Home Team BBQ Scores a Home Run

It’s no coincidence that before Labor Day weekend and the start of college football season I reviewed a barbeque joint. In the South we do many things well and you can count pigskin and ‘que amongst them.

The Atmosphere and Staff

is laid back, casual and full of heart like its pit master and proprietor, Aaron Siegler. During our interview he got up to speak to the couple seated behind us to check on how they were enjoying their ribs. The other staff members I came into contact with last Wednesday afternoon were sweet as sugar and very helpful.

The Food

“There’s no delicate way to eat this,” I said to Fiery Ron, as I pulled sumptuous rib meat from its bone with my thumb and forefinger. The unctuous pork didn’t put up a fight. Try as I did to be dainty I still grabbed a paper napkin from the dispenser on the table.

Eating a barbequed rib from is like an adventure in geology. The black “bark” crust of the Memphis-style dry-rub spices hides a moveable and melting layer of warm pork fat, which in turn hides the rib meat itself and the tell tale sign of good barbeque: a rosy pink smoke ring. Unblemished by sauce and enhanced by a rub of spices, the natural flavors of the meat are the focal points of every bite. (Rib platters: $9.95 to $21.95).

Luckily for me, in addition to his delicious ribs, Fiery Ron let me sample a bit of everything: pulled pork tossed in salt, pepper and just a touch of vinegar sauce (Smoked Pork platter $8.95), beef brisket like I’ve never tasted before, his award-winning Gouda mac ‘n cheese and smoked dry-rubbed, flash-fried chicken wings with white Alabama sauce.

The star of the sampler platter ($12.95 to $15.95), which I tried my best to finish, was difficult to choose. When I go back to I’ll be sure to some new things, but without a doubt I’ll be ordering more of the beef brisket and the pulled pork.

You have never tasted barbequed beef brisket quite like Fiery Ron’s. Cooked with a combination of traditional low and slow barbequing and classical French braising techniques, the brisket sits in a braising liquid of celery, onions, carrots, thyme, garlic, tomatoes, red and white wine as it is smoked. This preparation method insures the brisket emerges fork tender and never dry. Each bite melts in your mouth, reminiscent of pot roast and, somehow, barbeque, too.

A pulled barbeque pork sandwich is the barbeque world’s burger and fries, and there’s nothing special about Fiery Ron’s pulled pork—and that’s what is so great about it. A week later my mouth is still watering over dry-rubbed pork cooked low and slow for hours, pulled and chopped into tender morsels, and finally mixed with a dash of vinegar sauce, salt and pepper. It’s a lesson in balanced flavors.

The Verdict

While there are six plastic squeeze bottles full of different homemade barbeque sauces, at Ron’s Home Team BBQ you don’t need them. The meat here is beautifully barbequed. The pit master knows better than to camouflage his handiwork with too much sauce or distract from the natural flavors of the meat. The paper napkin dispenser is a different story.

Locations, Hours of Operation

1205 Ashley River Rd.
Charleston, SC
843-225-7427

Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Sullivans Island
2209 Middle Street
Sullivans Island, SC 29482
843-883-3131

Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. - 2 a.m.

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