Good Food A-Plenty at the Beacon Drive In

Beacon Drive In
255 John B. White Sr. Blvd.
Spartanburg, SC





There is nothing subtle about the Beacon Drive In.

That’s what’s made it one of America’s most famous restaurants.

This sprawling 66 year old drive-in smack in the heart of Spartanburg, South Carolina serves over a million hungry customers every year.

And I do mean HUNGRY.

You have to be. The menu is as sprawling as the dining rooms.

Red trays groaning under the weight of mountains of food fresh out of the fryer slide down the rail in a steady procession line from early in the morning to late into the evening. Seven days per week.

Like a well oiled machine. Literally.

They say the Beacon churns 26,000 pounds of onions through its burbling vats of grease into onion rings every month.

Over 16,000 gallons of sweet tea – and 3,000 pounds of sugar. That’s more sweet tea than any other restaurant in the United States of America!

And they have the sign to prove it.

I don’t doubt it for a minute.

This place has operated at peak capacity for nearly seven decades.

Most customers are greeted by J.C. Strobel, who shouts out in an obnoxiously loud voice “Let’s move on. Come on, come on, come on down the line!” Just like he’s been doing for fifty years.

Maybe J.C. retired. Or he had the day off. Because I didn’t see him today.

Then again, it might have been the weird hour I showed up – ten minutes past ten on a Wednesday morning.

Is that hour too early to gorge on a pile of beef, pork and fried carbs?

Of course not. Especially when you have to get up at 4am to catch an early morning flight to Spartanburg.

Even though I have to get up at that ungodly hour to catch oh-dark-hundred flights at least once or twice per week, I assure you, Suit757 is no morning person.

In fact, after being up and wearing a suit for six hours already, my internal biological clock was telling me it was the Suit757 equivalent of 4pm.

Time to eat!

The dilemma coming to the Beacon is always the same for me.

Burger or barbeque? They are both equally world famous.

The Beacon is the only restaurant I know in the nation that makes the list of best burger joints in America AND best barbeque joints in America.

As anyone who has dined here knows, the Beacon’s mammoth “A-Plenty” portions make the idea of getting both completely ludicrous.

Well, call me ludicrous.

“I’ll have the Outside Chopped Pork A-Plenty,” I declared to the counter lady.

She immediately called out some code language to the army of chefs behind the counter.

Wait. I’m not done.

Just as she turned to focus her attention on the next customer, I blurted out, “And a Chili Cheeseburger.”

She looked past me quizzically like she was searching for my non-existent dining companion.

Hey, don’t judge me. I’m hungry.

And a world famous restaurant reviewer. “I’m doing this to myself for the sake of my loyal readers,” I rationalized to myself.

Within 30 seconds, she plopped the burger on my tray. Ten seconds after that came a mountain of greasy glistening onion rings and French fries.

I had to dig down a few inches to find a fully loaded barbeque sandwich at the bottom of the pile.

It’s there at the bottom. I think.

I began shoveling onion rings and fries into my mouth two and three at a time, hoping to put enough of a dent into my mound of “A-Plenty” to get to my barbeque.

The fries reminded my why I don’t normally order fries with my meal.

Kinda boring. And a total waste of perfectly good stomach vacancy that could be better utilized for meat.

The onion rings on the other hand were top notch.

Lesser onion rings, like at Burger King, are nothing more than rings of fried dough with a barely discernable trace of shriveled dehydrated onion in there somewhere.

Not here at the Beacon.

These onion rings put the emphasis where it belongs – on the sweet Vidalia onions.

These rings are onions first – with just a bit of nice crispy breading delicately clinging along for the ride.

With a dash of salt, Beacon’s onion rings are addictive.

But no matter how many fries and rings I devoured, I still couldn’t seem to make any headway toward uncovering my barbeque sandwich buried somewhere underneath.

So I decided I better start with the Chili Cheeseburger.

Beacon’s chili is tasty but unlike the traditional tomatoey runny stuff you might expect.

This chili was more like seasoned, finely ground beef – reminiscent of the “loose meat” sandwiches you might find in the Midwest.

So what I really had here was ground beef on top of ground beef. Like a double cheeseburger.

