Hite’s Bar-B.Q.: Take a left where the Wal-Mart used to be…

My cousin once pointed out to me that you can tell how zealous we Sandlappers are about our past based on how much we give directions using landmarks that no longer exist. He said the most famous example is, “Take a left where the Wal-Mart used to be.”

I thought it was a keen observation, and I’ve been guilty of using defunct landmarks on occasion myself. Most recently, it was to tell someone about Hite’s Bar-B.Q. in West Columbia. That’s where Hannah Jane and I picked up the food for our family picnic on Friday.

Hite’s has been serving up barbecue for almost 50 years now. It’s located on Dreher Road, behind the old West Columbia Wal-Mart, and is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. Using landmarks that still exist, it’s somewhere between the airport and the Triangle City Zesto's.

The folks at Hite’s are friendly, and even took Gervais back to the pit where they smoke the meat. They explained that while working two days a week seems like a relaxing way to live, that isn’t really the case. Not when you spend at least a full day, sometimes two, chopping your own wood.

Another day is spent cleaning and buying supplies for the week, and the cooking actually commences the night before. In other words, as the guys in the pit explained, “If we were open three days a week, we’d have to work six days a week.”

So does all that effort make the barbecue any better? Absolutely.

The barbecue pork is the ultimate in mustard-based ‘cue, and we enjoyed it at a nearby park in Springdale (R- Joe Wilson). In addition to three barbecue sandwiches smothered in homemade sauce, we shared a pint of hash & rice and a pint of what Hannah Jane called “hella good” cole slaw. These homemade side items were excellent on their own, but were even better mixed.

The whole picnic was about $13 (the sizeable sandwiches were only $3 each!) an unbelievably good deal for such high-caliber, authentic Southern fare.

Gervais says, I haven’t had Hite’s this good since I was a kid, stopping for the occasional milkshake in Lexington at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 378.

You know... where the Hite’s Dairy Bar used to be.