Ironhead Barbeque — Local services in Aiken County

Listen—when a 2-year-old, a 40-year-old, and every age in between all agree on anything, you know you’ve struck gold. And at Ironhead BBQ, we didn’t just strike gold—they slow-smoked it and we devoured it. This place isn’t just the best BBQ in town; it might be the reason we start celebrating random Tuesdays like they’re national holidays.

Mac & Cheese: This wasn’t just mac and cheese—it was mac and please (as in, please never let this bowl run dry). Creamy, dreamy, cheesy noodles with just the right balance of gooey and golden. The 2-year-old was suspiciously quiet while eating it, which any parent knows is the universal sign of culinary approval.

Baked Beans: These weren’t your average sad cafeteria beans. No, sir. These bad boys were sweet, smoky, and had a little tangy sass to them. Like they knew they were good and wanted you to know it too.

Hash & Rice: Southern comfort on a plate. This was the kind of dish that makes you close your eyes and let out a sigh after the first bite. Rich, meaty, flavorful hash over perfectly cooked rice.

Baby Back Ribs: Fall-off-the-bone perfection. Smoky and tender enough to make a grown adult consider proposing to a rib. Even the picky eaters in the group went full caveman.

Beef Dino Rib: This thing was majestic. It didn’t just arrive at the table—it made an entrance. Juicy, smoky, and brontosaurus-sized, it was like biting into a meaty miracle. The table got quiet real fast. Even the 12-year-old who thinks everything is “mid” was suddenly religious about BBQ.

Wagyu Brisket: Listen, I’m not saying this brisket changed my life, but I’m not not saying it either. Melt-in-your-mouth tender, perfectly smoked with that beautiful bark, and marbled just right. You don’t eat this brisket—you experience it. It was love at first slice.

Final Verdict: Zero complaints. Not a single grumble, grimace, or “meh” from a group that spans potty training to mortgage payments. Ironhead BBQ isn’t just slinging meat—they’re creating BBQ memories that bring the whole family to the table (and keep them there for seconds). If you’re in town and not eating here, are you even living?

10/10. I LOVE when my ribs are confident enough to not need any sauce...

The building itself looks really nice, and the place seemed clean. I liked that they had a good variety of sauces. For three adult meals and one kids’ meal, our total before tip was $81. I did tip because they do bring the food to your table, but you have to get your own drinks, plastic utensils, and napkins — and it seems like you’re expected to clean off your own table too, which we did.

We only ended up here because Feed Sack looked packed and this parking lot was almost empty — and now I see why. The $81 total was partly my fault since my older son ordered the Wagyu brisket which was around $26 I believe. It was tender but greasy and really lacking in flavor. I had the pulled pork, which was barely warm and honestly reminded me of the prepackaged pulled pork from Sam’s Club.

I originally ordered macaroni and cheese and baked beans, but the beans had an odd flavor and texture, like they’d been sitting too long. I swapped them for coleslaw, which unfortunately was even worse — very strange flavor. The meal came with pickles (which I actually liked) and pickled onions (which I didn’t try), plus a slice of thick white bread that was wet on the ends and either stale or barely toasted. That bread ended up being the main thing I ate, just picking around the soggy parts.

My husband’s potato salad was also strange in both taste and appearance. My youngest had the grilled cheese and fries — the sandwich was dry and flat, and while the fries were okay, they weren’t hot. He ended up with a bit of a stomachache afterward, which was concerning given how lukewarm the food was.

Overall, we were very disappointed. The food quality just doesn’t match the price. The only decent thing was the macaroni and cheese, but even that...

I had the privilege of meeting Kurt this past weekend at an event and experiencing Ironhead Barbeque for the first time and all I can saw is... woah! I enjoy some good bbq and no joke this is some of the best (dare I even say the best or the very least top 3) I've ever had. It's a chopped style instead of pulled that is more common in this area and the flavors within the pork along with the juice that it was in was phenomenal. I'm a huge sauce guy and love sauces and quite honestly most of my bbq always ends up with a mix of sauces on it, but this was so delicious it didn't even need it! But there's more... the sides! Often times you can get some pretty good/decent bbq but then the sides can be kind of meh. We got the baked beans and mac and cheese (your usual kind of expected offerings with bbq) and holy cow! They might have been even better than the bbq. lol When I took a bite of the baked beans I immediately told my wife these are the best baked beans I've ever had, and my wife and kids said they could eat just a whole container of the mac and cheese by itself. You could just tell these sides were very carefully crafted with some unique seasonings and flavors to make them memorable. And that it was. It was so good that I literally can't wait for the next time I get to experience...