Lining up for Barbecue at Palmetto Pig
By Becky Billingsley
The pulled pork barbecue is delicious, but the new Palmetto Pig at the Beach has at least as many fans for its barbecue chicken and fried chicken.
The first Palmetto Pig BBQ was launched in 2002 in Columbia by Gene Antley, who is one of the Antleys of Orangeburg’s Antley’s Bar-B-Q. Today there is a Palmetto Pig in Columbia, one in Ballentine and a third in Mt. Pleasant that opened in August 2009. Partners of the new Grand Strand location are Gene Antley, Becky Headden and Steve Landham.
This fourth Palmetto Pig, called Palmetto Pig at the Beach, is about 5 minutes west of North Myrtle Beach on S.C. 90. This is the same Palmetto Pig barbecue restaurant in the Longs section of Horry County that opened in 2007 and closed soon after it opened.
General manager Chad Landham, who is Steve Landham's son, managed the Ballentine location for several years before agreeing to come open the Longs restaurant. He was busy all spring installing a lot of shiny new equipment in the roomy kitchen, including a barbecue pit where Landham smokes pork for 14 hours before the meat is pulled. The meat is not sauced; three sauces are available for diners to add themselves.
The Original Palmetto Pig Barbecue Sauce is orangish-red and creamy. It is not spicy and has a vinegar twang, and is ketchup based. Also served are a hot and spicy red sauce and a South Carolina mustard sauce.
The Original sauce is fantastic, and it's also used on the barbecue chicken. If you are a fan of barbecue chicken, you need to try this one. It's tender and juicy with just the right amount of sauce to make eating it a flavorful and memorable experience.
Even more famous is the fried chicken, which is made from the secret recipe of a lady who lives in Orangeburg. It is crispy outside, moist inside and put on the buffet line piping hot. It doesn't sit there long enough to cool off.
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The hand-pulled barbecue is available on sandwiches, plates ($7.50, comes with two sides and hushpuppies) and by the pound, and it's also served on the daily buffet.
If you have time to stay and have the buffet, it's definitely the best deal since you can have all the chicken and barbecue you like for $9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, and $10 ages 10 and older or $6 ages 4-9 from 3-9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.
Other dishes on the buffet include sweet and dill pickles; baked beans, coleslaw that's chopped and has a sweet creamy dressing; potato salad; green beans; and white rice. There's also from-scratch macaroni and cheese and delightfully crispy and sweet hushpuppies.
An unusual item on the buffet that may intrigue visitors to South Carolina is barbecue hash.
"The hash is made with Boston butt, tomatoes, ketchup, onion and pepper," Chad says.
The building looks like a big red barn, but inside the ambiance is upscale country. A wraparound screened-in porch holds several tables topped with red and white checkered tablecloths. The interior has a spacious lodge feeling with planked walls, tin pendant lights, several booths and tables and even a small waterfall wall.
If you're in a hurry and don't want to go inside, there's also a drive-through window. With a little advance notice Palmetto Pig can provide the food for a party or business meeting.
Palmetto Pig at the Beach is at 9317 S.C. 90 in Longs. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, and the number is (843) 390-9600. It's about halfway between La Belle Amie Vineyard and Bistro 90, just west of North Myrtle Beach.
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