Press

03/01/2020

Where Classic BBQ Begins

With Charleston area's barbecue landscape expanding and evolving, owner David thought now was the perfect time to re-imagine his restaurant. David hopes the branding overhaul will keep Melvin's Barbecue relevant in the Charleston barbecue scene, while staying true to their family friendly atmosphere and quality food.

01/14/2020

Voted Best BBQ in Mount Pleasant by Mount Pleasant Magazine's Best Of Mount Pleasant 2020

“Don’t mess with success” might as well be the motto for Melvin’s BBQ. Since 1982, they’ve been cooking outstanding pork, chicken and burgers over on Houston Northcutt. Next time you’re in traffic on 17, stop off for some ribs or burnt ends. Get some of their famous onion rings, too, and wash it all down with a glass-bottle of Cheerwine.

07/10/2019

Melvin's Pickle Pepper Bar & Onion Rings Considered Two of the South's Top BBQ Freebies

Melvin's BBQ's onion ring isn’t an ordinary onion ring. It’s a two-inch slice coated in a thick, sweet batter than puffs up big and golden brown in the fryer—essentially, a giant vegetable donut.

06/01/2019

Named one of the 8 essential BBQ spots in Charleston

Melvin's has served smoked meats to the Charleston community for decades. The restaurant is known for its family-friendly establishments and speedy service. One of the top BBQ restaurants in Charleston!

05/09/2019

David Bessinger From Charleston's Original BBQ Family Shares the 80-Year History of Mustard Based BBQ

The Bessinger family name is synonymous with the tangy, yellow barbecue sauce that put South Carolina on the map as a mustard-based BBQ region. It was 80 years ago that the now famous sauce was first used by Joseph Bessinger in a Holly Hill, SC, restaurant.

05/02/2019

The 6 Types of Barbecue Sauce in the US

South Carolinians also serve their barbecue pork with a mix of hash and rice, an amalgamation of meats, spices, sauces, and vegetables cooked down to a thick stew.

12/17/2018

Food Network Lists Melvin's BBQ as one of the Best BBQ from Coast to Coast

From traditional Carolina whole hog to Hill Country brisket to Memphis ribs, check out the Food Network's guide to the regional 'cue styles of the United States.

11/27/2018

David Bessinger Shares His Family's Savory BBQ History

Melvin David Bessinger's passion for what he puts on a plate is as deeply-rooted as the pride he has for family. The third-generation pit-master comes from a long line of BBQ Pioneers with mustard sauce in their blood.

12/04/18

Melvin's Sauce Featured in Charleston's Magazine's Foodie Gift Guide!

Melvin's BBQ's Original Golden Secret & Southern Hickory BBQ Sauce featured on page 7 of Charleston Magazine's Christmas Foodie Gift Guide! The perfect gift for the food lover in your life!

07/11/2018

Fresh Looks & A Classic Technique

While Melvin's Barbecue has been a staple for locals in Mount Pleasant for years, their new sign and wood-fired only techniques are beckoning old friends and new to enjoy on of the hottest barbecue destinations in the nation.

06/04/2018

Melvin's Original Golden Secret FEATURED in Southern Cast Iron

The Southern Cast Iron names Melvin's Barebecue's Original Golden Secret Sauce as one their 6 favorite Southern-Made Barbecue Sauces. This tangy mustard based bbq sauce is a South Carolina staple.

02/08/2018

Melvin's BBQ Raises Money for Autism Awareness

Started in 2003, Walk for Autism works to create a strong community for families and supply financial support for treatments and alternative therapies, a cause that is very close to the heart of Melvin’s owner David Bessinger.

10/27/2017

Collard Greens From Melvin's BBQ - A Family Treasure

The best collard greens we have ever eaten were from Melvin's Barbecue in Charleston, S.C. Much as I have tried, I have never been able to duplicate them or even come close.

05/03/2017

Melvin's BBQ Featured in Where to Find the Best BBQ in America

National Geographic names Melvin's Barbecue as one of the top spots for BBQ in South Carolina! Visit One of our two location on James Island or in Mount Pleasant and try for yourself!

01/20/2017

Travel & Leisure names Melvin's BBQ one of the Best Barbecue Restaurants in Charleston

Mustard-based sauce on the BBQ, that’s Melvin’s speciatly. Fast service, too, and southern sides including collard greens and fried okra. A granddaddy of the local BBQ scene dating back to the 1930s, the restaurant’s “secret-recipe” draws crowds.

07/05/2016

What is South Carolina Hash?

Hash and rice is a true Southern treat indeed! Melvin's Barbecue's recipe dates back to colonial times here in South Carolina. “I judge the worth of a barbecue joint based on the quality of its hash,” says Charleston resident Christina Cummings.

10/01/2015

A South Carolina BBQ Icon Returns to All-Wood Cooking

Robert Moss reveals "For years we’ve been hearing lamentations that the old ways are fading, that all-wood cooking is a dying art, that nannying health departments and market economics are determined to wipe traditional barbecue from the Southern culinary landscape. Those big black Lang cookers out behind Melvin’s are an encouraging counterargument."

08/03/2015

Melvin's BBQ Brings Texas Style BBQ to SC

Texas BBQ has come to Melvin's and it tastes so good, y'all! Before launching beef in our restaurant, David Bessinger took a trip out to Texas, visiting classic brisket joints like Kreuz’s and Smitty’s in Lockhart and spending time with Ronnie Killen at Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland, talking beef and pork techniques. Melvin's now serves up some Texas favorites like beef ribs, and brisket. Read more in Southern Living.

02/05/2015

Melvin's BBQ Adds Burnt Ends to the Menu

A South Carolina barbecue institution so identified with pork that it 25 years ago adopted a smiling pig as its logo is venturing deeper into beef barbecue territory.

01/27/2015

Melvin's BBQ Celebrates 75 Years

Melvin Bessinger’s Barbecue Restaurants are a South Carolina tradition that began in 1939. Generations later, Melvin’s is still famous for serving the finest St. Louis style pork ribs, pork shoulders, chicken and pulled pork barbecue – not just in Charleston, but the whole South.