“We as Americans have learned to grapple with the natural resource questions. “Where’d that pig come from? How was it raised?”. But we haven’t gotten as good at asking the human resource questions, like “Who were the people who perfected this dish? What’s their story?” We haven’t gotten there but it’s time to.” -John Thomas Edge Jr., author of The Potlikker Papers.

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The popular fare of Charleston, like so much Southern food, is imbued with a complex history of slavery and so I knew making my barbecue restaurant choice would be a political one. Rather than go for the hipster joints serving 10 plus varieties of meat in all sorts of configurations (sandwiches, tacos, you name it), I opted instead for the no-fuss menu at Rodney Scott’s BBQ. Anthony Bourdain showcased Rodney back in 2015 when he was serving whole hog barbecue out of a repurposed gas station in rural South Carolina. Now he has daily line-ups out the door of his Charleston restaurant.

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Scott claims his “whole life has been barbecue,” and I believe him given the labor-intensive, time-consuming process that goes into whole hog barbecue. Every day, as I returned to my Airbnb, I was lured into Rodney’s by the smell of smoked pork and the steady cloud of smoke wafting from the pit behind the restaurant. Every day, there was Rodney warmly chatting with customers and staff, and obviously tending to his pork. Every day, I went back for more (banana pudding mainly). Simple concept, consistently high-quality product, and warm hospitality. Behind it all, a man just sharing what he loves with the world. Why isn’t this the criteria by which we determine all best restaurants?