King BBQ
Cantonese barbecue technique meets Carolina pits
King BBQ is a barbecue restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina.
King BBQ comes from the Jackrabbit Filly team, Shuai and Corrie Wang, with pitmaster Brandon Olson working the fire in Park Circle. The idea is a genuine fusion rather than a gimmick: Chinese barbecue traditions run through Lowcountry hardwood smoke. Smoked duck, char siu ribs, and chopped pork over noodles share a menu with cocktails the team calls 'trashy-fancy,' and the whole thing landed on Bon Appetit's 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024.
The cooking is where the two traditions actually meet. Duck comes off the pit with lacquered skin and deep smoke, the cha shao ribs carry a Cantonese glaze over Carolina wood-fire char, and the chopped pork noodles fold pit smoke into a bowl you would not find at any other SC joint. It is a smokehouse that thinks like a chef's kitchen, and the national attention it drew is less about novelty than about how well the marriage holds together on the plate.
- Style: Lowcountry / South Carolina Style
- Price: $$
- Neighborhood: Park Circle
- Serving since 2023
What to order
- Smoked Duck
- Cha Shao Ribs
- Chopped Pork Noodles
How it scores — 8.7/10 overall
Visiting
- Address: 2029 Carver Ave, North Charleston, SC 29405
- Phone: (843) 952-9993
- Website: https://eatkingbbq.com/
Hours: Wed–Sun 11am–8:30pm
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