BBQ from Two Along I-95 in SC/GA .......w/Photo's

First of all, let me say that I posted this in reverse order of my driving.

I went to Maurices-on I-95 in Santee, SC first, and then to Georgia Pig..(Brunswick, GA)
(sorry)

I also edited the subject title to reflect where I was.

I had to go back to SC this past weekend (for the last time), and although I wanted to stop at Don's in Pooler,
again to retrieve my BBQ slaw they forgot a few weeks ago, they were closed on Sunday.
So... I remembered a place mentioned here--Georgia Pig.
With the help of UncleVic guiding me via text/email message, I was able to find it.
Well.....The smell was heavenly.

I took a few pictures outside.....







Then, was greeted by this at the door.




I didnt ask why, they seemed to be a little on the pissy side, so I kept my trap shut.

Typical assorted Q items. I chose a 3 meat plate with choice of slaw and beans...
You had a choice of pork, beef (both chopped-only choice), ribs, sausage.
They were out of ribs, so I chose pork, beef and sausage.


Speaks for itself. Sorry, No photo of the sauce.
I really didnt care for the sauce, and I had noticed that if you got a sandwich, they put the sauce on top, so the option of "sauce on the side" was there.
*(More about sauce on the side below)

The sausage didnt really taste like it was smoked, although the pit is there right in the open and they are chopping the meat to order.
Beef and pork tasted alright-it was moist and a decent smoke taste to it... To me, nothing spectacular. The slaw was very bland. The beans were decent, had bacon and onions in them, like the way I make them.

To tell you the truth, I could take or leave it.
As MikeS mentioned in another thread, it wasn't very clean and the bathrooms were dirty. I totally agree with him!

Now..... Back to "sauce on the side"...

I was so hungry, and knowing that Don's was closed on Sunday, I did something I said I would never do again. After trying the ribs slathered in a half gallon of yellow sauce, I swore off Maurices.
(see my post in a Maurice thread-March 2007)

Click This:--->[url='http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12499&whichpage=3&SearchTerms=maurice's']Yellow Ribs[/url]

I stopped for a pork sandwich at Maurices location on I-95.
I am NOT a big fan of mustard bases BBQ sauce, and I thought I could get the sauce on the side.
NOT!----

Voice from speaker at drive thru--"Hello, welcome to Maurices"..
HI!
"I would like a small pork sandwich with the sauce on the side"..
SORRY--"All our items are pre-sauced".......(Darn!)
Uh, Uh,.. "OK.. Large unsweet tea with lemon also"..
Got my little bag and pulled into a parking space to inspect it.
(and take a photo)

They had tossed an extra little side in the bag. Dipped my finger in it.
Tasted it (again)....Vinegar, honey (or some type of sweetner), Mustard.. ahhhh....Ick!
I ate the meat and tossed the bun. To tell you the truth?.. I didnt even care for the meat. It is pulled and there was a fair amount of it, with a huge chunk, so that I was able to taste pork flavor instead of SAUCE!




I like my Q naked.
Please let me do the saucing!

I wish I had thought about Choo Choos, which was the next exit southbound, but with my luck, they would be closed on Sundays also.

Nice report. But, I don't get the "no cameras inside" sign. Why? Were they afraid someone might, excuse me, "copy them"?

TwinWillow-
I have no idea. The place is pretty bare, with nothing much but large bench/family style seating inside.
Dark and dingy, and not really all that clean.
I think if the bugs/gnats weren't that bad outside, everyone would be eating outside.--There was about 10 people inside, and probably 6 or so outside.
The counter and pit are to the left as you walk in, and thats about it. Nothing really on the walls..Pretty drab.

Choo Choo's at exit 26 is open on Sundays. We always stop here and the food is excellent and the people are not pissy which means a lot.

I went to GA Pig almost 3 years ago...

As a rule of thumb, I don't order beef bbq or sausage in the South- only in Texas, Oklahoma and the KC area (well the beef only)

I don't remember the people being "pissy" or maybe it wasn't important enough for me to care..

