FAQs / Policies

Melvin's Barbecue is locally owned and operated by Melvin David Bessinger. Melvin's is not affiliated with any restaurants owned by other members of the Bessinger family. You can visit one of our two locations in Mount Pleasant or on James Island. Get directions here. 

Big Joe Bessinger invented the sauce in the 1930's. He passed the recipe down to his sons, who later altered the recipe to their own personal tastes.

Traditionally barbecue was smoked over hard woods. As technology advanced, many restaurants switched their cooking process from all wood to gas assisted pits, making it easier to control temperature and reduce costs. However, using gas assisted pits robbed the meats of an authentic smoky flavor. This is why many years ago we switched back to smoking our meats over all wood using Jambo, Lang, and Oyler Pits. 

Melvin's Barbecue is a family-owned and faith-based restaurant. We feel Sundays are a day for family and worship.

You can purchase Melvin's BBQ sauce online here or at one of our two restaurant locations. In addition, Melvin's original mustard based barbecue sauce can be found in specialty shops and grocery stores throughout the east coast, including Publix, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Ingles, and Lowes Foods.

In order to receive a full refund for the purchase of any meal or merchandise, a receipt and the meal or merchandise should be brought to the location in which it was originally purchased within 72 hours. For Online Orders, please call 843-795-6794 ext 1. 

We ship orders Monday-Friday via USPS Priority Mail or FedEx Ground. Packages are shipped in the morning and will go out the following day if the mail has already been picked up. Most packages will be delivered within 2-3 business days, but it will vary based on your location. 

Please fill out our wholesale vendor form here with your business information and we will email you with all of the on-boarding details including prices, minimums, and shipping policies. 

Yes! We charge a reservation fee and block off the room for a two hour time period. For more details, and to book, please contact our catering department by emailing catering@melvinsbbq.com. 

Please apply by clicking here. We will review your qualifications and contact you to set up an interview if you match our needs.

Melvin's Barbecue pride's themselves on donating to various churches, schools, and community outreach programs throughout the year. For donation requests please send a detailed email including your event, needs, and Tax-ID number to marketing@melvinsbbq.com. 

Currently we do not offer this service; however, we would love for you to keep us in mind for other catering events! 

Gift card balances may be checked online here.