Unearth The Voyage
South Carolina knows how to do buffets right. Forget fancy menus and tiny portions, here you pile your plate high with smoky barbecue, fried chicken that crackles, and sides that taste like someone’s grandmother made them with love. These aren’t just restaurants; they’re traditions where families gather, strangers become friends over sweet tea, and nobody leaves hungry.
1. Shealy’s Bar-B-Que — Batesburg-Leesville
Since 1969, this small-town spot has perfected the art of the all-you-can-eat Southern spread. Pulled pork falls apart at the touch of a fork, fried chicken glistens under the buffet lights, and hash over rice is the kind of comfort food that makes you understand why people drive an hour just to eat here.
Weekend lines snake around the building, but regulars say the wait is always worth it. The buffet runs most days except Wednesdays and Sundays, so check their hours before you make the trip.
Bring your appetite and maybe some elastic-waist pants—you’re going to need them.
2. Sweatman’s Bar-B-Que — Holly Hill
Walking into Sweatman’s feels like time-traveling to when barbecue was cooked low and slow in backyard pits. The rustic farmhouse setting whispers history with every creaky floorboard, and the smell of wood-smoked pork hangs in the air like a delicious memory you can’t quite place.
This isn’t an everyday stop—the buffet only runs Friday through Saturday, so you’ll need to plan your visit carefully. Cash is king here, adding to that throwback vibe that makes you feel like you’ve discovered a secret your grandparents kept.
Authentic doesn’t even begin to describe it.
3. Shuler’s Bar-B-Que — Latta
Locals have a saying about Shuler’s: eat ’til ya hurt. That’s not a warning—it’s a badge of honor at this country-cabin joint where the all-you-can-eat buffet seems designed to test the limits of human capacity.
The pondside deck offers a peaceful view while you contemplate your third plate of ribs and BBQ chicken. Dinner service brings out the big guns with even more meat options, though honestly, the regular spread is already overwhelming in the best possible way.
Open Thursday through Saturday on Highway 38, it’s the kind of place where stretchy pants aren’t just recommended—they’re required.
4. Palmetto Pig — Columbia
Right in downtown Columbia sits a barbecue joint that doesn’t care if you’re wearing business clothes or gym shorts. The come-as-you-are attitude matches the no-nonsense buffet line piled with pulled pork, fried chicken, hash and rice, and enough sides to build a small mountain on your plate.
All-you-can-eat means exactly that—no judgment, no limits, just good food and better value. The atmosphere buzzes with office workers on lunch breaks mixing with families who’ve been coming here for years.
It’s proof that great barbecue doesn’t need fancy surroundings, just honest cooking and generous portions.
5. Little Pigs Barbecue — Columbia
Three different South Carolina sauce styles sit side by side at Little Pigs, letting you taste the state’s regional barbecue personality in one meal. Ribs, brisket, pork chops, and fried chicken crowd the buffet tables, while tomato pie—a Southern secret weapon—waits near the end to surprise first-timers.
This isn’t some stripped-down cafeteria setup. Full-service dining meets all-you-can-eat abundance, creating an experience that feels both special and satisfying.
The dessert section alone could be someone’s entire dinner, but that would mean missing out on everything else. Save room, or just accept that you’ll need a nap afterward.
6. McCabe’s Bar-B-Que — Manning
People drive a hundred miles out of their way for McCabe’s, and they’ll tell you it’s not even slightly crazy. Limited days, cash-only payment, and a buffet that tastes like it was cooked by someone’s meemaw create a combination that inspires serious devotion.
Quintessential South Carolina pork gets top billing, but the fried chicken runs a close second in the hearts of regulars. Sides taste like Sunday dinner at a house where food is love and seconds are mandatory, not optional.
Check their schedule before you go—this place operates on its own rhythm, and you’ll need to match it.
7. Duke’s Bar-B-Que — Orangeburg (Chestnut/Whitman)
Orangeburg-style barbecue has its own personality—whole-hog cooking with a mustard lineage that sets it apart from the rest of the state. Duke’s serves this regional treasure on an all-you-can-eat buffet that won’t empty your wallet, which is good because you’ll want to come back soon.
Limited hours and cash-only payment at the Chestnut Street location add to the authentic, no-frills experience. Nothing here feels designed for tourists or Instagram—it’s just honest food served the way it’s been done for generations.
Value meets tradition in the best possible way, creating loyal fans with every visit.
8. Brown’s Bar-B-Que — Kingstree
Brown’s has the energy of a church social where everyone’s invited and nobody goes home hungry. The all-you-can-eat buffet runs the full Southern table: chopped pork, fried chicken, perloo (that’s Carolina chicken bog to outsiders), mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, and more.
The retro dining room hasn’t changed much over the years, and regulars wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a community fixture where generations have celebrated birthdays, graduations, and random Tuesdays when somebody just needed good food.
Comfort isn’t just on the menu—it’s baked into the walls and the smiles of the staff who remember your usual order.
9. Olde House Cafe — Walterboro
Step inside and you’ve entered a time capsule where Sunday dinner never ended and the dessert bar is the stuff of local legend. The all-you-can-eat setup draws crowds after church services, when families pile in still wearing their good clothes and ready to eat like it’s a celebration.
Located on Bells Highway, this country cafe doesn’t try to be trendy or modern. The charm lies in its commitment to being exactly what it’s always been—a place where the food tastes like home and the portions prove someone cares.
Save room for dessert, or just plan a second trip through the line.
10. Simply Southern Smokehouse — Myrtle Beach
Not every Myrtle Beach buffet drowns you in crab legs and cocktail sauce. Simply Southern Smokehouse is where locals send visitors who want real South Carolina food without the tourist-trap prices or seafood overload.
Fried chicken, barbecue, chicken bog, and banana pudding fill the buffet line with honest, budget-friendly comfort. Occasional gospel music adds to the homestyle atmosphere, making you feel like you’re eating at a friend’s house rather than a restaurant.
This is the Grand Strand spot that reminds you South Carolina’s food culture runs deeper than beach vacations and boardwalk fries. It’s soul food in every sense.
11. The Original Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood — Myrtle Beach
Since 1986, Benjamin’s has been the granddaddy of Calabash-style seafood buffets—and when they say 170 items, they’re not exaggerating. Crab legs, shrimp prepared six ways, Lowcountry classics, and enough nautical kitsch to outfit a pirate ship create an experience that’s equal parts delicious and delightfully over-the-top.
Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, there are probably fishing nets and anchors hanging from the ceiling. But it’s also a landmark that’s earned its reputation through decades of feeding hungry beach-goers mountains of seafood.
Timeless and a little kitschy, it’s the kind of place that becomes part of your vacation story.
