A few years back, some friends and I took a road trip through the backroads of the Midlands into the Pee Dee. We had a destination in mind, a bit of a pilgrimage: Scott’s Bar-B-Que in Hemingway.
My only association with “Hemingway” to that point wasn’t barbecue but literature. But as a South Carolinian—whether born-and-bred, like my friend Susan, who spearheaded our journey that day, or transplanted, like myself and our other traveling pals—a trip to the Scott family’s legendary smoking pits is a rite of passage.
The details I remember most vividly from that day trip aren’t so much the destination or even the barbecue (it was darn good; that much I know) but the stops we built into our journey. We wound our way to a little country winery outside of Florence, stopped for a snack in downtown Lake City and visited a roadside plant and produce stand somewhere I could never pinpoint on a map.
We’d just barely made it out of Columbia before the first stop of our journey, a breakfast of fried bologna sandwiches at Mr. Bunky’s Market down in Eastover. Bunky’s is the kind of place that defines a classic day trip in our state. A small, local joint that offers humble, delicious food that fuels you for your journey and leaves you with a simple, fond memory. It’s not the place you pilgrimage to, but it’s the place you’ll revisit again when you’re on the road in certain parts.
I was introduced to another such place a few months back, around the time when South Carolina Living explored the character and long-lasting legacy of meat-and-three restaurants. It’s just the kind of place—and people—worth stopping and getting to know on your way around our state.
The Wagon Wheel Restaurant became part of the Fort Lawn community in 1956. More than two decades later, so did its eventual owners, George and Joanna Katergaris.
The Katergarises emigrated from Greece in 1974, escaping a military dictatorship and seeking better opportunities for themselves and their two children. They purchased the Wagon Wheel in 1978. They were part of a decades-long legacy of Greek immigrants who left their homeland for the American South. Many found restaurant successes serving the kinds of food they knew their new neighbors wanted.
For the Katergarises, that meant fried squash, turkey and dressing and warm, buttery dinner rolls, to name a few popular menu items. Over the years, George and Joanna have made sure all the ingredients are of the best quality. The produce comes from local farms and, when appropriate, authentic Greek olive oil is used.
It’s not just that people love the food at the Wagon Wheel. They also love the Wagon Wheel family. When George was badly injured in a tractor accident in 1995, 40 patrons donated blood to assist in his recovery. The Wagon Wheel is now owned and operated by their daughter, Mina, and her husband, Bill Nixon. But George and Joanna remain active in the business.
Similar food and stories are scattered across the map of our great state. As you dive into this month’s cover story about road tripping, or plan your next day trip itinerary, I hope you’ll plan to stop at places like Scott’s and the Wagon Wheel and Mr. Bunky’s and appreciate the people and the stories (and the food) that make South Carolina special.