Swig & Swine — Restaurant in Charleston

It’s me the TravelDuck, down here floatin around SC. Stopped at a little joint called the Swig and Swine. Pulled in and was greeted to a charmingly warm atmosphere with a vibrant interior and classic decor. The hostess, who I must say was quite friendly, offered us seats inside and out. Chose to sit outside as the weather was particularly nice. The wait was short even though they were fairly busy.

Barbecue is the name of the game here, so get ready for that going in. Our party started off with some Pork Rind Nachos and Fried Pickles. These were two distinctly unique appetizers. The nachos were quite different but overall I was a fan; the party certainly enjoyed them. The fried pickles were really more my speed, they were lightly breaded and accompanied by a nice tangy mustard -sauce mix.

Where this place really stood out for me came with the entrees. As you can see below, I got a half rack of ribs, Mac, and greens. I also briefly sampled some of the briscuit and pulled pork.

I am a notoriously harsh rib critic, much of that has to do with my upbringing in the south. That being said, these ribs were fairly good. They had a nicely layered amount of sauce which did not compromise the flavor of the meat. I am always happy to see that. However, the sides of Mac n cheese and greens were truly great. And I do mean that, huge fan. All of these put together really just complimented each other wonderfully. And that’s where it worked for me. Some good ribs with great sides just kicked in a mouthful of flavor. My meal was excellent and everyone in the party seemed to enjoy theirs also.

The only negative I have is with the Briscuit. The sample I had was a bit lacking in flavor and a tad dry. But, it was certainly not bad. I would rather have the ribs or pulled pork but I think the briscuit is a fine choice. Just something to consider. Disclaimer, I am also a harsh briscuit critic so you might enjoy. I used some of their sauces on the briscuit and pork and they were fantastic, and I’m not a huge sauce guy.

Overall, wonderful atmosphere, great service, tasty food, and an all around fun time. Oh, I almost forgot, the drink selection is solid as well. I will have to try one when I come back. Give this place a try if you haven’t already. Would highly recommend if you’re on vacation and looking for some good South Carolina comfort food. This has been a TravelDuck...

Stunning food! We went with a group of 4 and ordered the Family Platter, which was a perfect amount for 5 people, so we went home with a bit of everything leftover. Overall the food was absolute perfection. The chefs cooked the meat better than full Michelin star restaurants. 10/10 to them! Ever sauce was amazing in different ways, with each person having a different favorite.

I haven't done this before, but I wanted to comment on every thing we had there. Ribs - Large, great sauce on top, and SO sweet. There were no leftovers of this. Pulled Pork - When paired with the Sweet Red sauce this would challenge any Pulled pork. Smoked Turkey - Juicy, surprisingly deep flavor, and paired so well with all of the sauces. Sausage - Casing was firm, but the inside was SO juicy and flavorful. Beef Brisket - Uuuuuuuuuuuh so goooood. It was so tender you could cut it with a toddler's karate chop. Pork Belly - Literally melted in my mouth Chicken Wings - Dry rub was perfectly spiced. Better than any other wing place, hands down. Grits - Literally the best grits I've eaten Corn Pudding - Stunning Mac & Cheese - One of the better BBQ Mac & Cheeses I've had Pickled Vegetables - Surprisingly sweet, which went perfect with the meat Bread - Looks plain, tastes amazing. So spongy and mildly sweet.

Mango Lemon Spritzer - Only thing we had that was a miss. The flavor was much too mild, so it was like a sparkling water. Swiggy Punch - What a great combo of flavors. I miss this...

Hands down one of the best southern bbq I have tried. We got the family platter and there is just so much balance of salty, savory, and sweetness in every bite. The family platter came with the brisket, turkey, sausage, rib, and pulled pork as the meats. The sides included slaw, baked beans, and greens.

Brisket - you can tell the tendons have been smoked through for hours. The meat is so tender and the flavor is packing. Smoke ring was deep and rub was nice. Great with the abundant variety of sauce they provide

Turkey - super tender and juicy. I like my turkey alot more seasoned considering it's generally a drier meat. Not much of a smoke ring but still tons of flavor

Sausage - sweet and savory. Really cant do a sausage wrong. Half smoke would be the way to go but that's just personal preference for me

Ribs - not a rib fanatic but the bone doesn't come right off which means it's not overcooked. You can bite into the rib and tell that it is perfectly cooked with all tendons being edible.

Slaw - light and savory. Really compliments the smoked foods really well

Baked beans - they use bits of the brisket to infuse a great amount of smoke. The beans aren't salty! But much more sweeter to counter balance the tangy sauce that is provided

Collard greens - their collard greens are on another level. I have tried alot of variations up north and are pale in comparison to swig n swine. Smokey, sweet, salty, and savory all in one dish. Collard...