Little Pigs has held its spot on South Main in Mauldin since 1986, and the setup tells you what it is before you order: walk up to the counter, pigs decorating nearly every corner, no table service and no pretense. There's a drive-through for anyone pressed for time. It's a place that decided long ago the food would carry it, and in Mauldin it has.
The smoke is hickory, the pork comes chopped or pulled, and the ribs pick up a real bark before any sauce goes on. You choose your own at the counter, from mild and hot to a vinegar and a mustard base that reads as pure South Carolina. Burgers hold down the menu for anyone who didn't come for barbecue, and the catering side has been feeding Upstate events for decades.
The sides do a lot of the work. Reviewers talk up the hushpuppies, the baked beans, and the onion rings as much as the meat, and the banana pudding and sweet tea have their own following. Lunch stays cheap, the daily special especially, and the line moves fast enough to get you in and back out on a work break.