At Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House, slow-cooked Southern flavor sets the pace for a new standard of tradition and taste amid the world-class greens of South Carolina‘s Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
In the South, barbecue is more than a meal. It’s a time-honored tradition—part culture, part craft—best appreciated by those who revere authentic foodways steeped in patience and pride and deeply rooted in place. It’s heirloom family recipes and passionate debates over sauces that vary from region to region, from tangy mustard blends to vinegar-and-pepper infusions and tomato-rich slathers. It’s a story rooted in culinary history, southern hospitality, and heritage served for generations.
At Kiawah Island Golf Resort, set along 10 miles of the South Carolina coast in a region prized for its slow-and-low cuisine and hospitality, it’s a legacy.
Follow the unmistakable scent of hickory smoke drifting through the air to Osprey Point Clubhouse, and you’ll know you’ve reached the right place to savor Kiawah Island’s award-winning barbecue—Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House. Helmed by Carolinas-native Chef Keith Richardson for more than a decade, Cherrywood’s wood-fired pits render top-tier meats expertly cooked under his masterful eye over a hardwood fire burned down to the coals. The result is bold yet complex, showcasing the intricacies of house-made signature-seasoned rubs and sauces.
“We’re not just making food. We’re honoring tradition with patience, pride and the perfect balance of spicy, savory, and sweet. Great barbecue isn’t rushed, it’s respected,” Chef Richardson shares.
Over the years, Richardson has led his award-winning team in serious barbecue competitions with successes including People’s Choice Award for Best Pulled Pork at Smoke on the Harbor BBQ Throwdown, Best Bite at the Lowcountry Hoedown, USA Today’s Winningest Food & Beverage, and People’s Choice Winner at The Festival of Discovery BBQ Competition for Best Pulled Pork (2021-2025). Crafting barbecue that rivals the South’s best is no easy feat. At Cherrywood, the rewards are well-deserved—every bite a smoky, flavorful masterpiece.
While Lowcountry fare is the main attraction, the dining experience here is all-encompassing. The restaurant’s selection of more than 60 local, imported, draft and craft beers make it a haven for those who take their brews as seriously as their barbecue. Rounding out the menu are hearty appetizers, soups, crisp salads, desserts and sides, many of which deserve their own spotlight. Most notably, Cherrywood’s Four Cheese Macaroni has reached near-legendary status, taking home honors from the Charleston Mac-Off every year it entered.
Find Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House tucked inside Osprey Point Clubhouse, overlooking one of the resort’s five championship courses, dishing out genuine Southern flavor in the heart of world-class greens. It is one of 15 restaurants, cafés and eateries of The Kiawah Dining Collection, where Lowcountry tradition meets exceptional taste.
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