Nothin’ wrong with that.

Loose ground beef on top of a ground beef patty – separated by a slice of melted cheese.

The result was bite after bite of ridiculously tender beefy, cheesy goodness.

By the time I consumed at least the top pound or so of fries and onion rings, I was able to lift my barbeque sandwich out of its tomb of grease.

I requested “outside” meat, which means the darker, more flavorful part of the pig, closer to the skin.

Topped with vinegary slaw and Beacon’s unique sweet BBQ sauce, this was porky heaven.

The sauce was more like a tomatoey relish – like a Southern chow-chow.

Different. But delicious.

The pork was soft, tender and dark. While the slaw and sauce added the tang and sweet kiss to every bite.

The Beacon will never eclipse the legendary barbeque shacks of the Carolinas in barbeque perfection, but there is a reason this place still manages to make all those top barbeque joint lists.

These folks here in the land of The Marshall Tucker Band know what they are doing.

How else do you attract crowds of 5,000 or more every single day for 66 years?

The answer: quantity AND quality.

It was only quarter to eleven by the time I waddled out to my rental car parked on the asphalt sea surrounding the Beacon. But I still left at least half a pound of French fries behind.

I was done. And tempted to curl on the bench seat of my Chevy Impala for a much needed digestion nap.

No chance of that, unfortunately. My day of meetings hadn’t even begun.

Oh well. That’s the life of Suit757.

But I looked on the bright side. At least I won’t have to worry that pesky eating thing again for at least a couple more days.

Rating: Seriously Thought About Buying Shirt.

Shipping Off to Guantanamo Well Fed

Blackstone’s Café
205 Scott St.
Beaufort, South Carolina





If President Obama were kind enough to offer me one final meal before he slapped on the cuffs and exiled me to Guantanamo, it would have to be shrimp & grits.

Nothing beats fresh wild caught American shrimp. And good Southern grits are one of those rare side items perfectly at home on a breakfast, lunch or dinner menu.

In combination, shrimp & grits encourages creativity. Like Mitt Romney’s position on abortion, no two versions are alike.

I’m happy to report, the chef at the Blackstone’s Café here in the heart of South Carolina’s Low Country takes full advantage.

Blackstone’s “Cajun” Shrimp & Grits are LOADED!

Onion. Green Pepper. Red Pepper. Crumbled breakfast sausage. And mounds of melted cheese.

Oh, and a good generous portion of local shrimp buried amid all that goodness and grits.

Whew!

That’s an explosion of flavor in every bite.

My only quibble with my “Cajun” shrimp & grits was with the “Cajun” part. These shrimp & grits need a bit more spice to earn that label.

On the side came a warm golden Southern biscuit which can only be described as buttery perfection.

Of course I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to sample Blackstone’s specialty of the house, homemade corned beef hash.

A mishmash of crispy fried corned beef and potatoes, this is as good as hash can get.

There’s just something about that wonderful textural variety of soft and crunchy corned beef mixed with skillet browned home fries that makes a breakfast like this worth getting up early for.

And trust me, folks here in Beaufort are happy to do just that.

Packed with that classic breakfast joint eclectic mix of hung-over partiers and freshly scrubbed after-churchers, I chose the less crowed, though less interesting, back patio to enjoy my meal.

Though quiet and pleasant on a cool morning, I kind of missed being amid the hub bub inside. Plastered with prep school banners and Marine Corp paraphernalia, Blackstone’s décor reflects its local flavor well.

Just down the road from Paris Island, Blackstone’s Café reflects the conservative pro-military bias of this corner of the Palmetto State.

You’ve got to love a restaurant owner passionate enough about saving America to post the “Tytler Cycle of Democracy” in the men’s room.

The average age of the worlds greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:

From bondage to spiritual faith
from spiritual faith to great courage
from courage to liberty
from liberty to abundance
from abundance to selfishness
from selfishness to complacency
from complacency to apathy
from apathy to dependency
from dependency back to bondage.

– Alexander Fraser Tytler (1747-1813)

Never mind that no one can actually definitively cite the 18th Century Scottish historian as the originator of this bit of wisdom, but the message stands on its own. Nothing like educating a captive audience!

