Inside Scott’s BBQ | The Family Behind a South Carolina BBQ Landmark

We're in South Carolina family reunion and one of the places I've always wanted to visit is Scott's Barbecue. We're gonna get out here and folks and get some barbecue. I'm Ty from General Motors. Okay. Move back here. 2008. Okay. And I'm helping my brother-in-law and sister with the business ever since, you know, which he passed away 2020. Since then, which he passed away 2023. Okay. And we were shut down for about six months. We got everything back, you know, all this stuff. Because of COVID? Yeah. Okay. And it's about the, you know, business-wide stuff, you know, stuff like that. So we got it. Back in, and now in the business, it's along with my wife, which she's recovering from kidney transplant. Oh, wow. But she's doing good. Good, good. And the rest of the crew in there, those are my baby sister. Okay. The rest of them is my niece and cousins. So it's a family business. It's a family business, yeah. And Mr. Scott started the business when? Mr. Scott started the business in 73. We started off with one, I think with two pits. Okay. Now we got 20. Really? Yeah. Okay. We can cook 20 hogs at one time. Okay. He does all the chicken and ribs. Everything is done in the pit. Right. He does all of that. I would love to see that. No problem. I can give you a tour through the pit. That's no problem. Oh, my. It's the bow we use. We put the wood in it. The coal comes down. We take the shovel and we put it in the little tray down and So that's how we cook. That's how we do all the who And all the woods, we put the wood in it. We take the shovel and we put it in the little trade island. So that's how we cook. That's how we do all the hoes. So that's how we cook, that's how we do all the hoof and all the woods. Pecan, hickory, and oak. I was about to ask you that. Yeah, all pecan, hickory, and oak. That's where that flavor comes from, the pecan, hickory, and oak. So when I sample it, that's what I'm going to be looking for. That's the sign of Roosevelt Sky. That's the sign that I own, yeah. Like I said, passed away two thousand twenty, yeah. I see you guys have a lot of... We got a lot of reviews. This started a while ago, right? Yeah, yeah. You guys are famous around the country. We started a family-wise thing. We used to have a thing every Easter. Okay. We started that back in 88 after our parents passed away. It's weird. It was 10 of us, so we had decided that every year we would get together and have something on Easter. So we was doing that from 88 up until 2012. Yeah. So that's a family thing, because we would have it across the street, and we would give back to the community. So what's the community like here? The community is good. You know, we would do all the food. We cook pollo chicken, and all that stuff, and we would be across the road, you know, and we would give back to the community. So anybody that's around in the area, **** off and come home, you know, we feed everybody right there. One of the things I noticed coming in from Myrtle Beach, it's a lot of wooded area. Then you hit here, and it starts to get a little more vibrant, and the town starts, you start to see the guy. Right. How large is the town? It's pretty, it's pretty large town. Okay. Pretty good size, yeah. And you guys have been here for how long? We've been here since 73. My brother-in-law started cooking in 73, that's when we started. So y'all came, stayed, and then now you're like a national icon as far as barbecues. I'm trying to, trying to keep the goodness going. Yeah. So I just, you know, like I said, you know, he's gone and the sister's gone. So, um, we're trying to, Continue on and do what we got to do and most important thing is as long as you know try to keep the customer happy as long as they happy I'm happy. So you know I don't need all the other stuff you know as long as they come and I ask them if they enjoy the food pass them on to the next customer or whoever they see you know they're coming right and just you know it that makes me feel good and it makes me feel real good that I'm doing at least I know I'm doing something uh other people that's coming from all over the places and uh and enjoying it. So that makes me really happy. You have a lot of visitors from out of town? I have a lot of visitors. Okay. A lot of visitors. I just had some people from, everybody that comes in from out of town, I have them sign the book. Okay. Yeah. And I have had a lot of visitors. I've had fuzz. I had Russian students here, but last month. And I had some people from California, Hawaii. I, um... Matter of fact, I had a family here the other day from New England. Wow. Yeah. It's all those, yeah, you're, you're nation renowned. So you guys are visiting from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Yes, sir. Okay. What's your name? Anthony. Anthony, I'm Al. Al, nice to meet you. Al with Neely Media Listen Up Podcast. So I have a question. How did you hear about Scott's Barbecue? Well, actually, we were watching TV, a barbecue show came on, and we were just sitting there enjoying the show, and I thought. Well, we're getting ready to go to Myrtle Beach. We're like, we'll swing through that way and check it out because it looked great. I mean, the pork looked amazing. The food looked good. And we were like, well, this is pretty cool. We'll try that out. See if it's as good as they say it is because everybody is talking about it. You know? Yes. Same thing. I'm here from Myrtle Beach and I wanted to try it as well. So we're going to find out. That's right. All right. We have Sam's sisters. And how are you related to Mr. Scott? Because Scott had married my sister. Okay, gotcha. Okay, so we're