Bucky’s Bar-B-Q
Published in the Greenville News on June 20, 2003 Written by John C. Stevenson
Wayne Preston didn’t mean to go into the barbecue business; it was a matter of survival.
Preston’s woodworking-machine business had crumbled and the businessman could no longer pay his debts. In desperation, he set up a smoker on the side of the road and sold barbecue plates for $5 each.
From that bleak beginning, Preston, with the help of his family, has built a thriving barbecue business at his restaurant, Bucky’s. The small building sits on an unadorned concrete slab and the decorations consist mainly of ball caps, but that’s not what Preston’s patrons come for. They come for the ‘cue.
“We cook Boston butts at about 200 degrees for 18 hours over hickory wood,” Preston said. “When you walk in the door, we pull that whole Boston butt up in front of you and chop it right then, and we chop just what you’re eating. So it’s always fresh-chopped, moist.”
Bucky’s offers three sauces; a sweet, tomato-based sauce; a mustard-based sauce; and a hot, vinegar sauce made with habanero peppers. The mustard-based sauce was contributed by Preston’s son-in-law Kelly Shealy, whose family is well-known in the Midlands for barbecue.
The menu is simple, and that’s the way Preston likes it. His prices include tax and most items also include the iced tea. The most popular menu item is the Bar-B-Q Plate ($6), which comes with either pork or chicken, two sides, bread and tea. There’s also an all-you-can-eat “feast” for $10 on Wednesdays and Fridays.
The food isn’t the only reason Bucky’s has developed a loyal following.
“People will tell you it’s like visiting Wayne’s kitchen,” Preston said. “We just like the people - we really do. We get to know them. It’s a lot of fun. We have a good time.”
