About Us

Our Story

Kansas City MO

Our story starts about 1996 in Kansas City, Missouri which is a big barbecue town.  KC Mike was smoking and grilling lots of fabulous meats for friends and family, but KC Nancy was not happy.  Growing up in Atlanta, Ga. she was used to having Brunswick Stew.  It seemed odd to her that a barbecue town had never heard of Brunswick Stew.  KC Mike said he could make Brunswick Stew for her.  KC Nancy wasn’t so sure and the challenge was on!   Over the next 12 years KC Mike made lots and lots of Brunswick Stew, changing his recipe a little here and a little there.  Finally, KC Nancy agreed it was just right.  KC Mike continued to make it for friends and family in Atlanta and Kansas City. 

Beaufort SC

In 2015 KC Mike and KC Nancy moved from Kansas City to Beaufort, South Carolina to make the Lowcountry their new home.  Once they settled in, KC Mike thought everyone would enjoy his wonderful Brunswick Stew and KC Mike’s Smokin’ was born.  KC Mike was happy just selling Brunswick Stew to our neighbors in the South Carolina Low Country at fairs and festivals, but the story continued.

Customers began asking him to sell them smoked meats.  So KC Mike offered Pulled Pork, Beef Brisket, Smoked Chicken Thighs, and Baby Back Ribs in addition to his Brunswick Stew.  Customers loved it and asked KC Mike to sell them just a little lunch, too.  By this time KC Mike had opened the Maritime Center location on Okatie Hwy so he  began to offer lunch.  The business grew until our customers wanted more than our little smoker could provide. 

Our Restaurant on Lady’s Island

Just after Christmas 2017 KC Mike and KC Nancy decided to open a true restaurant location with a great big smoker.  On April 14, 2018 KC Mike’s Smokin’ Restaurant opened at 81 Sea Island Parkway on Lady’s Island with a smoker big enough to keep all our customers happy.    Some of those happy customers wanted to see KC Mike’s Smokin’ provide school lunches, so in June 2019 we opened another KC Mike’s Smokin’ at 2001 Boundary Street in Beaufort.   It had a larger kitchen to prepare and deliver lunch to several area schools during the 2019-2020 school year.  By this time we were stretched a little thin, so we made the difficult decision to close our Maritime Center location (our first spot!) at the end of 2019. 

Our Restaurant on Boundary Street

Things were humming along and then in 2020 the world turned sideways.   The nation was suddenly grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic.  In a matter of weeks, everything changed.  Not just for us, but for everyone in the Low Country, in South Carolina, in the U.S., and in the world.   

We found ourselves providing only carry-out and curbside.  We had to drastically downsize our business as everything around us changed.  Our dining room and patio were closed.  Customers could not have wedding receptions or graduation parties in the party room;  no big events anywhere.  We consolidated operations into the larger Boundary Street location and continued to offer carry-out and curbside pick-up.   The support from the local community for us and other small businesses was amazing.  We are truly blessed to live in this community!  

Moving Forward Again in 2021 and Beyond

As we began the process of re-opening with patio dining and limited inside seating, KC Mike’s made the difficult decision to continue with only our Boundary Street location.  The Lady’s Island closure became permanent.  While we loved our first little restaurant, we had to choose to move forward with the larger space to grow our business and continue our recovery.

As many of you noticed, during the summer of 2021, KC Nancy was often seen in the restaurant with paint on her face, dirt on her arms, or sawdust in her hair.  Finally in the fall, she and KC Mike were ready to open KC Mike’s Back Room complete with Games, 4 TV’s, 4 Pool Tables, free Wi-Fi, USB charging ports, a Jukebox, and it’s own little menu.  The Back Room offers evening fun after the restaurant has closed and on Saturdays the fun starts at Noon!  There is Free Pool on Friday Nights for First-Responders and Free Pool on Saturday Nights for the Ladies!  On Wednesdays you might see our pool teams competing in 8-Ball in the APA Pool League.  

None of us know what lies ahead, but KC Mike and KC Nancy know that we are happy to still be here providing our good food to friends and neighbors in the Low Country.   Stay tuned as our journey continues. 

– KC Mike & KC Nancy