicken and beef brisket meal with fries and jalapeño cheese grits so I ordered the meal with sweet tea. You order up front at the cashier and then take a seat and they bring the food to your table. The food was served very quickly. The portion looked like it was small but don't let looks deceive you! I started with the grits. Oh my God!! I have never tasted grits this good before! I have tried grits only about 2 times in my life. First one was pretty good, second one was in Arizona and unfortunately, it wasn't good at all! This one was so creamy and so comforting, it was great!! I then tried the brisket and chicken. U don't really even need a knife to eat their meats!! So tender and juicy, everything was melting in my mouth. On their tables, they have sauces to go with their meats. I tried the regular and the hot BBQ sauce on my brisket and tried the mustard sauce on my chicken. This gave both a super good flavor! Half way through my meal, I was already full, and I was starving when I got there. That's why I said don't let looks deceive you!! The service at the restaurant was excellent. Our waitress came by many times to make sure we didn't need any thing and to offer refills for all our drinks. Needless to say as well, the sweet tea was delicious! Everything in this place was great. food, prices flavors, service, ambience and pretty much everything would make you wanna go back all the time. I would have loved to be a regular but at least my sisters are. I will make it a point every time I visit in the future to pass by the Smokin Pig for sure! Definitely worth the lines, the wait and the visit every time! read more

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My son goes to Clemson so going to the Smokin' Pig is a right of passage! They have two locations but went to the one in Pendleton. The location is AWESOME! It is a busy restaurant but they keep you occupied while you wait. They have a beer garden (per se) outside when you can play games (like cornhole) and hang out while you wait. The "cue" is like it should be when you're in the south. Traditional, with lots of great sides and cooked perfectly! I had the brisket and ribs combo which was like eating butter and the ribs were not fall off the bone but close with a nice Smokey sweet glaze. My telltale sign of good cue is the Mac n cheese. Theirs did not disappoint. The loaded sweet potato fries were great. My only comment (and this is a personal thing) is I would LOVE to see them offer smoke turkey. I am an addict for good smoked turkey. Hope they bring it to the menu sometime in the future. One last comment is the wait staff was awesome. Hard working, friendly, and attentive. Great job! I will definitely be back. Love this place. read more

The Smokin Pig - Brisket platter and brisket and ribs combo. Perfectly done! - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

Great service and the best BBQ around. You can not go wrong and the service is outstanding. Plus, a few attractions outdoors to have fun with. read more

This barbecue place was one-of-a-kind! The food dances off your tastebuds and the staff accommodates to all your needs. In addition, there is a free mini golf course and corn hole in the back. read more

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Always delicious. The brisket, fried okra, and when they have it, fried seasoned corn are the best but the pulled pork, ribs, sandwiches, and coleslaw are also good. I've heard good things about other menu items as well but haven't tried them. Friendly staff and very relaxed informal southern kinda vibe. read more

A true southern experience! Not only is the BBQ tasty, but they have corn hole, mini golf, a fire pit, and a whole hang out area. They also have a small bar outside so you can have a few drinks while you wait for seating. Cool decor, good food, great vibes. read more

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I give this restaurant a one star and it is not because of service. A one star for it's for its food quality. We order the chicken, I have never tasted a chicken like this. It had no flavor at all. I guess they expect that the sauces at table would be used to give flavor to the meal. The brisket was dry. Sauses were not that good either. The bread pudding is a joke. This is just custard with vanilla wafers. The cobbler, was just warm strawberries jam. Nothing else. read more

Awesome BBQ! Love the sauces, particularly the mustard sauce. Our favorites are the chopped pork and the dry rub ribs. Probably the best ribs we've had outside of Memphis. Definitely our go to while in town. read more

