Dukes Barbecue - Charleston

A great place to go for local dining. The buffet offers options that suit a most family style dining experiences with hearty sides and deserts. Solid choice but best at high volume timesFood: 4/5

If you enjoy classic BBQ spots reminiscent of the old South, you'll absolutely adore this place. It's a BBQ buffet offering an outstanding variety of options. The sauces are also highly impressive. Food: 5/5

However, a young employee informed me that I needed to leave the table because a party of five was going to take my spot. There was no "reserved" sign on the booth, which was meant for four people, not five. I attempted to explain my situation, but she went back to the cash register instead. A minute later, she returned and insisted that I vacate the booth for the larger group. Wanting to avoid any confrontation, I signaled for my wife, and we decided to leave without dining. To be clear, the young woman wasn't rude or condescending, but she was adamant about me not sitting there. Perhaps the party of five were acquaintances of hers. Aside from this particular incident, we've generally had a pleasant experience at Dukes and have always been treated well. We hope to return in the future, maybe on Memorial Day, when I can proudly wear my veteran hat.

I will start with a high note. The collard greens were the highlight of the buffet. All the chicken and pork was dry. For a BBQ buffet, I expected at least an attempt of brisket. No beef on the buffet. Also, the rice was still hard. The hash was not terrible. The desert though, the pit crew didn 't know if the one was blueberry or cherry. It was cherry. The banana pudding was probably three boxes of nilla wafers to one banana. I 've been looking for a good bbq buffet, but this is not it. Moose 's in summerville was great before they closed. My search continues.

They offer a buffet with lots of variety at an affordable price. I usually eat my weight in bbq and fried chicken but I literally can’t stop eating their hush puppies and hot sauce. Definitely one of my favorite places to eat here in Charleston,