South Carolina Food and Drink: BBQ, Grits, Peaches

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South Carolina food and drink: barbecue in four sauce styles, shrimp and grits, boiled peanuts, the Lowcountry boil, peaches and sweet tea, each explained from state and university sources. We do not rank restaurants.

Topics6each its own guide
Sauce Styles4mustard, vinegar, light tomato, heavy tomato
RankingsNonewe do not rate restaurants
CheckedOct 262026

More Food Facts

SC Code Section 1-1-681: 'Collard greens are the official vegetable of the State.' 2011 Act No. 38, effective June 2, 2011. source
SC Code Section 1-1-690: 'Milk is the official state beverage.' 1984 Act No. 360, SECTION 4. source
SC Code Section 1-1-674 designates Florence County's South Carolina Pecan Festival the official State Pecan Festival (2011 Act No. 9). source
SCDNR recreational shellfish season: opens one-half hour before official sunrise Oct. 1, 2026 and runs through May 15, 2027 (dates may change). Limits: two U.S. bushels of oysters and one-half bushel of clams per day, harvest on two calendar days per seven-day period, possession limit three personal limits per boat or vehicle. Saltwater Recreational Fishing License required. SCDES can close beds after storms, heavy rain or spills; closure line 1-800-285-1618. Release dated Sept. 25, 2026. source
She-crab soup (SC PRT): bisque-like soup of crabmeat, crab roe, cream and sherry. Claim: first version was partan bree brought by Scotch-Irish settlers in the 1700s; William Deas, butler to Charleston mayor R. Goodwyn Rhett, is credited with adding crab roe in the early 1900s at the John Rutledge House. Labeled as the article's account. source
Certified SC (SC Department of Agriculture): a cooperative program of farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and SCDA; the brand and label help shoppers identify products grown, harvested or raised in South Carolina; membership is by application accepted by SCDA. Info: certifiedsc.com. source
State Farmers Market, 3483 Charleston Highway, West Columbia SC 29172 (SC Department of Agriculture): market open Monday through Sunday, vendor hours may vary; office hours Monday-Friday 8 am to 4 pm, closed on state holidays. source
Carolina Gold Rice Foundation (own site): Charleston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to restore and preserve heirloom grains and raise awareness of historic ricelands. The page did not state facts about the rice's history. source
SC Code Section 1-1-682 note: the official snack food section states it does not require or encourage schools to serve peanuts. source

More Food and Drink

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FAQ

What are the main barbecue sauces in South Carolina?

SC PRT says there are four: mustard (Midlands and a band toward the coast), vinegar and pepper (coast), light tomato (Pee Dee and upper middle of the state) and heavy tomato (west and northwest). It says South Carolina is the only state with all four, and that many restaurants now offer several sauces. source

Is there an official South Carolina BBQ Trail?

Yes. SC PRT publishes the SC BBQ Trail Map as a free downloadable PDF covering more than 220 restaurants in Mountains, Midlands and Coastal trails. source

Are grits the official state food of South Carolina?

The state code has no grits section. A 2014 House resolution says the state declared grits its official state food in 1976, but that 1976 act was not found, and a 2000 bill to codify it (H.4806) shows no passage. source

What are South Carolina's official foods and drinks in the state code?

Peach (fruit, 1-1-680), collard greens (vegetable, 1-1-681), boiled peanuts (snack food, 1-1-682), barbecue (picnic cuisine, 1-1-683), milk (beverage, 1-1-690) and South Carolina grown tea (hospitality beverage, 1-1-692). source

When can you harvest oysters recreationally in South Carolina?

SCDNR says the 2026-2027 recreational shellfish season opens Oct. 1, 2026 and runs through May 15, 2027, with a Saltwater Recreational Fishing License required and daily limits of two bushels of oysters and half a bushel of clams. Check for closures before going. source

What is Frogmore stew and is it the same as a Lowcountry boil?

SC PRT describes Frogmore stew as a one-pot dish of shrimp, corn, new potatoes and smoked sausage, also called Lowcountry boil or Beaufort stew. It claims the dish originated in Frogmore on St. Helena Island. source

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

Note this differs from SC PRT, which puts light tomato in the Pee Dee.
South Carolina Barbecue Association: searched for sauce-style / whole-hog pages; no usable official page found.
Shrimp baiting 2026 exact open/close dates: no SCDNR 2026 announcement found. The rule (noon on last Friday on or before Sept. 15, 60 days) is stated by SCDNR; 2026 dates would be inferred, so not given. Also 2026 commercial shrimp opening date not found (2025 only).
1976 grits designation: the actual act/resolution text was not found on scstatehouse.gov; only the 2014 resolution's recital.
Sweet tea: statute text says 'South Carolina grown tea'; PRT says 'sweet tea'. Summerville birthplace claim is the town's tourism claim; independent historical support not verified (a Charleston City Paper piece from 2013 questions it, but not an approved source and not read).
Charleston Tea Garden hours, factory tour price and trolley price: charlestonteagarden.com did not load for us on every fetch. unofficial summary only (Mon-Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4, free factory tour, trolley from $16 adult) – NOT verified, do not publish without re-fetch.
Peach county list (Edgefield, Saluda, Aiken, Lexington, Spartanburg, Cherokee): no read official page lists current main peach counties. SC Dept of Agriculture Market Bulletin PDF (Aug 2, 2018) could not be read. Only Edgefield (Ridge Peach Meeting) and Spartanburg (1935 figure) appear in read pages.
Peach season months: Clemson HGIC says mid-June to mid-September in the Upstate; SC PRT says May through August; the two differ by region and source.
Peachoid official Gaffney/Cherokee County page not found; only SC PRT description used.
SC Peach Festival 2026 full day-by-day dates: not on organizer page; only July 19, 2026 concert. 2027 dates not stated.
Ridge Peach Festival (Trenton) and Johnston Peach Blossom Festival: only a 2020 listing on visitold96sc.com; no organizer page found, no 2026 dates.
Pelion Peanut Party 2026 dates: organizer page (Facebook) gave no date; only a 2023 newspaper report.
Green peanut season: SC Dept of Agriculture says summer and fall; Clemson specific maturity guidance came from unofficial summary only and was not read.
Collard greens and peach second-in-nation figures: SC PRT's collard 'second nationally' claim not checked against USDA.
State Farmers Market exact open/close hours: official page says only 'Monday through Sunday, vendor hours may vary'.
Carolina Gold rice history, she-crab soup from Charleston CVB (charlestoncvb.com pages not read), pimento cheese: no official SC source found.

Sources

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “South Carolina Food and Drink”, itssouthcarolina.com/things-to-do/food-and-drink/ (updated 2026-10-26). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.