Robbie Robinson, owner of City Limits Barbeque, tosses wood into a burn barrel at his West Columbia restaurant on Saturday, March 23, 2024.
Photo by Sam Wolfe
Special To The State
Where is the best place to find a good, delicious plate of Texas-style BBQ in South Carolina?
Of course, the top restaurants with Texas-style barbecue will be in Texas, but readers from USA Today say there’s a joint in West Columbia that beats almost any other barbecue spot in the country.
A panel of experts from USA Today nominated a list of Texas-style barbecue spots and then asked their readers to vote on which one is the best. The result was a ranking of the nation’s 10 best Texas-style barbecue spots.
Here’s the BBQ spot in the Columbia area that was loved enough by readers to be featured on USA Today’s ranking:
Best Texas-style BBQ in SC
The South Carolina restaurant that was featured on USA Today’s 10 Best Texas-style BBQ Picks was City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia.
Since 2016, City Limits Barbeque has been a staple in the Columbia community and has strived to make the best Southern cooking in the city, according to their website. The family-owned restaurant was originally a food truck, but in 2023, they made the transition into a brick-and-mortar.
This isn’t the first time City Limits Barbeque has been recognized for its culinary talents. Here are the other outlets raving about City Limits Barbeque:
Southern Living #1 BBQ Joint In The South (2025)James Beard Best Chef Southeast FINALIST (2025 + 2024)New York Times – Top 50 Restaurants In America (2024)Texas Monthly – Top 50 BBQ Outside of TexasSouthern Living – Best New BBQ Joints In The South
Throughout the weekend, diners can enjoy classics like Texas-style beef ribs, sausages and brisket. All their meats are wood-smoked, and their sides are scratch-made. Unfortunately for customers, they’re only open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
The address is 1119 Methodist Park Rd, West Columbia.
Nation’s top 10 BBQ spots
For obvious reasons, the best restaurants to find Texas-style BBQ are mostly in Texas. Only three other states (Oklahoma, South Carolina and North Carolina) have Texas-style BBQ spots worth a road trip, according to USA Today.
Here’s where the best Texas-style BBQ restaurants are located:
No. 10 Franklin BBQ in Austin, TexasNo. 9 Prime Barbecue in Knightdale, North CarolinaNo. 8 City Limits Barbeque in West Columbia, SCNo. 7 Edge Craft Barbecue in Oklahoma City, OklahomaNo. 6 Southside Market & Barbecue in Elgin, TexasNo. 5 BBQ DNA in Dallas, TexasNo. 4 Iron & Oak Brisket Co. in Woodfin, North CarolinaNo. 3 Down South Texas Barbecue in Austin, TexasNo. 2 The Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, TexasNo. 1 Jay’s BBQ Shack in Abilene, Texas
This story was originally published November 6, 2026 at 4:50 AM.
Related Stories from The State in Columbia SC
Dining and Cooking