I looked at my old trip report- I ordered the regionally appropriate Brunswick Stew versus the beans and apparently I thought it was good
I liked the sauce too, but thought the meat wasn't smoky enough. I would most likely go back if I ever found myself in the area again.

Yes, the SC mustard sauce isn't really to my liking either. I much prefer eastern NC vinegar style because the smokey flavor of the meat comes through so much better than when it is drenched in sticky, sweet yellow mustard. However, I live in Columbia, SC so my options are limited. Three Little Pigs on Alpine Road has a terrific BBQ buffet (with mustard-based and vinegar-based), and Doc's BBQ has wonderful BBQ and fried chicken. I avoid Maurice's like the plague... both because I've heard it's not very good and also because he has rather racist beliefs that don't mesh well with my own principles.

WJ--
Maybe they were having a bad day. Not a problem, I just wanted to remark why I didnt ask about the no camera sign, and take the chance of someone getting upset with me.
I can understand, with the volume I am sure they get there. And it was towards the end of their work day, and I am sure they had been busy, being a Sunday.
I only ordered the sausage, because they were out of ribs, and I do like sausage anyway. Not ever have tried TX or OK beef, I usually like to try it when I do see it on a menu. A local place here in FL does it very well.

Numbwall--
Some mustard sauces are ok. I prefer a KC-sweet smokey style sauce myself, however I have never turned down a good hot vinegar sauce.

But please, Maurice's views have been discussed MANY MANY MANY times on Roadfood, and I would prefer if my thread were NOT to become another one.
Thanks

BTW--Welcome to Roadfood, and don't be shy!

We encountered "No Pictures or Cameras" at several places, not bbq, but ethnic, on our roadtrip this summer. I don't get it. It's like free advertising! Unless it's a bad report, I guess.

I've never had BBQ in SC. Is the mustard style sauce made with yellow hot dog mustard? It looks quite bright in the photo. How can something be "pre sauced" unless they are assembling the items ahead.

I like your reports roossy90. You tell it like it is
I think based on your reports, I wouldn't like that mustard sauce much.

Z--
I love mustard--all types. I just dont like it as a BBQ sauce.
I really dont know what type they use. The one pictured above is vivid yellow, like basic "hot dog" mustard. I can only say, try it.. you may like it. Many people love it....Just ask RubyRose.
My guess is, that the pork is cooked, then sauced, and put in a holding pan until needed?..

roosy90-
Thanks for the nice report and photos. Don't really get the the no cameras policy, though. Neither of these two places particularly impressed me very much. I am a big fan of the mustard based bbq sauce, though.

Gail and I stopped at GAPig at about 1pm one sunny Winter day. We were the only customers in the place - which , by the way, is exactly as Roosey describes it. We were treated like dirt -two of the most unpleasant women we've ever encountered were behind the counter - I would guess they were capable of serious crime, so maybe that's why they don't want their photos taken. We got our sandwiches and took them out in the warm sunshine on the porch. A large hound came out from under the porch to accept our petting - he was not begging, he seemed content to merely watch us eat. That hound is the best thing there is about GAPig.

Does anyone know the owners of GAPig? I heard somewhere along the line that they are NYC residents - absentee ownership?

BTW: The BBQ was OK, but not good enough to ever get me back there.

Cheers, John

I cannot believe it. I got out the card for Choo Choo barbeque to call and see if they served chicken, which I believe they did. The operator told me that the line had been disconnected. Hard to believe as they were always so busy and the place was so clean as well as the food being excellent.

And the GA Pig, with their rude staff, is sill in business.....hard to believe.

quote:

Originally posted by Greymo

I cannot believe it. I got out the card for Choo Choo barbeque to call and see if they served chicken, which I believe they did. The operator told me that the line had been disconnected. Hard to believe as they were always so busy and the place was so clean as well as the food being excellent.

And the GA Pig, with their rude staff, is sill in business.....hard to believe.

Well, Greymo, they werent outright rude, per se.. But seemed to be very frantic and tired,-hence in a pissy mood, and I didnt want to step on toes while ordering food.
I have 2 rules.
Never piss off the bartender, and never piss off the cook.

