Review - 521 BBQ

Name: 521 BBQ
Location: Fort Mill, SC 
Price: $$
Link: http://www.521bbq.com/


In my town it can be difficult to find good BBQ. It shouldn't be hard in SC, but if you want to go out for it, it can be. One of my favorite BBQ places opened up a second location closer to me and I was finally able to try it out. I was happy I did.

I took my family out to give it a try and we all enjoyed it. My first experience with 521 BBQ was about six years ago. We were looking for a local BBQ joint and found 521 BBQ off of highway 521. We headed out to get some food around 6pm and when we got there we were disappointed because they had sold out. This was a good sign. It meant they were doing something right. We went back a couple weeks later, earlier this time, and enjoyed generous helpings of chopped pork, ribs, hushpuppies and fries. We've been back a few times and have recommended it to others.



Flash forward to 2015... 521 BBQ opened another location off of Hwy 160 in Fort Mill, SC. Both my wife and I were hesitant about trying it because the second isn't as good as the original... usually.

We had been out shopping and I had been craving BBQ for the last four days. We were near 521 BBQ so I decided we would stop in for supper. My wife and I both ordered the rib plates and one of my girls ordered the sausage tray and the other a small BBQ sandwich.

The rib tray. 

My ribs were great. They were cooked perfectly. I was able to get a "watermelon" bite on each rib and the smoke was nice and even. The one, minor, issue was they were a little sweeter than I like but they were good. Yes I cleaned the bones.

"Watermelon" bite.

My one daughter enjoyed her BBQ sandwich but said it, "just tasted like pork." I didn't notice a lot of bark in the sandwich, which helps to bring more of that smokey flavor into the mix. This is where the sauce will help to enhance the meat. They have two sauces on the tables. One is a typical BBQ sauce and the other is a NC vinegar sauce. Both are good. The NC vinegar sauce has a nice kick to it.

Small BBQ sandwich.

The other daughter really liked the sausage and all the sides. She said the beans were really good.

Sausage plate.

I talked to the owner and learned they cook onsite every night. They have three FEC100s that use pellets to cook. They use a combination of hickory and oak to smoke their meats. I believe they finish the ribs and sausage off on the grill, which just gives it a little more of the char and make for a nice bite.

The waitstaff is friendly and keep your drinks filled. If they don't know the answer to a question they will find it or find someone who does. The portions are large. My rib tray had seven, good size, ribs on it. It is a family friendly restaurant and I would recommend it to anyone one. If you're traveling along I-77 in SC its not too far from the highway if you need a place to get a good bite to eat. On the Gibbs Ribs scale* I give it a full rack. Give them a try and enjoy some good Q.

*When I do reviews, books or otherwise, I rate the items with ribs (they are my favorite BBQ dish). A full rack is great and a single rib is poor. I will tend to stick to a full rack, half rack or one rib.