Poogan's Smokehouse

A wonderful barbecue and smokehouse style restaurant in central Charleston. We had a delicious lunch here that checked off all the boxes. The meat was tender, the sauces flavorful (but not overpowering), the textures balaced wonderfully. Just the right amount of sweet, sour, and savoury. Every bite felt worth it.

Went for dinner on a Saturday night - they were completely out of pulled pork and burnt ends on the menu. Resorted to the dirty Mac and shredded chicken which was a terrifying sight that barely resembled Mac n cheese with cold pieces of chicken on top. Overall a very disappointing experience at Poogans as it was my first time visiting Charleston hoping for a fun bbq dinner. See pic for proof!!

These were some of the BEST ribs we’ve ever eaten. So full of juicy smoked flavor! These ribs had more meat on two bones than a whole rack at most restaurants back home! Highly recommend!!

We were walking around downtown Charleston looking for a place to eat, not knowing much about where we were. We looked up and selected to walk to Poogans, hoping for some good southern BBQ. After walking around for a while, we arrived. We were seated quickly and the server was there within minutes to wait on us. The dining area was a little warmer than I would have liked it but not so bad it ruined the experience. Food was really good, the pork and turkey was really good. The ribs were good, but not great, harder to chew than I usually like for ribs but still had good taste. I would recommend this stop for one of your meals while in Charleston.

The ribs were tender but not extremely flavorful. The sauce isn't cooked on the meat, its in containers on the table. Corn bread was great. Pork belly app was good. Burger anfmd Turkey sandwich my friends had were good. Drinks were great. Seats in the booth were upholstered and had crumbs all over them.. that should be cleaned after each group leaves.

Lunch at Poogans was great. Excellent cocktails. Nachos were perfect and the meat extremely tender. Loved the homemade sauces. Our server Anah Behrens was phenomenal. Stood out above all the servers we’ve encountered on our trip. 10/10

This place has legit Carolina barbecue. Whoever invented their pastrami pork belly should be given a medal and collard greens are out of this world. Our bartender/server Cailey was so helpful and friendly - her rib and local bourbon recommendations were so on point and made our experience extra special. Will come back for sure!!

Went on a Wednesday afternoon so only a few people there. Seated right away and server was there right away. She was helpful and attentive. Had the two meat platter pulled pork and half chicken with chips and coleslaw. Not a huge side selection.Pork was good. Slaw average. Chips too salty for me. Chicken a little tough. Not sure I would try again.

We had a great late night meal here. We love loved the turkey melt. But I WOULD NOT recommend the meat all sub. It was so salty and so herby. The meatballs had a super strong smoke taste and it kinda ruined it. I understand it was a smoked meatball but I don't think it should be soooo overpowering it ruins the taste of the meat. It was just so salty and too much of everything going on we couldn't eat it. The chips were awesome! I would go back and get that turkey melt any day though.

This is the 2nd time I had gone here. I should have taken a lesson from the first. First time we went service was insanely slow, but it was really busy and it was a weekend so I chalked it up to that. Today 8/24/25, went again my husband and 3 sons. I mentioned my husband before we went in, if he remembered slow it was last time. We went in and were immediately seated. Thinking this time it would be different, seeing as we were the 3rd table seated (one of the tables left while we were seated). We waited, and waited, and waited. Over 20 minutes of waiting and not a single waitress/host or manager came over to even acknowledge our existence. Set a timer to see how long it would be, told my husband at that point it would be 1% off her gratuity. By the time it had taken 8 % off, we left. I'm not going to insult someone w a 12% tip. There were at least 4 waitresses. The one helping the other party sitting, looked at us a few times. Not a word I looked at the bar tender on the way out asked her don't sit anyone else at the "time out table" --