Nice report & pics Tara. Too bad the food was not a whole lot better.

Roossy - You said Maurice's...Not Maurice Bettinger's Piggy Park? Both are in Columbia unless Piggy Park is now out of business? I know at Piggy Park they use to have the ribs all cut into individual "bones" (no full rack or half racks at lunch) and they were sitting in that mustard based sauce in a steam table. Now, that was several years ago and I did not like them like that either. Far too much of their very strong sauce. Same thing with their pulled pork. I like the sauce in moderation.

As far as the Georgia Pig, you are going to get lots of pros and cons on this place. Just like Lady and Sons. Some people love the Ga Pig and some, like myself, never thought it was that great. I was there three times and actually got a photo credit from the Sterns for taking pictures of the outside of the place. They put it in one of their books I believe.

I have not been back in 3 years and have no plans to return. As far as them being hissy...That comment has been made before by posters on chowhound..Perhaps on this site to? I seem to remember they would chop up my pork right on the spot..I was not pulled pork, but rather small chunks. They would ladel the sauce on top and served it to me on a decent hamburger bun with baked beans and slaw. That's my recollection after three years. They had this char-broiler or it may have actually been a pit, but it had a fireplace look to it. Brick all around. I remember it pretty well. They ahd some old movie stars pictures on the walls, too.

I am looking forward to trying Choo Choo in early October!

Good Lord, How many Maurices can there be?....
Tried googling, as I thought it was the same place as the one I went to in Columbia.. Sauce looks and tasted the same.
I see a link to a Maurices BBQ for the one on I-95--shows the map, but the other links dont work.
Then I saw a link to another Maurices BBQ, but it doesnt show the Santee, SC I-95 location on that websites map.
But the name of the sandwich was the same.
Gosh.. I am confused.

I just dont want this to be a Maurice filled thread.

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

Good Lord, How many Maurices can there be?....
Tried googling, as I thought it was the same place as the one I went to in Columbia.. Sauce looks and tasted the same.
I see a link to a Maurices BBQ for the one on I-95--shows the map, but the other links dont work.
Then I saw a link to another Maurices BBQ, but it doesnt show the Santee, SC I-95 location on that websites map.
But the name of the sandwich was the same.
Gosh.. I am confused.

I just dont want this to be a Maurice filled thread.

They're all the same

Piggy park was the original and the rest are franchises

Thanks WJ.....

Yep we made that 1 stop at Ga pig and I'll never go back. The food was so-so but the place was dirty. Especially the bathrooms.

IMO, don't bother going there.

MikeS.

We have stopped at the GA Pig twice in the past 5 years. Both times it fit the majority descriptions given here. BBQ was OK rating about a 5 on a 10 scale. Place was dirty... The Counter Ladies were downright depressing. They attempted to make us feel that we were imposing on their time by ordering from them. (2 different ladies- two stops) The guy who did the meat-cutting never said a word.

If better places in the area have failed, I have no idea what keeps the GA Pig in business???:?

quote:

Originally posted by Al-The Mayor-Bowen

The guy who did the meat-cutting never said a word.

Yah, Al.. I noticed that also.... Nary a peep from the man.

I wish Don's had been open. I did like their food, and really wanted my Q Slaw!
But then again-if they had been open, this thread would have never lived.

Well, I will have more this week to add to my Cocoa Beach thread.
I am going to a Q spot that I already have my menu picked out from.
See ya on that thread!

How very odd. That so many people who have so much in common, great Roadfood, can arrive at such different conclusions about the Georgia Pig. I have had good visits to the Georgia Pig and never experienced the unpleasantness voiced here. The sauce thing is stictly personal taste and really should call for no debate. You like it or you don't. All that being said, I have not stopped at all the joints that you people have, so perhaps my standards are lower. I liked it and stop every year while driving north from Florida.

Well, I have had two very bad experience there when I was there with my husband who was comfined to a wheelchair. My husband had had a stroke and could not speak and they yelled at him and told him to speak up or move on.