The Smokin Pig - Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

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Simply wonderful! If you're in the Clemson area and like barbecue, you must have Smokin' Pig. Everything is as good as you'll find in the whole Carolinas. My wife ordered a brisket & chicken combo. The chicken was spectacular. Tender, juicy and excellent smoke flavor. 10/10 I tried the ribs and pulled pork. Both were excellent, particularly the ribs. Just the right amount of tug on the bone and juicy meat. For sides, we had potato salad, Mac & cheese, fries, baked beans and banana pudding. The potato salad was tremendous and the baked beans were packed with flavor. The Mac was just OK, but the main courses were so good I couldn't finish anyway! Our service was great. Friendly staff who were helpful with all our questions and kept things moving for a busy Saturday dinner service crowd. We chose to sit in the barn as we had our toddler son in tow. Great environment with friendly folks and he quickly made friends with our neighboring table. read more

Great food! Customer service great! Liked the setup. Nearly spot. If I am ever back in town I will go there

Wow wow this place is just amazing!! First of all there's lots of fun activities outside while you're waiting for the table.. Their food was just beyond amazing!! Definitely from now on our favorite spot!! Friendly for all ages and lots of fun for kids and adults!! read more

The Smokin Pig - Ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

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Local BBQ eats! Recommended by my Uncle Doodah. So (insert curse word here) good! The prices are decent and your stomach and tastebuds will thank you. MAIN FOOD After giving your name and number in your party to the host out front, have a seat on the bench while you review the menu on the board. Pick ANYTHING. You can't go wrong. I ended up sharing the brisket (these tasted so good, glazed bbq, pulled pork. Sides: jalapeño cheese grits (loved), sweet potato crunch (REALLY loved. Could eat it with the meat or as a dessert), fried okra (yum, of course), cole slaw (nice to have something cool and this was good too). The plates come with 2 sides, but we ordered extra so that we could try other items that we were interested in. *Meat was cooked perfect. Can't explain it. Just this word: WOW SAUCES Let me tell y'all. They. Were. All. Good. I do not know the names of each of the 4 sauces. I enjoyed that you had a choice to try with your meals for a variety of taste on your palette. Here's the order in which I like them best: 1. The mustard looking one (good with everything) 2. The vinegary chili looking one (so good with the brisket) 3. Hot bbq sauce 4. More of a sweet bbq sauce DESSERT Seasonal cobbler was part of one of our sides with the meal. We ended up with Peach Cobbler, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. After all of that food, one is good enough to share between two people. It was good! Not too sweet, but instead, perfect. OUTSIDE You could ply cornhole outside. There's cauldrons outside, but I didn't ask what those were used for. PARKING Lot outside on the dirt/rocks. WHO CAN GO HERE? Anyone. Any age. read more

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Good sized portions, cute place, love the sauces (4 different kinds) and yummy rolls. Got a "combo" platter, pulled pork and brisket. You seat yourself but the server comes and checks on you for refills and anything else you might need. read more

Fantastic bbq. The sides we've tried have also been great - the fried okra, the grits, the sweet potato casserole and sweet potato fries ... We eat here about once a month and will continue to. I will say, we've never dined in, we always get it to go. read more

Always love the smokin pig in Pendleton. Such a fun atmosphere and the food is delicious! Waitress was wonderful as well. I can't say enough good things about this place. Love it read more

My husband and I are from California and was looking for a good bbq place. This place is amazing. I ordered the brisket and pull pork combo with Mac n cheese and loaded potatoe casserole. It tasted amazing. The employees and servers were all very nice and kind and attentive! I would recommend this place and come back all the time if I lived in SC :) read more

The Smokin Pig - Pulled pork, brisket, Mac n cheese, loaded potato casserole - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

The Smokin' Pig on Clemson Boulevard in Pendleton is a great option for delicious BBQ and sides. Everything here is very well prepared and flavorful. I like the location and atmosphere here. The staff here is very friendly and accommodating to make sure that you have everything that you need for a good meal. read more

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Went on a Thursday for lunch. No wait which was a surprise. Normally this place has a wait regardless of time/day. Plenty of parking albeit a bit of a free for all. But no worries. There is a large seating area outside if you do have to wait with a menu on the wall so you are ready once it's your turn to chow down. The food is absolutely awesome. The brisket is a life changing experience. GET THE BRISKET! The pork is also delicious. I usually get Cole slaw and sweet potato fries for a side. Wish they had green beans. Did I mention the brisket? read more

