Blythewood Smoked Bar-B-Que Grand Opening

---

I waited to leave the house until 10:30 in the morning so I would be in Blythewood for lunch. A friend told me that there was a new Bar-B-Que place opening and I thought it would be neat to be one of their first customers.

I got to Blythewood, SC a little before lunch so I went and found their town sign for my 2011 Travel the USA with KOA Grand Tour. The sign was easily located and then I back tracked to the new Bar-B-Que joint.

As I pulled into the dirt lot I noticed that there were already five cars there. So much for being their first customer. I went inside and was immediately taken back by the heat. Evidently the air conditioner was not working and it was even hotter inside than the 99 degree weather I had been riding in for the last hour. I found a seat under a ceiling fan, took off my riding gear and ordered a Pulled Pork Sandwich with Hush Puppies and Slaw. The total price was $6.40, which was a good price. When I got the plate I saw why the price was so good, the portions were very very small. The sandwich was good, but the bun it was on was of cheap store bought quality and the hush puppies were not completely done. The puppies were so under cooked that I only eat ½ of one and tossed the other two in the trash. I am not sure if the slaw was any good because they did not even give you a portion that was large enough to register on your taste buds. I was very disappointed and I think the lady behind the counter new so, because she did not even ask me how things were or thank me for stopping bye when I left. I was very disappointed that I had planned my entire route around enjoying good Bar-B-Que at this new little restaurant. I will not be going by Blythewood Smoked Bar-B-Que again and would not suggest that you waste your time either.

I left there and headed for Smallwood which was just a few miles up the street. Fifteen minutes later the GPS said I was in Smallwood but I could not find anything; no buildings, no signs, no nothing. So I moved on up the road.

Next I located Great Falls, SC. It was a nice little town with a good sign. I got my photo and headed further up the road towards the town of Rock Hill. On the way I saw a sign for a little town I had never heard of before and was not even on my map. The sign pointed 11 miles down Highway 97, so I made a little detour and headed for Liberty Hill. Liberty Hill consisted of a green sign that said Liberty Hill, a bunch of trees and another sign a little ways down the road that also said Liberty Hill. The town must have been hidden in the trees. I got my photo and head back towards Rock Hill.

Rock Hill was easy to find and was the biggest town I would be visiting today. However, I came in off a small county road and could not locate any town signs. I drove every direction and spent 45 minutes looking and all I could find was a little neighborhood sign in the Old Town section of Rock Hill. I figured out a way to get a photo of the sign with Rock Hill readable, my Grand Tour sign and my bike. Later on my way home I found the Rock Hill signs, they were huge and out on I-77. When I located them I was hot and tired and ready to get home so I did not stop.

After Rock Hill I headed over to Fort Mill KOA, which was located on the boarder of South Carolina and North Carolina. Luckily it was just a few miles inside South Carolina because I am trying to meet all the requirements of this Grand Tour without ever leaving my home state. I figured it would be nice to keep all my money in state.

The Fort Mill KOA was very nice but there was no sign anywhere around the camp ground that distinguished it from any other KOA. So I went inside and asked if there was any sign that I could use to prove that I was at their KOA. The guy behind the counter pulled out a big round sign that had fallen during a recent storm. He was nice enough to bring it outside and hold my Grand Tour sign while I got my photo. I wish I remembered his name. I think it was Fred but everyone that I can’t seem to remember their names are always Fred to me, so there is a good chance that is not it.

After the KOA I headed over to Forest Lake and found their sign but no lake. I often wonder how towns get their names. Maybe the founders were good friends and one had the last name Forest and the other was Mr. Lake, because I never saw any water.

The next two little towns did not have any town signs anywhere to be found. But the towns were full of good Christian people, the reason I know this is because of the big churches I found and both churches had the town name on them. I called Charlie, the Grand Tour Master, and he said to get a photo of the church signs and they would count so I got good photos for both Riverview and Lakewood before finding I-77 for my trip home. And yes there was a very nice lake in Lakewood, SC.

Total Miles ridden = 268

Other “2011 Travel the USA with KOA” blog entries:

2011 Travel the USA with KOA Grand Tour
My Daughters First REAL Ride!

---

Photos

Blythewood Smoked Bar-B-Que
10324 Wilson Boulevard
Blythewood, SC 29016

"Smoked" Sign
Says it was opening soon, but this was Grand Opening day.

Pulled Pork Basket
Very small portions.

Fort Mill KOA
In photo is a guy whos name might be Fred. Read blog for more information on Fred.

GPS
This screen show the trip data. Please ignore the area that shows Max. Speed - I am sure this data was captured in error.

Comments

[anonymous]

Another great blog!
I was having fantasies about those hush puppies until I learned they were half cooked. Sad, that is the way they are starting off their business. They won't be around long if that continues.

[Bryan]

They are out of business.
You should have found it when it was "Smokes". They were incredible, awesome food, great prices, incredible staff...oysters and bluegrass out back on thursdays thru Saturday. Unfortunately they closed after a partner backed out... Then came the disappointment named Blythewood Smoked, I told my wife the first time we went that they wouldn't last a year after tasting the expensive poorly made food, oh and the instant sweet tea that came out of a machine... Seriously fake tea in a southern BBQ place. The owners also own Tronco's catering so I really expected better. Less than a year after opening they are out of business. I saw the lease sign the other day and called to lease, I have been dying to bring back the glory that started as Myers BBQ then continued as Smokes, but someone else has already leased it. When I get to Open Smokey's there please be one of the first customers and we'll make sure to give you an experience worth coming back for.