Southern Pig BBQ: Heaven off I-77

Gervais and the family - Mama, Hannah Jane, Petunia, and Gervais Jr. - recently tried a new 'cue joint out in Blythewood called Southern Pig BBQ.

I say "new," but Southern Pig has been around for a few years. It just recently has been bought back by its original owners, who know a thing or two about settin' out a good Southern buffet, having learned the trade under the wings of Ray Lever's BBQ and Oak Grove Barbecue.

In addition to the tangy, mustard-infused pulled pork, Southern Pig features a nice beef hash and a solid showing of the fixin's you'd expect: collards, green beans, corn on the cob, mac & cheese, cole slaw, etc. The buffet also has some items you don't often find on the buffet table, like navy beans, ribs, new potatoes, and chicken wings.

By far, the best item on the buffet was the fried chicken. It might be the best fried chicken you'll ever taste. In the wrong hands, Southern Pig's tasty fried chicken could spell the end of democracy as we know it. In the right hands, its crispy succulence could be the key to lasting peace in the Middle East.

Southern Pig is open for lunch and dinner every day but Monday, and even offers a breakfast buffet on Saturday. The buffet price is a little high for adults ($9.50) but is offset if you bring the ankle-biters, who eat for a buck apiece.

Gervais says, next time you find yourself on that stretch of blacktop between Columbia and Charlotte, stop in to Southern Pig for a great barbecue buffet. Right off exit 27, in the IGA shopping center.