here with the manager, owner, Sam, and sisters. Right. We have Easter. Yes. And then we have Fanny, right? Yes. Okay. All right, so we're going to start out with Easter because I want to figure out, how did your mother come up with that name? I was born on Easter. Right. Yes. April the 19th. 36. Okay, so she just figured she would call you Easter. All right. Well, really, my aunt, one of my aunts named me Easter. Okay. My mom did. Oh, okay. Yeah, one of my aunts named me that. Another aunt named me Annette, but I didn't like Annette, but I got a school term. Yeah, I've never heard anybody with that name. I think that's unique. I think that's fantastic. And I'm 90 years old. Really? Oh, you're fantastic. You look great. Great. Yes. Fanny. Thank you. Yes. Bye. How long have you guys been in this area? How long have I been in this area? I've been in this area right here since 58. Okay. I moved out of here. From where? Retired from Rochester. Okay. Okay. Yeah, Sam said you did. You guys like the South? Yeah, well, right with my home, I was missing it, not ******* here. Okay. Yeah, and I moved right in 58, and I moved right over there in a little blue house over there. Okay. I retired and moved in 58, right over there. I see. I like this section here. I love it. Yeah. When I was coming through, it was a lot of woodlands, and then you hit this little patch of town, and it's a little more vibrant, and then the houses look a little bit better when you come into town, and you guys have some industry. So I can see you're having a comfortable living here. Very. So you just... Issa, you said you used to live in Philadelphia? I used to live in Philadelphia. I moved from, I stayed in Philadelphia. I went to Philadelphia in 55. Okay. I came back to South Carolina to live in 71. Okay. And I was here ever since. Okay. But I lived Neesmith, about 17 miles, 12 miles from here, in the rural country. Okay. I had my house built in 72, and I was there ever since. Okay. I'm from Philadelphia. Born and raised. Yes, from West Philadelphia, Southwest, right off of Cobb Street Parkway. I know where that is. Yes, where did you live? When I went to Philadelphia first, I went to 20th and Christian. Okay. There used to be a drugstore. I used to live on top of the drugstore with my aunt. Oh, yeah. And then I left Philadelphia. We was living on... My brother lived on Christian. 20th and Cambridge in North Philadelphia. Oh, okay. Okay, yeah. So, what... My husband and I. That's awesome. You came back here, right? How big is your guys' family? How big is our family? Yeah. Ten of us. It was ten. I'm only five now. Five now? Yeah. We lose five when we got five. Okay. And what has the Scotch BBQ kind of meant to you guys as a family? It meant everything because I see it when he started it in that little building right there. Okay. That's where he started out. Wow. That building right there. One hog a week. On the weekend, he'd have one hog on the weekend. And pull all of that because I just right before him and his wife started everything. It's progressive on and on and on. I can't remember the years because my memory's not that good anymore. And he bought this place Uh-huh. and fixed up this place and each year the hog gets more and more and more and more. Yeah, you guys are the exposure. Like I said, I've seen you on I'm going to go on. YouTube and then I had a family just tell me that they came from Indiana because they saw it on TV and they just had to try it. Yeah. Well, I appreciate you guys talking to me. And yes. Easter and Fanny, I appreciate you guys talking to me. I appreciate you. I enjoyed talking to you. Thank you. No, and you're from Philadelphia. Yes, that's right. Where are you from? Philadelphia. Oh, yeah. Yes. You've been there? Uh-huh. I used to live there. Oh, really? Where? Same place? I moved to Rochester. Okay. I'm 58, and I stayed in a little while there, and I moved to Rochester. Okay. I went to Philadelphia, and I stayed right there until I moved back home, 15 years, to stayed in Philadelphia. Okay. Well, good. So, all right, one question. Do you like the Eagles? Philadelphia Eagles like football? Yeah. Okay. All right. I was just wondering if you're a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Oh, man. I'm just a, just who wins is okay with me. Ha ha ha ha ha! Okay. But Philadelphia Eagles, yes, I've got it. Okay, gotcha. We got it. All right. Thank you for talking with me. You're quite welcome. Yes. And I hope y'all enjoy the barbecue. Yeah. Oh my god. You can just see the rib. It's tender. It's very delicious. I don't know. The potato salad is fantastic. Very creamy. Prime mustard potato salad with baked beans. Very good. They have a smoky flavor in them. He said he started cooking this yesterday at 4 pm. Um, when they smoke, they use three different types of wood. It's just what you expect. Have that great smoky taste from all the wood. Also, the ribs come with his famous vinegar sauce. Dip that in there, see what that tastes like. Oh, it's delicious. Nice vinegary smoke flavor to it. And they have the baked beans. Nice smoky flavor to it. Okay, so this is the three meat platter that we have here. We got a side of coleslaw. to go with this particular one so let's open it up and see what we got we have we have the pork ribs here and then we have the pulled pork underneath and we have the chicken that's delicious it has that smoky flavor then we do chicken they give you a chicken quarter here you can see i picked it up and it fell off the smoke look to it that pink streak tender It's juicy. Very flavorful, sample the coleslaw. Very light flavor, some sweetness to it, a little bit of vinegary flavor to it. Perfect for the barbecue.