High Times With Hash at Midway BBQ Buffalo, South Carolina

What’s up Meg?

I’m on a South Carolina food journey to chow down at the best restaurant in each of the 46 counties while seeking the Top 100 Food Dishes To Eat In South Carolina While Alive, Or, Before Dead, Whichever Comes First.

Why This Stop?

Well, my friend asked me if I had ever tried hash. I said yes, maybe, and then, I don’t know.

Tasty Tuesday – This visit to Union County and the town of Buffalo brought me to  “Midway BBQ.” This stop is the fifth blog in my quest to try the best restaurant in each of the 46 South Carolina Counties.  [1]

The Place

This lucky town of approximately 1500 people has had the good fortune of high-quality meats since 1941. Now on the second generation of ownership, this family business continues to thrive using the same recipes and principles as its founder.

A log cabin type structure on the highway, the cars parked on both sides of the road was a foreshadowing of good food inside.

Midway BBQ located in Buffalo, Union County, S.C.

 

The interior holds two large dining rooms, an order counter, and a meat counter.

Midway BBQ has a butcher case with high-quality meat cuts.

Midway BBQ order counter and large menu. Buffalo, S.C.

Orders are taken at the counter from a large menu that changes by the day. The items are listed by day on the website and their Facebook page. Each day they have approximately five to ten meats and 15-20 sides. Looking at the menu, I am certain that I could eat at this restaurant fairly frequently.

Both my friend and I chose the combo plates so that we could have the hash. Since it was my first visit, I chose my standard (for rating) potato salad and coleslaw with the addition of cornbread.

Pulled pork, potato salad, coleslaw, cornbread, marinated vegetables, more cornbread, and hash from Midway BBQ

My decision was a bit easier because my friend chose the macaroni and cheese with butter beans and offered me a bite.

BBQ pork, macaroni and cheese, butter beans, white bread, marinated vegetables, and beef hash. Midway BBQ, Buffalo SC

I know that this blog did not release on 4-20 but let me start with the hash.  Take a look at it, I mean a really good look.  It is the brown mushy looking food in the lower left corner of the photo-see above.  I have to admit that I was squeamish for a few seconds before I dove in, but once I did, it was high times on that hash.  I am a convert, no, I am now obsessed with this “Upstate” Carolina style hash.   I mean I spent my Saturday night prior to writing this by watching documentaries about hash, and neither Amsterdam nor Cheech and Chong were involved.  It turns out that there is a whole lot to learn about this delicious S.C. hash. I have a new bucket list and it involves the different styles of S.C. hash.

Incidentally, I read that the hash is Midway’s Number one item ordered by their customers.  Their chicken stew is said to be life-changing.  *Next visit, I’m all over that dish.

MEGastars 5 *****

MEGatips

1. No matter what, do NOT miss that beef Hash.
2. Link to a 2008 documentary by Stephen Woodward entitled Carolina Hash Carolina Hash 56 minutes.  YouTube South Carolina Hash-Documentary
3. For high-quality meats cut in-house, do bring your cooler for the fresh prime cuts.
4. Get the white bread to eat with hash.   Being a hash virgin, I had not known the experience of how great this might taste with white bread. I have this thing for white bread being used for Thanksgiving leftovers. A sandwich made with white bread with turkey, mayo, and gravy, or leftover turkey gravy on white bread.   I’m just saying, this hash dish would be fantastic on white bread. 
5. Hours, menu, location, from the website. Midway BBQ Website Link

Follow me on my  “Tasty Tuesday” posts as I wander around often in South Carolina tasting the best that this beautiful state has to offer. 

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ABOUT:  This MEGabites and MEGastars description is found at the bottom of each post and may be helpful if you are new to my escapades.

*100 Dishes To Eat In South Carolina While Alive or Before You Die, Whichever Comes First.” is my compilation of food to chow down on “Carolina style.” It is my S.C. Food Bucket List and you may follow as I chow down like Ms. Pacman in another gorgeous state that I call home.  I am loosely following Snacks of Jax 2016 46 County Best Restaurant List as a guide. From the Mom and Pop diner to the James Beard Chef, this journey is an opportunity for me to explore my new state and experience pride in food from restaurateurs who are dedicated to local food.  From my bucket list, I select stops based on convenience of location and they are in no particular order (but I already have a few favorites.)  [1] http://www.snacksofjax.com

I use a 5 MEGastar rating system.  For the most part, I am traveling a distance to try these dishes and generally, the experience gets one shot at how I view the food.   I factor this in using my own star system so that I may be fair to the wonderful dishes and people behind them. I’m very easy to please, I can overlook quite a bit and have worked in the foodservice industry.

• *Meh food. Just wasn’t good. Maybe the food came from a can? Or, the place was not one that I would want to send someone to show pride in South Carolina.   This has happened to me a few times and is always a difficult write.
• ** Passable – the food was “ok” but the place was not “ok” or vice versa.
• *** Good but not outstanding or unique.
• **** Very tasty dish AND meets one of the definitions set forth by Alabama Foods/Tourism, of local food and/or truly highlights Alabama Pride.
• ***** I actually died, went to heaven and came back when I ate the dish. And/Or, something is very unique, something you cannot get anywhere else.