Sgt. White's Diner

Posted By Michael Stern on August 6, 2010 5:31 AM

We love to sniff the paper menus we saved from Sgt. White’s. A week after we brought them home from this superior barbecue on the South Carolina shore, they still exude the come-hither perfume of wood-smoked pork. When you walk into the little restaurant, you will be bowled over by this aroma. And if you like barbecue, you will grin ear to ear at what you see.

Immediately upon entering the little diner you are faced with the steam table from which the server puts together your plate. While it is possible to order off a menu – and the fried chicken and shrimp therefrom are exemplary – we cannot resist the array of barbecue and side dishes in the trays. You get either pulled pork, which is a medley of velvet-soft shreds from inside and crunchy strips from the outside of the roast bathed in the Sergeant’s brilliant tangy-sweet sauce, or ribs, which are crusty and unspeakably luscious, also caked with the good sauce. Each side dish is a super-soulful rendition of a southern classic: smothered cabbage richer than ham itself, broccoli gobbed with cheese, brilliantly seasoned red rice, a vivid mix of collard and turnip greens, REAL mashed potatoes, candied yams, etc., etc. A normal meal is one meat and two sides, served with a block of cornbread on top. Even that cornbread is extraordinary: rugged-textured and sweet as cake.

We are terribly sorry to confess that we were so ecstatic after eating meals here, we staggered out into the sunlight forgetting all about dessert! Looking at the smoky menu today, we see listings for sweet potato pie and pecan pie. We’d bet money that they’re mighty good.

Sergeant White, by the way, is a U.S. Marine, a former D.I., who offers business-size cards at the counter to remind guests of the Marine code of Honor, Courage, and Commitment.

Smothered Cabbage

Corn

Baked Chicken

Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Macaroni & Cheese