The BBQ Barn has brought its hickory-smoked flavor to Aiken.

Owners Susan and Jody Glover and Glenn Gentry Jr. have operated the BBQ Barn's North Augusta location for more than three years, and now the couple opened a location in Aiken managed by their son, Thomas Glover, and longtime employee Stephen Kyzer.

The new BBQ Barn is located at 130 University Parkway, near the intersection of University and Richland Avenue in the building that once housed The Buffet restaurant.

Jody said, "This is a big restaurant. The staff all trained at our North Augusta restaurant, but this is a much bigger dining room."

"We're looking to give people an affordable, fairly priced, good meal in a good, comfortable atmosphere," Thomas said. "Response has been very good; we're just trying to get the word out that we're here. We've had some people come in every day since we've been open."

"We've been very busy," Kyzer said. "We're blessed that the Lord has allowed us to have so many people come in here."

The restaurant specializes in hickory-smoked barbecue, fried chicken, traditional sides such as baked beans, collard greens, cole slaw, hash and rice and macaroni and cheese. Its amenities also include a full bakery with 15 to 20 cakes, pies, cookies and other treats made daily, and a coffee counter with iced mocha and French vanilla lattes. BBQ Barn offers dine-in and to-go service, and customers can call ahead for faster pick-up service; the staff also does catering.

The restaurant also offers free Wi-Fi Internet service, and there is a meeting room for civic groups. As long as the group orders food, there is no charge for the meeting room, according to Jody.

"We haven't given much thought to the future, but we'd like it to become a landmark hangout spot, like the Varsity or Al's in North Augusta - someplace that it's a family tradition to go to," he said.

The BBQ Barn is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

For more information or to place an order, call the BBQ Barn in Aiken at 226-0169.