Wholly Smokin' Downtown

Place: Wholly Smokin' Downtown

Location: 150 S. Dargan St., Florence, SC 29506

Hours: Open everyday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. (Close at 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday)

Type: Order from the menu

Price: 3 Meat Sampler - $25.95

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I was in downtown Florence recently around lunch time so I decided to head over to Wholly Smokin' for something to eat. Downtown Florence has been under revitalization for a few years and multiple restaurants are opening all around the area. Wholly Smokin' is located in what is considered "Restaurant Row" of the downtown area which is across from the new museum. I arrived early and was eager to try the much heralded BBQ.

Service:

As I walked into the restaurant I was immediately impressed but the interior of the building. It had the look of a high class steakhouse or a fancy Italian restaurant more than that of a BBQ eatery. The hostess seated us and in seconds the waiter was taking my drink order and letting me know that the BBQ was not quite ready but would be in a few minutes. When I arrive at a BBQ place as they are opening I am reassured when I am told the meat is not quite ready. This means that they are not reheating yesterday's meat and claiming it is "fresh off the smoker." I ordered the 3 Meat Sampler with brisket, pork and burnt ends.

Food:

Being consistent with the upscale feel of the restaurant, my food was plated on white glass plates. White plates are popular in upscale restaurants because they create a high contrast to highlight the food. I did not expect a restaurant with a wine rack to bring my food on butcher paper and a plastic tray.

Pulled Pork:

The pulled pork from Wholly Smokin' was good. It was not smothered in sauce or too spicy. If you have read our other reviews you will know by now that I do not like to have my pulled pork drowning in sauce. If I want the meat sauced I will do it myself. Wholly Smokin' allowed me to do this. The server offered mustard and Kansas City style sauces and both were good even though I put very little of either on the meat. In my opinion, pulled pork (BBQ) only needs three ingredients: Salt, Pepper and Vinegar. (I will save my mustard sauce rant for another post.) I did not see or taste any evidence of smoke on the pork but the flavor and tenderness were very good.

Brisket:

I want to start this paragraph by saying that Wholly Smokin' does not claim to cook "Texas Style" brisket. "Texas Style" brisket has a dark crust on the meat that is primarily a thick layer of salt and pepper. Wholly Smokin's brisket did not have a crust or a visible smoke ring. However, the brisket they served had a great flavor and was very tender. I can only assume that the brisket was either braised or smoked in tinfoil to avoid drying out the meat. Regardless of the method, the brisket is good. My personal preference is the "Texas Style" but that does not mean I did not enjoy the brisket at Wholly Smokin'.

Burnt Ends:

Beef brisket consists of two parts: the flat and the point. The flat is lean while the point is more fatty. Because the point is fattier than the flat, it can take longer to cook. Sometimes when the flat is finished the pitmaster will separate the point and place it back on the smoker to continue to cook. When the point finishes cooking it is cubed and tossed in sauce to create tender, juicy meat cubes. Meat marshmallows if they are cooked correctly. In competition BBQ, brisket is always presented to the judges with slices of brisket flat and burnt ends. The burnt ends at Wholly Smokin' were a little different than I was expecting. While there were some cubes in the serving, there was also some meat that seemed shredded. The meat was covered in the Kansas City sauce and was very tender and flavorful.

Final Thoughts:

Wholly Smokin' is a nice, upscale BBQ restaurant that fits the downtown Florence feel perfectly. The staff was very friendly and all of the food was very good. It was not the traditional BBQ restaurant that we normally visit in this area but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Rating:

3.75 of 5 stars.