Hog Heaven Barbeque, Seafood and Country Cooking
Address: 7147 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, SC 29585
Phone: 843-237-7444
Cards: yes
Hours of operation: Open all week
Hog heaven Barbeque, Seafood and County Cooking is in the same spot that Yum Yum’s used to be. All of the locals knew Yum Young’s (Yum was the nick name of the old black man who was both the owner and the pit master) and his fame had spread to most corners of the state. Before Yum Yum died he sold his place (much smaller then) to someone who, in turn, passed it on to the present owners. It is still a restaurant that caters to the locals rather than the tourists who stream along Highway 17 that parallels the ocean.
The barbeque at Hog Heaven is good. It is cooked in a Southern Pride rotisserie as is much of the barbeque that is offered in many of today’s restaurants and, all in all, since it has a wood smoker attached, it comes off pretty good. At Hog Heaven the sauce is low country vinegar and pepper and they have a “tangy” that they also serve on the tables along with a mustard sauce but, stick with the barbeque as it comes off of the buffet as it doesn’t need any more sauce; it is juicy and tender as it is. Indeed, I found the sauce on the table to be a bit too sharp for my taste so it was good that the barbeque didn’t need it.
The buffet has a variety of vegetables including sweet potato soufflé, beans, candied apples, greens and other goodies. In true Southern style they don’t add sugar to the greens and the sweet potato soufflé is marvelous. They also have cheese biscuits as well as rolls so get yourself one of those. They are homemade so they actually taste like biscuits.
The macaroni and cheese, however, is in a category by itself. It is, as my wife said, “Just like I make it” and that goes for me too. It tastes just like homemade and just like your mother or grandmother used to make, assuming she was a great cook.
The hit of the buffet, however, was the fried chicken. Since I started doing reviews I try to sample a little of everything I find on buffets so I do not usually get a great deal of any one thing. Indeed, I have never gone back for an extra piece of chicken, or livers or gizzards or whatever simply because I don’t have the capacity for it. Hog Heaven was the very first place that I had to go back to get some more chicken. It was the juiciest, most tender and best fried chicken I’ve had in South Carolina, or anywhere, for that matter.
The next time I’m in Pawley’s Island or Georgetown I’m heading straight for the chicken, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes and desert. Did I mention the banana pudding and candied apples before? Get some of those too.
If you have to have a barbeque fix then Hog Heaven will do nicely even if it is not 100 mile barbeque, but if you want a real food experience get the 100 mile chicken.
You are not going to regret going to Hog Heaven.