I've been in Charleston for ten years now and realized there are so many places we have not tried yet. So now we are on a mission to try new places monthly. This place, we probably won't go back and if we do it will be a long while. It cost us $101 dollars with tip for three meals. The service was subpar and the food not so great. Our Waitress was good but super busy and took a while to come back to us when needed. She tried though. She was a busy little bee flitting around to all her tables. She was a hard worker and very nice but one person can only do so much. So.. we ordered a pulled pork plate with mac n cheese and brussel sprouts. They were out of sweet potato fries, they do not offer regular fries and they did not have rice or bread. What Southern BBQ place does not have white rice or rolls? Anyway I digress.. we also ordered Nachos as an appy and I ordered Smoked Wings with Brussel Sprouts and a side salad. We then ordered a To GO Smokehouse Burger with their chips.. their version of fried potato chips. Real potatoes cut thin and round and fried. Anywho- food comes out and they gave me a mac n cheese instead of a side salad. Okay.. wait on waitress.. she finally comes over, sees mistake and brings the side salad pretty quick. Wasn't her fault, she put it in correctly. I gave the mac n cheese to my son as I am gluten free. He did not like his pulled pork. He said.. no flavor at all. The mac n cheese- no flavor. The Brussel sprouts, no flavor. I'm not sure why this place doesn't believe in adding any flavor. They depend on the sauce and smoke to carry the pork? My brussel sprouts were good but yes they were plain. Could use a little bacon and cheese in them. The wings to me were very good. Very flavorful from being smoked. They had been cooked a while as the meat was fall off the bone tender and even the bone itself was tender. The salad was fresh and crisp and I enjoyed it. The Ranch was okay. Not the best but not bad. I wanted pulled pork but they didn't have white rice or any pickles for me and those are two things I must have with pulled pork. The Nachos were just plain disappointing. The chicken was bland and I got a huge wad of fat in my mouth from it which almost made me gag. Fat will make me push a dish away faster than lightening. Also, They were supposed to have jalapeño on them but the whole plate only had one single slice of jalapeño. The vibe of the place was good. Great location and clean. So then we get boxes for leftovers and we are still waiting on the to go order which was placed when our food came out. I told her about it at the beginning of the meal when we ordered. When the to go order finally comes out, it's not to go. It's on a plate. Kitchen messed up again. So she turns around and takes it back. We finally pay and then we wait for the togo. Overall.. I wasn't too impressed and I think if you want BBQ go somewhere else. Unless you're downtown and this is all there is close by. But with so many other places to choose from, it may be a long while before we give this place a second chance. First impressions are important. We still left our waitress a %25 tip. It wasn't her fault that the food is sub par and the kitchen kept messing up. Didn't get photos of the burger and chips. I tasted a few of my sons chips. Those were excellent and they should make the Nachos with those instead. The corn chips they used were soggy and the appetizer was cold. Cold chicken and cold cheese on it. I mean, it doesn't even look appealing. It looks gross. But.. there is another Poogans downtown called Poogans Porch. We will try them next. Owned by same people but different style and different food. Hopefully they will redeem the Poogan name in our eyes. Because as for now, we'll stick to hometeam for bbq.

We were craving bbq and we definitely came to the right place! Kicked off dinner with an order of cornbread and old fashioned mimosas. Amy got the pulled pork tacos, Meg had the half slab of ribs and I had wings. The portion sizes were so big we all shared and had leftovers. The dry rub on the wings and ribs was great! The sides were also amazing: legit collard greens with tangy vinegar base and big chunks of bacon. The Mac n cheese had a homemade béchamel sauce that was not too cheesy, and the Austin-style black beans and Brussels sprouts were also very tasty. Thank you, Abby, for your impeccable and friendly service. What a nice dinner! We will definitely be back.

Portions are big enough to share for two if you do the three meat platter. We did that and ordered one extra side, we were a bit sad they were out of the ribs but ordered turkey instead which was surprisingly my favorite meat on the platter after all. Tender and flavorful. Then pork and then the chicken. All very good. Sauces were just ok in my opinion. The waitress was very kind but not out of the way best service ever type of service. Restaurant is dark and smells of the delicious meats. Lots of space. Lemonade wasn't good.. tasted like powdered lemonade, that'd be my only complaint about the quality.

Got the three meat trio with ribs x2 and Texas hot link. Added a cornbread app to start. The cornbread was extremely dry and was basically crumbles. It wasn't warm when it came out and the big scoop of butter on top never melted. The hot link was also dried out and chewy. The ribs were good as was the mac n cheese. Fountain soda ran out so wasn't able to get any refills but was still charged for it. Wasn't impressed.

We stopped in for lunch during the week and were seated right away. Our server was helpful in making suggestions. When traveling, we enjoy trying regional foods, and this is where we experienced Carolina BBQ sauces. :) We split a 3-meat platter, which was more than enough. That allowed us to try different meats and sides. The mac n cheese was really good...well, everything was really good. If you like a little bit of heat, I recommend the sweet bbq sauce with a touch of the spicy. It's a great blend. (And I'm a fan of the sauces!)

Stopped here on a whim while walking around downtown and it was a great choice! They even had space to accommodate our stroller. Service was kind and attentive and the food was delicious. Nice bathrooms too! Their bbq sauce is amazing, listen to the suggestions from the wait staff on what pairs well with what. My hubby got the pulled pork and paired it with the mustard sauce and it was amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed my salad as well!

We visited Poogan's Smokehouse for the first time. We were greeted and seated right away. We were there for lunch but they don't have a lunch menu,so I ordered off of the dinner menu. My wife ordered the smoke house salad and I ordered the smoked turkey with greens and Brussel sprouts. The food was served quickly. The turkey was smoked to perfection. The salad was fresh, crispy, tasty and served with honey mustard dressing which was made in house. The side dishes (greens and Brussels)were also cooked to perfection. The restaurant has a full bar with plenty of craft beers. The vibe is casual as well as the dress code. The only downside side was that there was only two slices of smoked turkey on the turkey platter. The food was delicious and yes I would go back.

Staff are amazing. Friendly and welcoming, the cornbread was on sweet side which is my preference. Three different bbq sauces on table. Kids portion was decently sized. The smoked Turkey was very flavorful. Cheerwine bbq is kind of genius. My husband had the four porksmen which is pulled pork, smoked sausage, bacon and a rib. So it's like a combination platter on a bun. Such a cool vibe in the restaurant.

Best collard greens I've ever had! They were vinegary and spicy and tender... I could come here just for those! Pulled pork and corn bread are also very tasty! It's a cute industrial designed interior and the service is great. Definitely recommend.

The view from the upstairs near the entrance is stunning! The light that comes in through the windows is so charming. Our waitress couldn't have been nicer and the food was amazing! Fried green tomatoes were some of the best we've ever had! The fried chicken sandwich, shrimp panzanella salad and salmon were all perfect

I'll preface this by saying I came in toward the end of the evening which I generally avoid doing. First of all the service was amazing. I sat at the bar and the cocktails were delicious and the bartender was very attentive. Everything was incredibly prompt. I was super disappointed in the brisket. It was dry, and lacked flavor. I generally love a good brisket and this one did not hit the spot for me. The ribs on the other hand were delicious. They fell off the bone and I loved the rub they use. I didn't love the sauces, the sweet was too sweet and the hot was good but I ended up mixing them together for the brisket (the ribs needed nothing). The Mac and cheese was THICK and I loved it. It was perfectly creamy and not at all dry. I also got the fries, but that's a pretty basic side. I love the style of fries they serve. It's a very casual environment so it's an easy one to pop in and see if they have an open table or bar seat. Their dessert menu looks great, I'll definitely be back to try it.

Stumbled across poogans. Actually very good but the sandwich I ordered was stuffed but very sticky because they had put BBQ sauce on the bun. This was the sausage pulled pork and brisket and rib combo sandwich. Very good but impossible to eat as a sandwich. With fries. Candyce had brisket with sweet potato fries and broccoli. Service was good. Place is really nice. Will probably be back for something different

The. Food. That's it, that's the post. I'm kidding, but wow the food will blow you away. The restaurant is in a really cool building with cute quirks and charm. Art work on the walls was fun and ironic (pigs at a bbq place, not safe for vegans) but the food alone will bring people back. You're in the South, you need to eat BBQ and where else but Poogan's. Do yourself a favor and make sure to get the Mac & cheese and the collard greens because the flavors are amazing. The sauces were tasty and flavorful and worth it to try each one. Great place for groups, plenty of space, and tvs all over. Overall had a great time, food was amazing, (did I say that yet?) drinks were delicious, and a wonderful meal in beautiful Charleston.

Pretty decent barbecue joint in Charleston with a refreshingly casual atmosphere. I had the pulled pork and my wife had the smoked wings. Flavor of both was very good. I particularly enjoyed their mustard sauce. Sweet potato fries were crispy, which is good, and the Mac and cheese wasn't a crusty baked kind, which I appreciated. I want to try their roasted Brussels sprouts. The cocktail menu seemed interesting, but I decided to skip this time. Our waiter was attentive despite the restaurant being quite busy. They ran out of ribs and it sounds like another item while we were eating. There's a 3% credit card surcharge that's added unnecessarily.