Unfortunately, Suit757 doesn’t put much stock in the “educate the masses” theory of saving the country. See above about that “apathy” thing.

Too many folks just can’t be educated – even captive with manhood in hand. Much more effective to mobilize the ALREADY educated.

But still, as I paid my tab and walked out the front door, prominently adorned with a “Fair Tax” bumper sticker, I felt good having given patronage to a philosophical soul mate.

I’m pretty sure the owner of Blackstone’s is right up there next to Suit757 at the top of Obama’s political enemies list.

Come to think of it, I’m pretty excited about that. At least we’ll be well fed down in Guantanamo.

Rating: Seriously Thought About Buying Shirt.

Trying Not to Be Unreasonable in America’s Best City

Moe’s Downtown Tavern
5 Cumberland St.
Charleston, SC


Is it too much to ask?

I don’t think so. I think I’m a pretty reasonable guy.

There are some basic amenities I demand when eating out on the road.

A vacant bar stool. A game on the flat screen. Some decent beer. And good food.

I mean, really? Is Suit757 being ridiculously unreasonable here?

Then why the hell is it so hard to find a place like Moe’s Downtown Tavern?

Man, I love this place!

Smack dab in the middle of the historic district of my favorite city in America, Moe’s Downtown Tavern meets all my basic Suit757 requirements.

All the games in HD – with the sound on too! A mind tingling display of unfamiliar tap handles. And a menu full of delicious-sounding grub.

Moe’s is the ideal destination for an afternoon of sports, beer and gourmet bar food.

Gourmet bar food? Isn’t that an oxymoron?

Not necessarily. And I’m happy to report it is a trend catching on quickly all across America. A trend that can’t come soon enough as far as Suit757 is concerned.

I mean, how many reheated cheese sticks, over-cooked burgers and scrawny chicken wings can one man consume in a lifetime?

Until this gourmet bar food trend began to take flight, Suit757 was on a path to find out. I suppose my survival (or not) would have provided a good service to science, but my intestines and taste buds are sure happy to take a detour to more interesting cuisine.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Gourmet bar food is still bar food. I’m not saying it’s anything approaching healthy.

It’s just more interesting, creative and upscale.

For example, Moe’s serves a delicious take on the traditional BLT with a local twist – the Shrimp BLT.

Good thick bacon, lettuce and a fried green tomato tooth picked together on quality Texas toast with a generous portion of blackened shrimp pulled right out of South Carolina waters.

Let me tell you, it puts mom’s boring old BLT to shame.

The only non-gourmet part of the dish was the overcooked French fries.

Better still was my BLT Burger – perfectly cooked beef topped with some of that high-end bacon, one of those famous Charleston fried green tomatoes, a thick slab of earthy mozzarella and a special homemade mayo.

Try finding that at your local neighborhood dive bar.

On the side came ideally fried thick-sliced Vidalia onion rings and a spicy dipping sauce.

Suit757 is a big fan of dipping sauces. In fact, a good remoulade or honey mustard can almost single-handedly qualify bar food as gourmet in my book.

Even Moe’s bowl of chili was a notch above ordinary. Sweet and meaty, this delicious chili was an ideal accompaniment to Moe’s wide selection of local beers.

After starting off with a local brew, Coastal Kolsch, a light but tasty offering, I decided I needed to upgrade to something darker.

Like Dogfish Head Chicory Stout. On draft!

Dogfish is one of my favorite breweries in America. You can’t go wrong with any of their sometimes crazy, outlandish brews.

While Chicory Stout is one of Dogfish’s tamer offerings, it was a perfect foil to my sweet bowl of chili.

On suggestion of my waiter, who seemed to be as enthusiastic and knowledgeable about beer as me, I abandoned the expensive five buck pints and tried a $2 can of Southern Star Bombshell Blonde, the far and away most popular choice among the crowd of college kids downing beers this Sunday afternoon.

A little darker and stronger than the Coastal Kolsch, the best part about this brew (other than the price) was the can itself.

A busty blonde in a miniskirt straddling a red, white and blue bomb. How cool is that?!?!

In a town full of destination dining places, Moe’s Tavern isn’t going to make any fancy tourist guide books. It doesn’t look like much from the outside.

