Local places gear up for Fourth

Jimmy Golding was up at 4 a.m. Wednesday, preparing his grill to smoke pounds of barbecue throughout the day.

The co-owner of Dave's Grill and Grocery in Couchton is approaching what he says is the Wagener Road business's busiest holiday of the year - the Fourth of July.

"We probably go through about 600 to 700 pounds of barbecue, 150 slabs of ribs and 200 chickens every year," said Golding.

Dave's, named for Golding's father, Dave Golding, has been in operation for 23 years. Golding said his father started the barbecue restaurant, which also serves as a butcher shop, convenience store and gas station, after retiring as a butcher from a Winn-Dixie store in Orlando, Fla.

Golding said Dave's barbecue is quite popular with Aiken's polo community, as well as in Lexington, Orangeburg, Augusta and throughout Aiken County.

For the Fourth, Dave's is offering a variety of specials including a sale on smoked ribs, chicken, chopped barbecue, hash and an assortment of sides, such as potato salad and coleslaw.

Golding said Dave's special North Carolina-style vinegar-based barbecue sauce will also be offered for sale to customers.

Store employees started filling orders Thursday and will continue through Saturday, during which the store will open until they sell out of barbecue. Dave's is open Monday through Saturday from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contact Dave's at 648-7751.

Grice's Butcher Shop

Grice's Butcher Shop located at 1014-A Pine Log Road in Aiken is flying through the baby back ribs as local residents prepare for the upcoming holiday weekend.

"We have been selling a lot of baby back ribs, spare ribs, hamburger and chickens," said Ted Groomes, owner of Grice's Butcher Shop. "The top seller has been the baby backs. We have been selling more than normal. Anytime there is a holiday this happens."

While this weekend marks big business, Groomes said Christmas is his biggest holiday. He also advises customers not to wait until the last minute as supplies tend to run low the closer it gets to the holiday.

"We usually try to run our inventory out by Friday because we will be closed Saturday and Sunday. Right now we have plenty, but we know it will go fast," he said.

Grice's Butcher Shop will be open today from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. For more information, call 649-5742.

Papa Russ's BBQ

Papa Russ's BBQ smokes its pork for 12 hours over cherry wood, which owner Russ Richardson said adds a fruity flavor. It is then hand-pulled.

"The phone's been ringing all day," he said. "In this part of the country, they're raised on (barbecue)."

Papa Russ's does not pre-sauce its meat for customers as "the meat should stand on its own," but Richardson said the sauce he uses is different than you would normally find in South Carolina.

"South Carolina is a lot of mustard-based," he said. "I am from Texas, so I use ketchup-based."

If you don't want to pre-order from Papa Russ's, stop in on Saturday. The restaurant will be open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Carolina Bar-B-Que

The pork at Carolina Bar-B-Que is smoked on the pit over charcoal for eight hours then pulled apart and packaged by the pound.

"They'll call all day and all day tomorrow," said Jess Walker, owner of Carolina Bar-B-Que. "We sell out of everything on (July 3)."

It's been like that for years, he said, with orders for pulled pork and hash flooding in from across the area.

Carolina Bar-B-Que uses Boston butt, which is a leaner meat than other places may use, and Walker thinks that's one reason why his selection is so popular every year.

"It is overwhelming," he said. "There is no way we could cook enough."