I tried again, in the pouring rain, and ran inside to get the food to take out and was scolded because I was blocking possible traffic (ehich I was not).

The bathrooms are filthy and the employees are completely without manners or compassion and I do not know how they stay in business with their less than really good food.

quote:

Originally posted by euclid

How very odd. That so many people who have so much in common, great Roadfood, can arrive at such different conclusions about the Georgia Pig. I have had good visits to the Georgia Pig and never experienced the unpleasantness voiced here. The sauce thing is stictly personal taste and really should call for no debate. You like it or you don't. All that being said, I have not stopped at all the joints that you people have, so perhaps my standards are lower. I liked it and stop every year while driving north from Florida.

Euclid..
Try stopping up the road, just north of Savannah, in Pooler..I-95 and(US 80) (exit-to the west)...
Don's BBQ.. (I have pics on another thread )(Cocoa Beach-Trip Report), and give them a try. I really enjoyed their food. Not as rustic or authentic looking as GA Pig, but still very good.
I preferred the sliced pork sandwich.

I really had no complaints about the beef or pork at the GA Pig. I liked the beans, didnt care for the slaw or attitude and non-cleanliness of the place.
I enjoyed the meat-Good portions, But I didnt see what the hoopla was all about.

quote:

Originally posted by euclid

How very odd. That so many people who have so much in common, great Roadfood, can arrive at such different conclusions about the Georgia Pig. I have had good visits to the Georgia Pig and never experienced the unpleasantness voiced here.

I agree,I was only there once and was almost surprised that the service was pleasant- An African American guy had served me.

I thought the sauce was typical "georgia style" q sauce. My only gripe was that the pork could have had a smoker taste. Realistically I would rate the meal slightly above average.


I will tell you one thing- The GA Pig is miles beyond Harold's BBQ in Atlanta which was beyond disgusting.

quote:

Originally posted by Greymo

Well, I have had two very bad experience there when I was there with my husband who was comfined to a wheelchair. My husband had had a stroke and could not speak and they yelled at him and told him to speak up or move on.

I tried again, in the pouring rain, and ran inside to get the food to take out and was scolded because I was blocking possible traffic (ehich I was not).

The bathrooms are filthy and the employees are completely without manners or compassion and I do not know how they stay in business with their less than really good food.

OH my, I cannot believe they did that to your poor husband. Manners, even in a BBQ joint, go a long way :(

Two Bad Experiences ?I would think after one you wouldnt go back.

We've only stopped at the GA Pig once a couple of years ago. We got ribs to go and thought they were pretty good. I don't recall the staff being unfriendly but they weren't very talkative. If the place was dirty it didn't make enough of an impression to remember.

Wonder if the staff at the GAPig are transplanted New Yorkers from NYC.Naw,you got rude people in the south.
Most Texas folk are pretty decent.We have had complete strangers wave at us when driving through some little town. Don't go on drives much anymore cause I work two jobs,and I ALWAYS wind up working every Saturday and Sunday at TJMAXX which sucks.
Best bbq to me is Texas BBQ. I plan this fall to go to City Market in Luling,and try some of the places in Lockhart too.My sister is coming maybe at Thanksgiving so that would be a definte go.
GA Pig is a place I will stay away from if ever in the area.

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by euclid

How very odd. That so many people who have so much in common, great Roadfood, can arrive at such different conclusions about the Georgia Pig. I have had good visits to the Georgia Pig and never experienced the unpleasantness voiced here.

I agree,I was only there once and was almost surprised that the service was pleasant- An African American guy had served me.

I thought the sauce was typical "georgia style" q sauce. My only gripe was that the pork could have had a smoker taste. Realistically I would rate the meal slightly above average.


I will tell you one thing- The GA Pig is miles beyond Harold's BBQ in Atlanta which was beyond disgusting.

Mrs QFan & I have had good experiences w/ the Ga Pig (although haven't been there in about 3 yrs). Would agree w/ WJ and Euclid. It is odd how this place generates such strong pro and con opposites on RF.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL