Smoking Butt Heads, a popular local barbecue restaurant in Spartanburg, was named a winner in the 2024 South's Best New Barbecue Joints by Southern Living, a regional magazine that covers topics on food, homes, and other southern commodities.
The Southern-style barbecue restaurant is at 111 W. Main St. in downtown Spartanburg.
In a list curated by Robert Moss, contributing barbecue editor, Smoking Butt Heads appears on a list of smokehouses that range from Texas to Virginia and names 22 of the best barbecue restaurants below the sunbelt.
Overall factors in choosing the restaurant winners came down to overall experience, setting, food presentation, sauces and authenticity to the Southern region.
“For starters, most are traditionalists in at least some sense. Most cook on wood-fired pits and many have embraced and championed the long-running specialties of their particular regions," said Moss about the list. "At the same time, each is doing their own thing, experimenting with new flavors and techniques, adopting less-common cuts of meat, and drawing upon family recipes and their own culinary heritage.”
Smoking Butt Heads came in at number 16 on Southern Living's list and is joined by four other South Carolina restaurants, all based out of Columbia and Charleston.
Here's more on the award-winning barbecue restaurant in Spartanburg:
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What is Smoking Butt Heads Barbecue in Spartanburg?
Smoking Butt Heads is located at 111 W. Main St. in Spartanburg and specializes in competition-style barbecued meats and scratch-made sides such as mac and cheese, baked beans, greens and coleslaw, and more.
In August of 2023, Smoking Butt Heads opened at the historic Greenewald's Building in Spartanburg and has offered nationally recognized barbecue, adult beverages, live entertainment and more to the downtown food and dining scene.
Owned by Todd Smith, he and his 10-plus years of barbecue competition experience have participated in the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) circuit and have won at least four regional and national competitions since 2014.
What is on the menu at Smoking Butt Heads?
Some of Smoking Butt Heads' more popular smoked meats are the St. Louis-style ribs, prime burg ends, pork medallions, hot links, and brisket. Their biggest draw is The Judge's Plate, which offers a taste of each of their prize-winning aforementioned meats alongside house-made cornbread and a side.
Their appetizer menu showcases a brisket egg roll and wings, while also a house-made banana pudding and peach cobbler are well-known dessert options at Smoking Butt Heads.
Everything about Smoking Butt Heads: Downtown Spartanburg: Smoking Butt Heads BBQ opens, revitalizes historic Morgan Square spot
Who are the South Carolina-based barbecue restaurants on Southern Living's list?
#1 Palmira BBQ — Charleston, SC
#4 City Limits Barbecue — Columbia, SC
#5 King BBQ — Charleston, SC
#14 Rancho Lewis — Charleston, SC
#16 Smoking Butt Heads — Spartanburg, SC
South Carolina's Best BBQ in 2024 list
Earlier in 2024, Southern Living named Henry's Smokehouse in Greenville as South Carolina's Best BBQ in 2024 , which is located at 240 Wade Hampton Blvd.
See the entire list: Here's who else made the list for the South's Best New Barbecue Joints of 2024?
– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription .
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Spartanburg restaurant named to South's Best New Barbecue Joints list by Southern Living
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