It wasn't good. Our second time. And someone in my party said "it was terrible and dry" to the server, the a second said "it was disgusting, tasted like slop you'd serve to some pigs." Her recovery? "Oh no, would you like a receipt?"

Went to Poogan's Smokehouse as part of the food tour. We were immediately seated at a long table and served a little slider and cornbread. The staff was very accommodating for our large group ensuring we had what we needed and wanted. I enjoyed the food here. The pork slider was very good and a bit messy. The cornbread was a delight. The wine was solid. The service was very good. The building was old and gave a sense of a forgotten time. All in all a very good time was had by all!

Didn't grow up getting Carolina gold but always a treat when available. Poogans had some good and nice shoulder with a very pleasant and textbook good sauce. Viscous and sweet with just a slight tang and bite made for a perfect sandwich. Cornbread was great too. Servers were very nice even on a busy Friday night and inside was very lively! Overall descent

PREFACE: I usually give 5 star reviews because in general I'm typically very happy with most things - I'm a glass half full type of person. My husband on the other hand is rarely ever impressed - we've been together over 10 years and I can count on one hand the number of times he's called a meal delicious. So, our week long vacay in Charleston, trying as many highly recommended places that we could, proved to be a real food journey! Welcome to my series: An Optimist and A Pessimist Eat Charleston. This was our first stop on a week long Charleston adventure! We were really hungry after a day of travel so that might have influenced my tastebuds...keeping that in mind, I thought it was great! The cornbread was nice and warm, extra crumbly and the perfect amount of sweetness! I especially loved how much the corn flavor came through! My daughter and I shared the Smoked Pulled Pork with Mac & Cheese and Sweet Potato Wedges. She said the wedges were the best thing she's ever eaten! They make them with cinnamon and they really were yummy! The pulled pork was tender and with their signature Sweet Bar-P-Q sauce, it really hit the spot! My husband said he would give them 2.5 stars: the service was slow, his drink - Captain's Sash - was watered down, the cornbread was so dry we didn't finish it, and the brisket was dry.

Extremely friendly service and staff. The food came out quickly and I was happy with my crispy pork ribs and corn bread. Wish the butter on the bread was more flavorful. Wish they still offered the buttered broccoli too.

Good menu, good service, but the food we had was REALLY salty. The sweet potato fries were covered in Cinnamon and Sugar, but maybe thats on me for having different expectations. My stomach did backflips and I had to use the facilities multiple times. One might say I should call it Pooagains.

Dirty, no hospitality and a lack of customer service. We walked in, sat at the bar after not being greeted and were never acknowledged.

No bread and on French fries Read that again before you go Can you really trust a bbq place that doesn't have bread and French fries Oh and no Brisket either

We had lunch here and sat at the bar. The bartender was friendly and helpful! My husband used to frequent this spot, so he had specific and high expectations that weren't met. But as a first-timer, I thought the food and aesthetic were lovely! I would definitely recommend the pulled pork tacos. My husband ordered the Four Porksman and it's a lot of meat, so easy to share!

Poogan's was delicious for dinner. I ordered the four porksman sandwich with Collard Greens and it was amazing. The sandwich was heaped with high quality meat and the bun was soft and a perfect compliment to the meat. The collard greens had the perfect amount tangyness. One of the best barbecue places I have eaten at. Highly recommend!!!

Due to work and training, we did takeout for lunch. The orders were already done before our pickup time. The food was outstanding. I enjoyed the ribs, they had a nice dry rub and the meat was properly smoked. Good meat-to-bone ratio. I forgot to ask for sauce but luckily I didn't need it. And the ribs are not overly salted. The mac and cheese was excellent: cheesy and very flavorful. Good potato salad. This is the place we like to come back to and hopefully get to dine in and get the full experience.

