No ... even locals don't go to shitty Shealy's anymore. Not since Tommy's Momma died and he started cooking the pigs on gas. Wood smoke never touches that nasty stuff at Shealy's. Fat out-of-town people go there to pig-out on the all-you-can-eat canned food at the buffet.

From Edgefield to Gilbert, Lexington to Saluda, if you are a local in-the-know you go to Jackie Hite's for real pit cooked BBQ of any flavor. It's on the other side of town from Shealy's and it is not always open, but it is far far better BBQ than that slop Tommy Shealy serves-up these days. Sugared-down green beans, oniony potato salad, dog food for country fried steak that is so bad they cover it up with dog food gravy to try to mask the nastiness.

The only thing good at Shealy's is the fried chicken and the chicken livers and the pulley bones.

Jackie Hite's is infinitely better, same town, two minutes from one another, and go to Jackie's ... don't go to Shealy's anymore - none of us in this area do.

Hudson's is so-so IMHO, but decent.

Doc's is good.

Belly's in Lexington is good. Cannon's in Little Mountain. Ronnie's in Elgin. Scott's in Hemmingway. I could go on and on but all of them are better than Shealy's.

In the meantime, here's my boy Jackie, The Crappy King of the United States of America, wearing a hat I gave him that Ray gave me. He's been struggling lately. He and I had our heart attacks at roughly the same time but he has not bounced back from his as well as I have mine for some reason. I'm starting to worry about him a little. One of the biggest Gamecock fans walking this earth right here ... smokes the best BBQ in the state of SC.