We had the best experience and the food was great! We are from Texas so have high expectations of barbecue and we were not disappointed:) Definitely recommend you come visit The Smokin Pig. I loved the ribs and dipped them in their sauce, the banana pudding and sweet potato casserole! Not a lot of greens to choose from but you're coming for the hot sauces and meat, so do that :) read more

The Smokin Pig - Outside fire pit - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

If you love yourself some BBQ, this is your spot! My family and I were visiting relatives and wanted to go where the locals dine. We are used to Phil's BBQ in San Diego, CA where they're known for good meats and a yummy sauce. I have to say that The Smoking Pig is on another level in regards to how tender their meats are. They also have a variety of sauces which is always a winner in my book so you may switch up the flavor if you get tired of the same ol' taste. When game day is in session it may be hard to find a table so try and get there to reserve your seat(s) ASAP! MUST TRY: * Brisket * Sweet BBQ sauce * Hot BBQ sauce(SO DAMN GOOD!) read more

In my opinion, this place is overrated. Everyone in Clemson raves about this place, but I'm convinced it's only bc they haven't had real southern bbq. They have a great sides selection, but that's the only special thing about this place. The bbq is always cold and dry, whether it's brisket, pulled pork, etc. I'm never impressed, and I personally feel like it's not worth spending the money. read more

With a full parking lot, we knew the locals think highly of this local BBQ restaurant. We were not disappointed. Friendly service, large portions, great flavor, great service. Be sure to try the loaded potato side and cobbler of the day served with icecream. read more

The Smokin Pig - Brisket Sandwich, loaded potatoes. - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

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Used to love this place, but the last time I went to the one in Anderson ( carry out) I paid over $100 for 4 people, and the ribs and brisket were so dry and overcooked, they must have been leftovers. Never again! read more

I had the pulled pork plate with two sides & my husband had the half rack of glazed ribs last night and WE BOTH got food poisoning or some kind of bug here because we threw up in the same night. Definitely not eating here again. read more

One of my favorite places to go when I visit Clemson. I love all their food. The glazed ribs are probably my favorite, but the brisket is also a go to for me. The sauces are great. I like the sides also. Above all on those, the peach cobbler is the best. You really can't go wrong here. The rolls are addicting, soft, buttery and salty. I've eaten in the barn out back (when it's really crowded which is typical) and in the restaurant. I prefer inside because I don't love the benches, I like chairs more. It's a comfortable atmosphere, lots of chatter and great for families or groups. The price is perfect as well. I have way too much to eat for less than $20 including a drink. read more

The food is excellent and the service is good. Prices are a little high but that seems to be the new normal. This place is worth the trip out! read more

Every other Summer my work takes me from High Point NC to Atlanta for a big trade show, and it's been a bit of a tradition to stop at a BBQ joint in Spartanburg on the drive home. This year we were able to slip away a day early and because we were delayed by nasty Friday afternoon traffic in Atlanta we were miles away from our target as our growling stomachs got the best of us. We hit the Yelp app to see what options were near by and as fate would have it I-85 was flanked by two well reviewed BBQ options, so we opted for the one with the higher review count; The Smokin' Pig. As we approached we were pleased to see that the place was hoppin! We were greeted at the front by two welcoming ladies who gave us the run-down of their best sellers, and offered us some ice water while we waited ten minutes or so for a table. Once we got the go-ahead were were lead into the main building and directly to the ordering counter. That was a surprise, but thankfully we had been given the tips outside and knew exactly what we wanted. Two of us ordered the "P.B.R." combo, which included a generous portion of smokey pulled pork, juicy brisket and a three bone mini slab of ribs. For sides I ordered a seasonal special, which is a fried ear of sweet corn and a nice portion of sweet potato casserole that they call a "crisp". The meal also included a soft and slightly sweet roll. Two of us ordered the exact same meal while the third ordered some pulled chicken BBQ. The restaurant is a eclectic and down-homesy shack of a place, and after we placed our order we were led to a table at the back of the three room building to a room that was covered in old album covers and Beatles posters. This made our drive feel right at home because he had been shuffling through his iPod playing many of the artist's songs that were on display. It took a little prodding but he finally even confessed to having owned both the Captain & Tennille album beside him and the Neil Diamond album across the room. Back to the food. You need to understand that I do a lot of traveling with my job, and one of the few benefits of being away from home is that I get to dine at a lot of places and many of them are BBQ restaurants. I guess what I'm trying to say is trust me when I say that this dinner was something special. Without hesitation I recommend the Smokin' Pig, and if you happen to be heading to or from the International Woodworking Fair (IWF) save me a cup of sweet tea. P.S. I can offer one tip for folks from outside of the South (AKA: Yankees): BBQ is not a way of cooking meat but rather is the meat itself. Go to Youtube and search for "Rhett and Link's BBQ Song" for some valuable insight on this important distinction. UPDATE: I just realized that the Smokin' Pig is the backdrop of the latest Chantix anti-smoking medicine commercial. I sure hope they don't stop the pig from smokin'! read more

