Duke's Bar-B-Q: Roll on in

Last weekend, Hannah Jane and I decided to pile Petunia and Gervais Jr. in the wagon and try Duke’s Bar-B-Q, right off Platt Springs Road in West Columbia.

Duke’s is actually on Emmanuel Church Rd., right next to one of my old stomping grounds, the Three Fountains Skating Rink. (You can barely make out the skating rink in the background of the photo.) Back in the day, Gervais used to “shoot the duck” with the best of ‘em, and, on occasion, limbo with all the other limbo boys and girls - all around the limbo world.

In fact, during my elementary school years, I had one of my birthday parties at the skating rink. One girl from my class, we’ll call her "Lucille," got me a pair of socks for a present. Lucille has four kids now. Justice may not be swift, Lucille, but it’ll eventually catch up to you.

Anyway, I digress. We tried Duke’s, and it was great. Our endorsement was so enthusiastic that my in-laws tried it the next night, and loved it.

Duke’s is a Friday & Saturday only joint, but believe me, that’s a good thing. Any place that has peach cobbler on the buffet should only be allowed to operate two days a week, preferably with an on-site cardiologist.

There are two types of pulled pork – “naked” and “pre-mustardized” -- and an array of sauces, of which the original was my favorite. There were also corn nuggets, fried chicken, mac and cheese, cole slaw, baked beans, homemade mashed potatoes, and the best milk gravy this side of Batesburg-Leesville. 35 items total, plus a makeshift drive-thru to boot.

Gervais says, if you feel like some great down-home barbecue on the weekend, lace up the old go-fasters and couple-skate over to Duke’s Bar-B-Q in West Columbia. You'll be glad you did.