Returning to Smoke on the Harbor

Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown in Mount Pleasant, SC, is a perfect way to close out barbecue judging for a year. Set on the banks of the Cooper River across from historic downtown Charleston, the cookoff is popular among cooking teams vying for final awards and points as the year ends. It is one of the last sanctioned national events with the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Teams set up near Lookout Pavilion on Patriots Point.

The cookoff is also the last event for determining the champion in the Palmetto BBQ Series, which links six events in South Carolina to select an overall winner. As a result, the cookoff attracts the top cooking teams in the state. For the seventh annual throwdown, 25 teams competed for a share of the prize money that totaled $9,100. In addition, the grand champion is automatically eligible to compete in the American Royal World Series of Barbecue and the Jack Daniel’s World Championship. This year the cooking team Pig on Fire won the grand championship.

The team Pig on Fire took home top honors as grand champion.

The Smokehouse Mafia, which placed fifth overall in the cookoff, scored enough points to win the Palmetto BBQ Series when their score was combined with their points from other events this year. Second place in the series was won by Old Colony Smokehouse, which benefited from the points earned by finishing fourth in the throwdown.

The points won by Old Colony Smokehouse advanced it to second place in the Palmetto BBQ Series.

The throwdown is hosted by the scenic Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina, which creates a large competitor and vendor village centered around Lookout Pavilion in a park-like setting known as Patriots Point. Judging activities were held again on the top floor of The Fish House restaurant that overlooks the harbor.

Several food and beverage vendors set up in Lookout Pavilion.

Schedule conflicts had kept me from attending Smoke on the Harbor after 2015. Because the cookoff this year was rescheduled for the third weekend in November (previously it was the second weekend), I was able to participate and was very happy to be a judge again at this event.

A sign on Patriots Point directs judges to The Fish House where they met.

Smoke on the Harbor is the best place to end the barbecue competition for a year. The scenic location and top-quality cooking teams make this event the place to be in November. I hope to return again next year.

The constant presence of smoke let you know that serious cooking is underway.

Judging in an Alligator Zone

Being a BBQ judge usually has nothing to do with alligators. All that changes in Summerville, SC, where Brew & Cue on Shrine Lake is held.

The Brew & Cue contest was held at scenic Shrine Lake.

After checking in with the organizers when I arrived, I had time to walk through the cooking team area before the judges meeting began. As I walked, what captured my attention more than the smoke coming from the cookers were signs posted to beware of alligators. Later during the day, judges entertained each other by telling tales about past alligator experiences at Shrine Lake.

Signs at the lake warn about alligators; clubhouse where judges meet is in background.

The cookoff was organized by the Dorchester Shrine Club as a fundraiser to support Shriner Hospitals for Children. All judging activities took place in the organization’s spacious clubhouse. The cooking teams set up at shaded campsites on a scenic peninsula jutting into Shrine Lake. Although we were on the lookout for the possibility of spotting an alligator, none were seen during the contest.

Cooking teams set up at campsites on a scenic peninsula.

The competition featured 15 cooking teams. Because 14 had won as a champion of other events, the level of competition was very high. In fact, when all the judges’ scores were totaled, only 0.026 points separated the top two teams (a big contrast to the 21.12 points that separated teams 14 and 15). The cookoff is one of six contests in South Carolina that are sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society and contribute to a points chase that determines the winner of the Palmetto BBQ Series. By winning the grand championship of Brew & Cue with such a high score (698.2740), the team Smoke Central BBQ significantly advanced its standing in the points chase.

Rusty Cook, contest rep, checks that every team has the correct time before turn-ins begin.

Being a judge at Brew & Cue was rewarding because the barbecue was exceptional and deserved very high scores. The location was scenic — and not seeing any alligators was very much appreciated.

Revitalizing a Small Downtown

A small city sometimes needs a boost to maintain its downtown business district. In the “Upstate” area of South Carolina, the city of Woodruff is striving to maintain a healthy local economy. Because it’s in the shadows of the larger cities of Spartanburg and Greenville, Woodruff’s leaders look for new ways to attract customers to its businesses.

Cooking teams begin to set up in the park behind the former high school building.

Since 2015, each spring the city has conducted a barbecue cookoff known as Piggin’ in the Park to bring visitors – cooking teams, judges, family friends, and others – to the downtown area. Organized by Alyson Leslie, Woodruff’s community and economic development director, the event is one of several new city programs to help support local business owners.

McKinney Park is almost filled by cooking teams, vendors, and festival activities.

Sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society, the cookoff has continued to grow each year. This year the number of cooking teams more than doubled to 44 from the 20 that competed last year. Organizers hope the event grows eventually to 55 teams, the size that McKinney Park, where the event is held, can accommodate.

Smoking Butt Heads placed in the top 10 in the ribs category.

Only a block from Main Street that bisects the business district, the park is the perfect venue for a festival and has ample space for cooking teams, children activities, food vendors, entertainment, and other activities. It was created recently out of the athletic fields of the city’s adjacent historic high school, built in 1925 and on the National Register of Historic Places, that now serves as City Hall.

Judges check in before the competition begins.

Piggin’ in the Park is one of six events of the Palmetto BBQ Series in South Carolina that offers additional prizes and results in crowning a state champion -- the team with the highest score in four of six events. Although several teams competing in the cookoff were from out of state, many were from South Carolina with the goal of gaining points to win the state championship.

New owners are moving into vacant buildings, such as this one that once was a service station and later a florist.

Leslie estimates that at least 16,000 cars come daily through the city on Main Street. Because Woodruff’s population is just slightly over 4,000, that’s a lot of potential customers for the city’s businesses. With events like Piggin’ in the Park bringing visitors into the area, the city – whose motto is “Where Time Is Well Spent” – should continue to be successful in revitalizing its downtown.

Business owners on Main Street in Woodruff are renovating and recruiting new business.

Theo's Snack Shack, which sells snow cones on Main Street, hopes for more visitors to Woodruff.