Bobby's runs a Central Texas-style pit in the middle of the South Carolina Upstate, and the method sets the tone: meat smoked over real wood in offset pits, with no gas or electric assist, which is what earns a place its True 'Cue certification. It is a lean, family-run operation in Fountain Inn that smokes a few days a week rather than trying to be everything at once.
The board runs to brisket, beef and pork ribs, pulled pork, smoked turkey, and house-made sausage in both an original and a jalapeño-cheddar version. Sides are made from scratch, corn pudding and mac and cheese among them, and there is craft beer and hard cider to go alongside a tray.
The restaurant grew out of a seasoning company. Owner Tay Nelson started Bobby's as a spice blend in 2010, taught himself to smoke, built it into a catering business, and opened the Fountain Inn restaurant in 2018. The original all-purpose seasoning, along with a citrus blend and a BBQ rub, is still sold by the bottle next to the food.