Owner & Pitmaster, Melvin's Legendary Bar-B-Q
David Bessinger
Signature Dish:Mustard-based ('Gold Secret') pulled pork and whole hog
David Bessinger is a third-generation South Carolina barbecue owner who runs Melvin's Legendary Bar-B-Q on James Island with his wife, Debbie. He carries on the family's mustard-based tradition: his grandfather, Big Joe Bessinger, created the 'Gold Secret' mustard sauce and opened the Holly Hill Cafe in 1939, and his father, Melvin Bessinger — a World War II veteran — founded the namesake Melvin's, opening in Mount Pleasant in 1982 and on James Island in 1984. David continues to serve the family's whole-hog, mustard-sauce barbecue.
Technique
Whole hogs cooked over hardwood coals, served with the family's Gold Secret mustard sauce.
Influences
Melvin Bessinger (father)Big Joe Bessinger (grandfather)SC mustard-sauce tradition