This will be on our list every time we visit Charleston. Environment was open and enjoyable. While there I visited the restroom. I'm in a power wheelchair and it was very difficult to access the restroom due to excess chairs and high chairs. After our meal my friend found the manager and they went back to the area and he immediately changed things to make it very easy to access. We experienced wonderful prompt and kind service. Now for the most important it was excellent food. We all had different dishes but my husband had a great big lunch of a wonderful pulled pork sandwich that had smoked sausage and topped with ribs that were served without bones. He thoroughly enjoyed it. I eat extremely small portions and I was accommodating pulled pork children's meal. It was also easily wheelchair accessible.

Poogan's has a pretty casual and busy atmosphere. We decided to do family style and go for the meat sampler, loaded fries, and skillet Mac and cheese to split with 7 ladies. Portion size was good and a little more than enough for all of us. Some of the meat was done well and some were on the dry side and the ribs had a thin layer of meat on them. Our server was attentive and helpful in figuring out portion sizing. Overall, the food was alright and like a typical BBQ spot.

We looked online for reservations and the earliest they had was 8pm. We arrived and weren't sure why, there was only 1 other table there. We ordered our drinks and food and they both came out really fast which, to me, shouldn't happen at a bbq place. My Mac and cheese was good, the brisket was a little cold but the flavor was good. The restaurant is pretty spacious so it wouldn't feel cramped if other people were there.

Not only was the food gross but the service was beyond slow. We arrived at 6:15 and it took 1.5 hours to receive our food. The sausage was so overcooked it resembled beef jerky. The Brussel sprouts were charred black, the bologna was terribly salty and burned and the pimento cheese dip was bland. The salads had way too many onions, the Mac n cheese was soupy and the pulled pork was really dry. Definitely would not recommend....at all.

We were craving BBQ and Poogan's fit the bill perfectly! They were out of smoked chicken, so instead of the 2 nest platter, I had the brisket sandwich. The brisket was cooked perfectly and I could have eaten another plate of it! The potato salad was delicious, but pieces were frozen which was odd. The coleslaw was okay. My husband's mac and cheese was outstanding and honestly, some of the best I've had. His sausage was pretty good, but the ribs were slightly over cooked. The service was good: our waitress made sure our drinks were always filled. I'd definitely come back for a casual lunch in the area.

Pulled pork plate with sweet potato wedges and broccoli were good. I appreciated they were able to not add butter to the broccoli. The sweet potatoes had sugar which made them a bit sweet. Also comes with pineapple Hawaiian bread. They have 3 different bbq sauces as well- spicy, normal, and South Carolina. Not a huge selection of beers and nothing on draft. Quick to get a table for a big group.

Enjoyed a bbq lunch at Poogan's Smokehouse and was at the top of my list to hit while visiting Charleston SC. We were greeted with smiles as we entered and so did the waiter which went above and beyond for us. We started with waters and a few beers but afterwards enjoyed a berry cocktail at the bar which can seat about 20 people easily. The battened is very nice and is new to the area. Very funny and welcoming If you're a meat eater then order the 4 porksman because it's easily the best item they have in the place. It has everything you want in one meal. We substituted the fries for the potato salad and the buttered broccoli. Best potato salad we've have... sorry mom. The broccoli was soft and so buttery. So good They have 3 sauces on the table and each one is so good nothing too hot or sweet. 10/10 and wish we had one back at home because it would be our go to place. Thank you Poogans

Truly fantastic bbq in a more upscale setting. The pulled pork was incredibly tender, the Carolina gold sauce is perfect, and the kettle chips were the best possible side to accompany the sandwich. If I ever find myself back in Charleston I'll make sure to come back.

Ordered catering for a large meeting (35 people). Half our order was completely missing, and our employees were unable to enjoy their lunch. The trays we did receive were half filled. Queso fresco was also missing for the tacos, and FOUR trays of meat were missing. How is this possible? No BBQ sauces included either. They provided utensils, but only about 10. Salad dressings were packed with flimsy lids, so they spilt all over the bag and soaked the containers. Mac and cheese claimed to be 6 servings per tray.... It is more like 20 servings. One tray was enough for our whole office + some left over. Two trays untouched. Overall, extremely unsatisfied. Stick with Rodney Scotts or Lewis for catering.

i'm not a meat person but the pork belly here was divine we got the cast iron cornbread as a starter. it was good but personally a little dry for me. glad there was butter i ordered the pulled pork sandwich and the pork was absolutely delicious!! melt in your mouth juicy with a smokey flavor. the mac and cheese was a disappointment. very bland. it was basically cooked pasta with melted cheese on top. m the banana pudding was sweet and creamy but too heavy after a heavy meat entree overall this place is a nice place for a bbq lunch with nice service

A little disappointed- they were out of pulled pork and brisket. This was on a Wednesday afternoon.

