South Carolina’s Home Team BBQ: Exceptional Food and Community

By Adelaide Clarkson

As I walked into the warm, comforting environment of Home Team BBQ, I immediately felt at home. Its fragrant smell of sweet pulled pork hanging in the air, and the background noise of football coming from the bar’s TV, made the atmosphere immensely inviting. I sat down and peered at the menu, where the options seemed endless, from their creamy mac and cheese to their sliders and crisp coleslaw. I couldn’t decide on what to get after hearing my parents rave about the entire menu

I went to Home Team, a BBQ restaurant with six locations in South Carolina, for the first time with my family on a visit to The University of South Carolina in Columbia this past fall. My mom had been there before and raved to me about how the “pulled pork sliders were addicting.” I didn’t believe her until I tried them myself. The sliders delivered a perfect balance of flavor between the pulled pork, barbeque sauce, house pickles, and pickled onion to King’s Hawaiian bun, all for the price of $5.50. Additionally, the sliders are a perfect size and proportion. After trying one, I can confirm it’s the best pulled pork sandwich I have ever eaten, and my family agrees.

My sister Whitney Clarkson (‘24) attends The College of Charleston, so whenever we visit her, it’s become a new tradition to make a stop at Home Team. Some other items on the menu that are undoubtedly appetizing are the mac and cheese and the tater tots. This mac and cheese is exemplary. Whitney described the mac and cheese as “a perfect addition to the sliders.” The warm, gooey mac and cheese, blended with the powerful flavor of the BBQ, makes for a perfect combination.

The tater tots are my Dad’s favorite; he said that the “crunchy burst of potato” makes a perfect side. These tater tots are also accompanied by a tasteful Hairrsa mayo that is simply unmatched. Home Team BBQ also offers many other options, such as BBQ nachos ($14.95), baked queso ($9.50), chopped brisket tacos ($5.75), crispy smoked pork carnitas ($5.25), smoked chicken tacos ($5.25), smoked turkey wrap ($13.25), as well as salads, burgers, and combo platters, where you can pick two ($19.75) or three portions of meat ($22.25) of your choice and more. A typical meal for one person here can cost about $25-$35, based on what you order. 

Home Team’s BBQ sauce is also incomparable. The extensive variety of flavors that spreads through each of their deliciously crafted vinegar-based sauces is immaculate. They have a sweet red, hot red, pepper vinegar, Carolina mustard, Alabama white, HT hot sauce, and my personal favorite, red. 

Photo credit: Home Team BBQ instagram page.The first Home Team BBQ was opened in November 2006 in a gas station in West Ashley, South Carolina by the owner Aaron Siegel. Since then, it has grown and has locations in Greenville, Colombia, Downtown Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, and Sullivan’s Island. While the majority of their “Home Team” and crew is located in South Carolina, there is also a Home Team BBQ at the bottom of Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. Not only is this particular branch beautiful because of its location at the base of a mountain, but it’s also well known for its booming catering business.

Something rather remarkable about Home Team is its community. In Greenville, Home Team BBQ participated in the “Hogs for Cause,” a nonprofit fundraiser at the annual Holy Smokes Festival, where they raised one million dollars for a pediatric cancer unit. Hogs for Cause is a very uplifting fundraiser whose main goal is to raise money for kids fighting brain cancer, all while having a great time with people, food, and music. Home Team BBQ shows respect and support to their community in other ways as well. They have a way to donate to special causes on their home page, such as local families in need, families with children battling chronic or terminal diseases, the food and beverage community, and even more. The restaurant is much more than just a terrific spot for food and company; it is also rooted in finding success in helping their community thrive.

In November 2023, Home Team BBQ was named one of the top 10 barbeque restaurants in Charleston by The Post and Courier. In addition to the restaurant’s great success, it was named one of the top 50 barbeque joints in 2022 by Southern Living Magazine. When at Home Team BBQ, its bustling environment is what makes it so great and adds to its charm. 

Photos courtesy of Home Team BBQ via instagram (@hometeambbq).

About the author

Adelaide is a member of the class of 2026.