The Spotted Pig BBQ
Barbecue restaurant · Oconee County
15491 SC-11, Fair Play, SC 29643
Highlights
Southern BBQ with grand fireplace & classic sides
Southern BBQ with grand fireplace & classic sides
"A compact, ingredient‑driven kitchen that prizes simplicity over ornament: signature items include a roasted squash and mozzarella salad with grilled chile and a celebrated burger finished only with Roquefort. The cooking philosophy favors few, well‑chosen components rather than gratuitous fuss, and the restaurant has been recognized with a Michelin star." - Lauren Collins
"This restaurant was exposed in a New York Times report as the epicenter of a pervasive culture of sexual misconduct tied to a former owner, and the prospect of his continued financial involvement has ignited fierce controversy. Two prominent female chefs have proposed taking over operations with the stated goals of reforming the kitchen, preserving jobs (roughly 100 were cited), and helping the industry and the chef who had previously been associated with the space, but many peers and survivors’ advocates argue that allowing the accused to profit is unacceptable and that the venue should be closed, renamed, or have proceeds redirected to victims’ causes. Supporters urge giving the incoming chefs the benefit of the doubt, while critics say the move risks retraumatizing survivors, insults the original chef whose vision defined the place, and cannot simply erase the site’s infamous reputation—public discourse even references a so-called “rape room.” The debate centers on accountability versus redemption, whether leadership change can repair a tainted legacy, and how to balance preserving livelihoods with moral consequences." - Monica Burton
"The restaurant has been engulfed by a high-profile scandal involving alleged pervasive sexual misconduct tied to its former leadership: a New York Times investigation accused one co-owner of unwanted advances and public groping and described a private third-floor space employees nicknamed the “rape room,” while another high-profile investor is accused of assault now under criminal investigation. The fallout led to the departure of its longtime chef and owner, and the current development — a plan announced by James Beard Award–winning chef Gabrielle Hamilton to partner with the accused co-owner and become chef-owner, with her wife Ashley Merriman reported as co-owner and co-chef — is being framed by Hamilton as an effort to clean up the mess and effect institutional change. The prospective deal is not yet finalized and has provoked shock among industry insiders because of the venue’s fraught history and the reputations of those involved." - Hillary Dixler Canavan
"Opened in 2004 and widely credited with helping to launch a nationwide gastropub trend and establishing the chef’s reputation, the restaurant became the center of explosive sexual-misconduct allegations against its co-owner and visiting celebrity chefs. Employees described a coercive, sexualized workplace—public groping, demands for nude photos, and all-night shifts at parties featuring public nudity and sex—and said much of the misconduct occurred on a private third floor that staff nicknamed "the rape room." At least ten women accused the co-owner of harassment, other high-profile figures were implicated, and the chef has said she referred complaints to outside counsel and demanded change while later acknowledging her response was insufficient." - Meghan McCarron
"A restaurant that became the center of a 2017 controversy when a business partner was accused of long‑standing sexual harassment; the episode led the chef associated with the place to depart and later sever ties with other projects amid criticism that employees had not been adequately protected." - Margaret Rhodes