But it is good to know that amid the blue bloods and tourists of historic Charleston there is a place to go to hang with some local college kids, watch the game, down some cheap unusual brews and gorge on food so good it has no business being served at a bar.

High quality burgers, BLTs and bombshell blondes on beer cans. Nothin’ unreasonable ‘bout that!

Rating: Bought the Shirt!

Bars and Stars or Bar-B-Que, Why Not Both?

Maurice's Gourmet BBQ
South Carolina


Suit420 recently found himself back in South Carolina.

And since I was just passing through and only had time for a quick lunch, it meant one thing – Maurice’s Gourmet BBQ.

You see, Maurice's is one of my favorite -- if not my favorite -- BBQ "joints" around.

Maurice's has won many awards and has been featured on various food shows.

And Maurice’s BBQ has been around South Carolina for a long, long time.

In fact, Maurice’s dates all the way back to 1939, when Joseph Bessinger opened the first store -- Piggie Park -- in Holly Hill, South Carolina.

The first official Maurice's BBQ opened in 1953.

There are now over ten Maurice’s BBQ locations around South Carolina, most being in the Greater Columbia Area.


But it's not just the food that Suit420 likes about Maurice's so much. It's the man behind Maurice's, Maurice Bessinger.

Maurice Bessinger is proud of his Southern heritage.

So proud that Maurice flies the Bars and Stars on a flagpole outside of most of his locations.

Not only that, but his special mustard sauce – which I’ll touch on more later – has a picture of the Bars and Stars on the side of it, which as you can imagine, has cause some controversy over the years.

And if you're looking for some traditional, Southern BBQ, Maurice's is your place.

Maurice’s proudly still cooks his BBQ the old-fashioned way.

And he uses the best pork hams around, and pit-cooks it slowly over hickory coals for 24 hours, which gives it an amazing hickory flavor.

And no preservatives or chemicals of any kind are used.

Now, one thing you need to know about Maurices is that it isn’t fancy.


Some of the stores that have buffets are larger, but some of them – like the one I dropped by on my visit – are about the size of a small fast-food restaurant.

But no matter which store you go in, the atmosphere is always laid back, and you can be sure you’ll get a good dose of Southern Hospitality while you're there.

And in some of the bigger stores you’ll find books about the Confederacy, books about political philosophy, as well as t-shirts and other good southern paraphernalia.

When it comes to food, Maurice’s has a decent amount to offer on the menu.

You can get a Big Joe (6 ounces of pulled pork) Sandwich, or a Little Joe Sandwich if you’re not as hungry.

There’s BBQ Chicken, BBQ Beef Brisket, Chili, Cheeseburgers and Chicken Fingers.

Or if you’re looking for a “dinner basket,” you can choose from food like a quarter of a pound of pit-cooked BBQ Pork, Carolina Hash over rice, homemade cole slaw, hushpuppies and dinner roll to 4 to 6 tender BBQ Ribs, Carolina Hash over rice, homemade cole slaw, hushpuppies and dinner roll.

Since it was lunch, and I was just passing through, I decided to go with the Big Joe sandwich with French fries and hushpuppies.


You may be wondering where the names “Big Joe” and “Little Joe” come from?

Well, back in 1939, Maurice’s father was known as “Big Joe,” and he and his brother were known as “Little Joe.”

I ordered a sweet tea to drink, and sat down to wait on my food and read a Southern Heritage newspaper that was laying there.

But I didn’t have long to read because my food was ready before I knew it.

And boy did it look good.

To me, Maurice’s is best because of his famous mustard sauce, which is a family secret how it’s made.

The sandwich already had the sauce on it, but Suit420 needed to add a little more. I also like to dip my fries in it.


It’s just that dadburn good.

So, if it’s so good, then why can’t you find it in grocery stores?

Well, years ago, you could find Maurice’s BBQ sauce in Food Lion and other grocery stores.

Until someone complained about the bottle having the Bars and Stars on it.

It what turned it a mess – where a lot of good folks got injured – Maurice’s BBQ sauce was eventually pulled from the shelves because of his unwillingness to remove the flag from the bottle.


If only every American would stand on principle like that.

