License plates from across the Palmetto State fill the parking lot of Shealy’s Bar-B-Que in Batesburg-Leesville, where hungry pilgrims make regular journeys to worship at the altar of slow-smoked meats and Southern sides that keep appearing as if by magic.
This unassuming temple of barbecue has earned its reputation not just for quality, but for abundance—a place where the only limit to your feast is your own capacity.
The modest brown-paneled exterior of Shealy’s doesn’t telegraph its legendary status among South Carolina’s barbecue faithful, but the perpetually full parking lot tells the real story.
Cars bearing tags from Charleston, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and beyond stand as testament to the restaurant’s magnetic pull on barbecue enthusiasts willing to clock serious mileage for a memorable meal…