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This bbq is excellent and the wait staff are amazing! This restaurant is clean and a great atmosphere all around!

This is easily the best BBQ in the Clemson area! Every time I come here I am sure to order their brisket as it is truly fantastic. For sides I go with the fried okra as well as their delicious homemade macaroni and cheese as it is to die for. Opt out of the dinner roll and go for the cornbread as you will not regret this decision as their cornbread is incredible. If you are coming on game day then you better get here early or else you will be waiting for quite some time. The Clemson faithful all know that this is the spot to congregate after football games so I would recommend even leaving the game a few minutes early if possible to head down to the restaurant in order to get to the front of the waiting line as waits can sometimes be hours to get this BBQ (the wait is still worth it though). Go Tigers! read more

The Smokin Pig - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

Service was really good, brisket was super tender and moist. All the food came out piping hot. read more

The Smokin Pig - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

The food here was incredible!! Pulled pork, chicken and the brisket was on point! Loved the cornbread!!! We also had the Brunswick stew and Mac n cheese. So good and a super friendly staff. Cool spot! Had to come back and say the sweet potato fries were excellent! read more

Very disappointed! The Brunswick stew was VERY watery and the ribs were overly sweet. I will not go there again. read more

Popular place. Can be a long wait There is the front restaurant sector and the outback section Order and pay at the counter. Blackboard has your choices ( no green beans) Mostly fried or sweet sides Brisket,chicken,pork. Sandwiches or combos They sell pork rinds too Graffiti on you wood table is common Everything is served in tin pie pans and styrofoam cups Water is 55 cents Most items are 10-17$ Flip flop casual Nice servers No diet food here Good quality if you're in the mood for BBQ read more

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Great pulled pork barbecue. I always get whatever the cobbler of the day is. Parking is a little weird but they improved it somewhat. I think their mustard barbecue sauce is the best. read more

We have always loved this place, we have to go every Friday night there to eat. The food is always good and the service is good as well. It's a place that never lets us down! read more

Best bbq in town, me and my family have been going here for years and it never misses.

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME BBQ!!!! Try every sauce!! Can't wait to go back!! Entrance from roadside but park in the back.

Very delicious and the restaurant is decorated very well. They don't take reservations so we had to wait quite a bit to be seated but there was plenty of entertainment and a nice waiting area. read more

My friend and I went to dinner here and wow!!! Absolutely amazing. The place was packed with a line out the door but the staff kept their cool and got customers seated promptly and served quickly. The food was amazing and super good and the staff/servers very prompt. I definitely recommend dinning here. I ate the chopped pork BBQ with the sweat potato fries and apple cobbler, amazing read more

The Smokin Pig - Barbeque Near Me - Pendleton, South Carolina

Amazingly quick service and food! The food was very flavorful especially the beans it looks small on the outside but they have an added earring area and a fire pit for the cold days read more