I dumped some more sauce on my Big Boy, and dug in.

Perfect, I thought.

Once I finished, I looked around for a minute, and just thought about how neat it was that this business had survived since the 1930s.

I bet it's a lot more difficult to start a business these days with Big Brother around.

I walked up to the counter, purchased a shirt and headed on my way.

On the way out I noticed a sign advertising that they were currently hiring.

After over 50 years, even during such tough economic times, not only is Maurice Bessinger providing the public with arguably some of the best BBQ in the country -- but he's also providing good jobs at the same time.



Rating: Bought the Shirt

Hunting Fresh Meat at the Speakeasy

Delaney's Speakeasy
711 Saluda Ave.
Columbia, SC



After disappearing in a massive cloud of smoke for a couple of months – Suit420 is back in action.

But Suit420 is single now.

So when picking a restaurant to review, the food selection is no longer my top priority.

Alcohol and hunting "two-legged whitetails" are.

And on this particular business trip, Suit420 found himself back in Columbia, SC for an evening -- an evening filled with good food, good drinks and plenty of USC college girls.

So I left my hotel and headed down to Five Points – a local area full of college bars.

While cruising through looking for a good spot, I saw a sign that said “Delaney’s Speakeasy.”

Now, as you can imagine, Suit420 isn’t a big fan of prohibition – alcohol or other.

Fortunately, alcohol prohibition was repealed with passage of the 21st Amendment in 1933. 

But unfortunately, Suit420's favorite smoke has been under prohibition here in the U.S. for about as long.

The good news is, as long as people have an appetite for something, government can never succeed in stamping it out.  And during the prohibition era, moonshiners, rumrunners and speakeasies -- hidden establishments that illegally sold alcohol -- were prime examples.

So I decided to try the Speakeasy to see what it was all about.  What a good decision that turned out to be.

Delaney’s Speakeasy has been around since 2002.  It's a cigar and jazz bar that has over 40 varieties of scotch and over 200 beers.

Walking in the door, Suit420 immediately fell in love with the place.

The atmosphere is dark. Old Frank Sinatra-style music is playing, and there are pictures of gangsters all over the wall not to mention there are nice leather couches in the back.

"What a perfect atmosphere to for some hunting," I thought.

When I first arrived, the place was kind of dead – but hey, it was early, and I was in a college town.

So I strolled up to the bar and ordered a “Gin Rickey.”


Originally created with whiskey in Washington, D.C. in the 1880s by bartender George A. Williamson and Democratic lobbyist Colonel Joe Rickey, the Gin Rickey became a worldwide sensation when mixed with gin a decade later.

Delaney’s also has $2 drafts all night, and a pretty good selection, ranging from Shock Top to Yuengling to Strongbow.

Now for the food I thought.

And this was what was interesting. Delaney’s Speakeasy is right next door to “Delaney’s Irish Pub.” And that’s where the Speakeasy’s food comes from.

So I grabbed a menu and started looking it over.

And Suit420 had already made up his mind that he wasn’t going to eat chicken this time.

There were a lot of good selections, but I decided to go with the Irish Whiskey Steak – MEDIUM.

That’s right.

Not only did Suit420 not order chicken, but I ordered my steak medium – Just for Suit69.

While waiting on my food, I took a look at the scenery, and discovered the coolest thing ever.

A bottle of liquor in the shape of a Tommy Gun.


There was also a hot Marilyn Monroe picture on the wall, which Suit420 liked a lot.

Before long, my food had arrived.

Steak.  Rice.  Mashed ‘tators and gravy.  Yum.

The first thing Suit420 did was cut up my steak – which immediately made me wonder what in the hell I was thinking ordering it medium.


But it wasn’t all that bad.

The outside was good and crisp, which I liked a lot.

And it had a good flavor, as it was soaked in a special Irish Whiskey.

As for the rice and tators, they were also amazing.

The gravy was especially good, and helped me with not seeing the red blood in my steak.

Hungry, I wanted to scuff it down.

But I’m a food reviewer, so I took my time and got the flavor of every bite.  Every single bite.

Until there was absolutely none left.

And at the end of my meal, the bartender gave me a huge frozen Reeses peanut butter cup.

