Week of May 11
Rodney Scott's King Street pit goes dark until further notice, Little Stranger returns to the Windjammer, and Charleston's tea culture gets its due.
The biggest local food story of the week was the abrupt closure of Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ on King Street — no timeline given, no explanation beyond 'until further notice' — a genuine shock for a James Beard–winning institution that put whole-hog South Carolina barbecue back on the national map. Elsewhere, the City Paper traced Charleston's long relationship with tea, anchored by the Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island, and previewed a homecoming weekend for Little Stranger at the Windjammer.
If you haven't been to the Charleston Tea Garden lately, this is a good week to go — the feature is a reminder that it's one of the more singular things you can do in the Lowcountry. And if you're free this weekend, Little Stranger's Windjammer shows are exactly the kind of local-band-makes-good moment worth showing up for.
What mattered this week
- 01Closing↳ Rodney Scott's BBQ
Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ Shuts King Street Doors 'Until Further Notice'
The award-winning pitmaster's flagship King Street location closed abruptly on Sunday with no timeline for reopening. The closure blindsided regulars and rattled Charleston's barbecue community — Scott's has been one of the most decorated restaurants in the city since its opening.
Why it matters · If you had a visit planned, hold off. Watch Scott's social channels for any reopening announcement before making the trip.
via Charleston City Paper · May 4, 2026 - 02Culture↳ The Windjammer
Little Stranger Books Two-Night Homecoming at the Windjammer
The Charleston-bred band — quietly one of the biggest acts in the Southeast right now — is returning to Isle of Palms for a pair of shows at the Windjammer, the storied beach venue where so many local careers have been made and measured.
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