Service was good, food was average. Nothing to brag about. The sidewinder fries were hot and that's always a plus. My salad was missing the red onion and cucumbers. I didn't bother asking about it.

This place was great for a quick bite while walking around town. I recommend the Mac and cheese!

It was delicious! I greatly appreciated having every BBQ sauce there to taste and add as needed - there's that famous Southern hospitality - and the young, cheerful wait staff kept the gentle vibe rolling while I dined on my brisket. Don't sleep on that Springtime Rye - balanced and sweet forward, without being sugary, and tasty to the last drop. I nursed it all the way through my meal.

We had a nice lunch at Poogan's Smokehouse. We had some delicious cornbread. We then had the collard greens with the pulled pork slider. Coming from Missouri, had to go with the Sweet sauce. The slider had the bun, the slaw and the pulled pork. The pulled pork was nicely smoked and tender.

We absolutely loved our meals here and our server was top notch! Delicious BBQ! The portions were very large. There was lots of seating inside. Kids menu was available.

I absolutely love Poogan's smokehouse ! Have never had a bad meal from this place. My favorite menu item is easily their pork belly pastrami which tastes so good it should be illegal. A close second is their Brussel sprouts which are definitely the best in town and among the best I've ever had. Other must have items are the smoked Turkey and their smoke wings. My recommendation is to enjoy these with their spicy bbq sauce a cross between their sweet barbecue sauce and a hot wing sauce. You can't go wrong no matter what you get. Last compliment is to their servers who are as good as they come. The only word of caution is they charge a 3% service fee for credit card, which is wrong. But so does every restaurant in town so I got used to paying cash everywhere I go. So bring cash if you don't want to pay the 3% scumbag tax that seems to be the industry standard in CHS. Aside from this I really have nothing but great things to say about Poogans.

The food, service, and atmosphere were great. We got the Four Pork-sman sandwich and the Steakhouse Salad. The sandwich was one of the biggest I've ever seen, so tasty. Their fries are unique and delicious. I also appreciate the lighter fare salad with all the classic steakhouse toppings. Not a huge meat eater but added pork to mine, it was the perfect portion to just taste. Highly recommend

STAY AWAY FROM THIS OVERPRICED PLACE!! Service was not great at all. Asked for a toasted almond, server took 5 minutes to come back to realize it wasn't on the menu, asked us how to make it, then came back and said they couldn't make it. Ok no biggie. But then we get 2 Disaronnos on the rocks and THEY CHARGE ME $4 FOR ICE!?!?!? whoooo thinks that's okay? Asked for the salsa and jalapeños on the side of our nachos, nope that's too hard of a request. My wings tasted good but $22 FOR 6 WINGS should be illegal. The pulled pork sandwich was mushy and neither of us wanted to finish it. Mac n cheese was mediocre and that's being nice. Overall pathetic experience, do not waste your money on this place. It was sad.

Great atmosphere--classic hits from all eras are playing on the loudspeakers, creating a nostalgic yet fun vibe. Sang along to multiple songs, which uplifted my spirits on a rainy, grey evening. $18 The 4 Porksmen Sandwich was to die for. Get it--you'll be glad you did. The pulled pork, sausage, rib, and bacon created the perfect symphony of meaty flavors. I devoured that big bad baby like there was no tomorrow. No regrets. The portion is big, so you'll be full all day. The fried potatoes were exceptional--so crispy and bursting with flavor. Just wow! This dish blew me away to paradise. I'm not a fan of Mac and cheese, but that side was surprisingly tasty--right and flavorful, with bits of bacon adding that extra punch. Had to laugh when I saw that "3% additional charge for inflation" on the check.

Was working downtown and needed a quick salad to go. Ordering online was easy. Picked up bag and had to remind them that I had a drink. Got to my car and NO SALAD DRESSING and NO UTENSILS. $28!! Pathetic!!

The service was great and the ambiance is cool for a BBQ place. The food is average at best and it doesn'ts match the menu descriptions. I cannot recommend this establishment.