Got a few hours to burn on a Saturday? Point the truckster west on 123, drive through Pickens County and past the aggies, and deposit yourself at Black’s Smokehouse in Seneca. Tucked off the road to Walhalla in a nondescript building that looks better suited for a tax service than a restaurant is the best barbeque joint you’ve never tried. If Not My Boys was a political party, barbeque would be a (the?) central plank of our platform. So when it is 100% chance of rain on a Saturday in February we search out new outposts. The Golden Corner has been on the come up in recent years, specifically with the instant stalwart The Smoking Pig, and we had heard tell of Black’s Smokehouse being worth our time. But it is a solid 1 hour 45 minutes round trip from Greenville so until today it had remained uncharted territory for NMB. No more.
Kim opened Black’s Smokehouse in 2015 when she relocated from Nashville after losing her job in corporate America. Her brother Darrell lived in the area so she headed this way with a dream and a plan. Darrell was in Greenville and Kim liked to be near the out of doors so she landed outside of Seneca. That family brought Kim to the area is not a surprise as barbeque is synonymous with family. And Kim makes you feel like family as soon as you approach the counter. Tell her it is your first time and she will gladly tell you that everything is scratch made and they don’t own a freezer. She orders ingredients on Monday and her brother smokes on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for service the following day; then it starts over the next week. The smoker is a custom-built, bullet-style, reverse-flow, trailer-mounted beast that gets loaded with hickory wood to start and either apple, cherry, or pecan to finish off. The briskets are smoked for 14+ hours, the shoulders about 12, the ribs 6; even the chicken wings are hand butchered from whole chickens before being brined, smoked, and then flash-fried upon your order. Kim conveys this information proudly but humbly while effortlessly taking your order, all the while asking about you (she asked my child’s name when we entered, then called her by name upon leaving - family). They have you covered for clean hands before and after eating (Purell on the table, baby wipes delivered after), and that is if you choose not to use the cleanest bathrooms I have ever seen in a barbeque restaurant. You order at the counter from Kim and the food is brought out by Joe, probably the most attentive waiter I have ever personally experienced. The meat comes unsauced and doesn’t need any, but there are four options on the table: mild, hot, vinegar, and mustard. The ribs are perfectly toothsome, the pork full of glorious bark. The brisket would not stand up to the absolute best that Texas has to offer (and I guess Charleston now that Lewis is there) but it is still very good especially compared to most brisket around here. The sides range from the stand-bys (cole slaw, potato salad, baked beans) to the unusual (black beans, honey glazed carrots) to the creative takes (hashbrown casserole, jalapeno cheese grits, bacon mac & cheese). The cole slaw in particular was very good, the perfect mix of vinegar and mayonnaise. But you probably will focus on the meat anyway. As for the dining room, in keeping with ‘que tradition it is pretty basic but there is a nuanced attention to detail, like the logo emblazoned on the table tops and on the ground at the door. Don’t get me wrong, it is not cheap. Plan to drop about $20 per adult plus tip, not to mention 80 miles’ worth of gasoline. But like everything in life you get what you pay for and here you get top quality and large quantity. To whomever thought it was a good idea to downsize Kim, bless you. Tennessee’s loss is South Carolina’s gain. The Review Order: Smokehouse Plate. 4 spareribs, a large handful of pulled pork, two brisket slices, a piece of ciabatta (!) bread, 2 sides, and a drink. You will not finish it. $19, tax included. Maybe Don’t Order: The menu is simple. 5 proteins (pulled pork, beef brisket, ½ chicken, chicken wings, ribs) and 8 sides, so no outlier. Their mustard-based sauce could use some work though (too heavy on the mustard), and the sauces in general are fine but nothing special. Pro Tip: Do not skip dessert. You will be tempted to because you will be uncomfortably full from the Smokehouse Plate that you did not finish, but don’t. There is only one rotating option. Today was apple butter pie (made with butterscotch; whipped cream on top). $5 per slice and it was worth $10. Other Notable Information: Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday from 11 - 7:30 (unless they run out earlier). Cash or check only. I Don’t Believe I’d Told That: Kim and Darrell are Tennessee fans and proudly sport Vol gear in the heart of Clemson territory. And I love them for it. Filed/RS
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November 2022
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