I was now full, so instead of a Gin Rickey, I ordered a Woodford Reserve and I kicked back and waited on the place to fill up with college girls in short skirts.


Let's just say Suit420 was pleased.

 You’ll just have to make up the rest of my night in your head . . .

Rating:  Would have bought the shirt, but they don't sell them (It's a Speakeasy, so they stay secret).

Front Porch Sittin’

Poogan’s Porch
72 Queen St.
Charleston, SC

Beer selection: All the Palmettos (Porter, Pale Ale, Lager & Amber).

Food: Gourmet Low Country cuisine worth planning your vacation around.




I travel a lot.

And I like to eat.

So people are always asking me where the best place in America is for good food. I guess they expect me to say New Orleans. Or Chicago. Or Memphis.

No doubt, great eating cities, all.

But if you want my opinion, the best eating city in America is right here – Charleston, South Carolina.

And Poogan’s Porch is one of the reasons why.

Of course, Charleston isn’t famous just for creative delicious food.

It’s also the Confederate history, Victorian architecture, gorgeous scenery, warm weather, soft breezes, beautiful beaches, Palmetto Pale Ale, fun watering holes and smoking hot Southern belles that make Charleston my favorite city on the continent.

But no trip to Charleston, no matter how brief, is complete without a meal at Poogan’s Porch. And in a city chock full of fun delicious places beckoning visitors’ allocation of precious stomach vacancy, that, my friends, is saying a mouthful.

Part of what makes Poogan’s so great is that it is quintessential Charleston, Southern to the core. A renovated 1888 Victorian home on a quiet side street in Charleston’s historic district, a meal at Poogan’s Porch is literally like dining in someone’s home.

The place is named after a beloved neighborhood dog whose favorite resting place -- like any self-respecting Southern hound -- was out on the front porch.

Poogan passed on to canine heaven a few years after the restaurant opened, but the owners honored him not only by naming their restaurant after him, but by burying him in the garden in front of his namesake porch.

I’ve enjoyed many a meal out on the porch looking down on Poogan’s little grave marker.

So I have to admit, it was a bit disconcerting when I discovered on my latest trip to Charleston that the restaurant paved over the garden to expand its outdoor dining options.

Apparently Poogan’s remains were disinterred and moved off to the side by the main walkway.

One can only hope the owners didn’t pull “a Poltergeist” and only move the marker! After all, the place is supposedly haunted already.

Come to think of it, that makes sense. If I were cursed to walk the earth for eternity, I’d want to hang out here too.

The food is that good.

Every meal starts out with a basket of soft, warm decadently delicious buttermilk biscuits, made from scratch served with a side of sweet honey butter that instantly melts into the steamy dough.

I overhead a waiter saying that Poogan’s Porch’s famous biscuit baker has been making them the same way for over three decades. Millions and millions of them.

One bite and you will know why Poogan’s biscuits are considered one of the top tourist attractions in all of Charleston.

On the side I ordered a Palmetto Espresso Porter, a dark toasty offering made from real espresso beans brewed by Charleston’s favorite local brewery.

By the time the macaroni and cheese appetizer came, I was thinking there is no way this meal can get any better.

I was wrong.

No child would ever again touch Kraft macaroni and cheese from the box after one bite of Poogan’s version. How does soft melted Gouda cheese loaded with country ham and scallions sound?

Yeah. Sorry, mom. This puts your mac & cheese to shame.

Dreading the coming end of oyster season, I decided today was a perfect day for Poogan’s version of a fried oyster po boy.

A decent number of perfectly seasoned and fried oysters drizzled with tangy remoulade, Poogan’s po boy came with lettuce, tomato and a whole mess of sweet potato fries. Delicious, just as I expected.

And that’s what makes Poogan’s Porch such an all-star dining destination.

One look at the place and you are captivated by its Southern charm. But it has the food to match the atmosphere. It’s a rare tourist destination that can claim both.

That’s why even locals and celebrities crowd onto the famous porch along with camera dangling tourists.

Blue bloods and Yankees. The famous and the infamous. Ghosts and lazy old Southern hounds.

No body steps off Poogan’s Porch without a smile on his face.

Rating: Bought the Shirt!