Hugh-Baby’s is a throwback to the old-school burger joints from a bygone era. opens to much fanfare in West Ashley
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
Back in 2019, Martin’s BBQ opened on James Island to much fanfare. Famed Tennessee pitmaster Pat Martin’s joint was another welcomed addition to Charleston’s revered and ever-expanding barbecue scene. In mid-January, Martin increased his Lowcountry footprint by opening Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop here in West Ashley at 1028 St Andrews Blvd.
Specializing in smash burgers, the Nashville-born restaurant has quickly become a smash here in Charleston. So much so that Martin says they weren’t quite ready for the overwhelming reception.
“I am so incredibly appreciative. It can’t go unnoticed as to how the community has reacted and we’re trying hard to get staffed up. We didn’t expect this initial reception and are so happy we did this,” says Martin.
Despite the restaurant’s vibrant, modern design the counter-service experience draws inspiration from the old-school barbecue and burger spots of days gone by. Martin says that he created Hugh-Baby’s as a loving tribute to the small-town eateries he frequented in his childhood. This is also evident in his selection of locations.
“I am partial to family neighborhoods for both of my concepts,” says Martin. “Based on how well we had done on James Island, West Ashley seemed like the next obvious place to go with a concept – I only have two, so I wanted to put Hugh-Baby’s here. We found what we thought was a building that fit the brand very well and loved the community. I have friends that live in the area, and it just made sense from a personal level as well.”
Hugh-Baby’s burgers feature a proprietary blend of premium beef while the barbecue sandwiches follow time-honored traditions of Memphis-style barbecue. In addition to the pulled pork, the restaurant also slow-smokes its turkey and bologna on-site, which is smoked on-site every day.
Nearly everything at Hugh-Baby’s is made from scratch and cooked to order. While the burgers are the star of the show, diners can also order hot dogs, bologna, fried chicken sandwiches, smoked turkey clubs, fries, hand-spun milkshakes, and Martin’s famous Memphis-style barbecue.
“We only smoke enough for that day, and there is only so much barbecue that we have available,” says Martin. “We also grind the beef for the burgers in-house every day, and plan to run out. I don’t run a commissary model, and I never will.”
According to Martin, the most popular items so far have been the Cheeseburgers, the BBQ Sandwich, and Slaw Dogs, which he says is consistent with his other restaurants. But, unique to the West Ashley location is the Fried Catfish Sandwich.
“We thought about an ocean fish, but are so proud of our catfish as it’s farm-raised and very high quality. I’ll plan to add it onto my menus in Nashville as well,” says Martin
Hugh-Baby’s is located at 1028 St Andrews Blvd. It is open Wed.-Sun. from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. for dine-in, drive-thru, take-home, and delivery. For more information visit www.hughbabys.com.
