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Dukes Bar-B-Que

Coordinates: 33°29′25″N 80°50′33″W / 33.49028°N 80.84250°W / 33.49028; -80.84250
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dukes Bar-B-Que is the name of numerous unrelated barbecue restaurants in South Carolina, all founded by descendants of Manuel Dukes.

History

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The sons of Manuel Dukes, who was born in rural Orangeburg County, South Carolina around 1875, became noted pitmasters in the area and catered events which became a family business.[1] The Dukes were of German origin, and historians have suggested that this may have influenced their use of mustard-based barbecue sauce, something which became common among other German families in the Midlands of South Carolina.[2] Their barbecue is considered typical of the Midlands-style.[3] Over time, the Dukes became known for serving "rust" sauce which includes both mustard and tomato.[4]

In the 1950s, Manuel Dukes' sons and daughters began to found restaurants in cities like Orangeburg, Cameron, Charleston, and Aiken.[1] The first of these restaurants were founded by Danny Dukes in the towns of Cope and Branchville. A more well known restaurant was founded by Earl Duke on the intersection of Chestnut Street and Columbia Road in Orangeburg in 1955. The restaurant later moved to Whitman Street.[5] The extended family of the Dukes' also founded numerous "Dukes" restaurants around that time,[1] based on the success of the name.[5] They have since become a well known part of Orangeburg's restaurant scene.[6] As of 2017, some Dukes restaurants were still owned by members of the family while others had been sold.[7]

The restaurants are based around all-you-can-eat buffet-style dining. They are known for dishes like pulled pork, fried chicken, hash and rice, and other side dishes including collard greens, mac and cheese, black-eyed peas, hushpuppies, corn nuggets, potato salad, coleslaw and white bread.[8][1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Moss, Robert F. (2011-03-02). "An Orangeburg family spawns a loosely connected barbecue empire across S.C." Charleston City Paper. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  2. ^ Moss, Robert F. (2015-05-07). Barbecue Lover's the Carolinas: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 110–111. ISBN 978-1-4930-1601-3.
  3. ^ Moss, Robert F. (2020-10-06). Barbecue: The History of an American Institution, Revised and Expanded Second Edition. University of Alabama Press. p. 281. ISBN 978-0-8173-2065-2.
  4. ^ Moss, Robert F. (2015-05-07). Barbecue Lover's the Carolinas: Restaurants, Markets, Recipes & Traditions. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 126–128. ISBN 978-1-4930-1601-3.
  5. ^ a b Zaleski, Gene (2021-09-20). "Dukes Bar-B-Q 'not going nowhere'; N. Charleston business closing after 67 years". The Times and Democrat. Retrieved 2023-07-17.
  6. ^ Egerton, John (1993). Southern Food: At Home, on the Road, in History. UNC Press Books. pp. 157–158. ISBN 978-0-8078-4417-5.
  7. ^ Fertel, Rien (2017-05-30). The One True Barbecue: Fire, Smoke, and the Pitmasters Who Cook the Whole Hog. Simon and Schuster. p. 157. ISBN 978-1-4767-9398-6.
  8. ^ "Dukes Bar-B-Que | Southern Foodways Alliance - Southern Foodways Alliance". 2012-06-04. Retrieved 2023-07-17.

33°29′25″N 80°50′33″W / 33.49028°N 80.84250°W / 33.49028; -80.84250