Fountain Inn's Bobby's BBQ picked for national fellowship. How owners 'preserve the pit'

Octavius "Tay" Nelson knows how to cook up a party in the hearts of customers at Fountain Inn's Bobby's BBQ, along with the backyards of family and friends.

As a minority restaurant owner, he also strives to preserve his cultural roots.

One way that he does this is by reflecting on BBQ's history on slave plantations in the South.

"If they [the slaves] were given food to eat, it would be the cuts of meat that nobody else wanted," said Sarah Nelson, Tay's wife and Bobby's BBQ co-owner. "It wasn't like the Prime Rib or the more desirable cut. They were given the parts that were tough and hard to cook that were the throwaway pieces, basically. They had to learn to take those pieces and cook it right so that it could be edible. They learned how to cook it low and slow, bringing the tenderness out of those pieces of meat."

At the restaurant, Tay and Sarah preserve this historical cooking method using their 1,000-gallon offset Moberg smokers named "Grace and Mercy." Their brisket can take up to 16 hours to cook, making it juicy and tender.

"The Indians were the first ones doing smoking, but as for American BBQ, a lot of it came from the plantations." Tay said. "You think about all the old BBQ restaurants back in the day, and in the pictures, all of them had Black Pitmasters back there."

For those efforts and that deep-rooted commitment, the Nelsons and Bobby's BBQ were selected to Kingsford's prestigious, Preserve the Pit program, which aims to "preserve the culture and history of Black barbecue in America and invest in its future."

Here's what to know about Preserve the Pit

The program, in its third year, guides BBQ entrepreneurs through Kingsford's fellowship program. Preserve the Pit has received over 3,500 applications for consideration. Tay said he has applied for the program several times. The Nelsons were grateful when they were one-of-six entrepreneurs selected for the 2023 edition.

Bobby's BBQ will receive mentorship from Amy Mills, owner of 17th Street BBQ in Murphysboro, Illinois. On Friday, May 19, Tay and Sarah ventured to the Memphis in May and Kingsford BBQ Culinary Tour as part of the mentorship.

They experienced BBQ history by meeting BBQ legends like Jim Neely, founder of the Neely BBQ dynasty and owner of Jim Neely's Interstate Bar-B-Que in Memphis.

The Nelsons also fellowshipped with other mentors and fellows from the program. Sarah can be seen sharing photos and videos of the experience on Bobby's BBQ's social media posts.

The Nelsons expect the fellowship to help their business, especially in digital and social media. Tay wants his contributions to BBQ to be passed on and remembered.

"I don't want to say that it feels like the torch has been passed to us, but it feels like we are lighting the flame," Tay said. "We've already had the flame going, but we're really lighting it now so that we can light someone else's flame."

How Tay and Sarah Nelson, Bobby's BBQ 'preserve the pit'

At Bobby's BBQ, being inclusive is important for business growth and building up the community. The Nelsons want their thirteen staff members and customers to feel welcome and like family.

"We want to have something that is long-lasting," Tay said. "Having a place with high-quality food and where people feel at home and welcome ... We will be feeding your body and your soul."

Tay and Sarah have five children who are enthusiastic about their parents' business.

"From the time they [the children] were itty bitty, their hands and footprints were in the concrete of the building," Sarah said. "They've been able to see us build something together and grow it. They have a sense of ownership, and pride of ownership, like 'this is our business.' It's not just, Daddy going off to work and it's his thing."

Bobby's BBQ is in the middle of an SC barbecue hotbed ― with established favorites and acclaimed newcomers. While Tay encourages friendly competition and iron sharpening iron, he warns against having too much pride. At the end of the race, businesses may isolate themselves.

"The close-knit Pitmasters stay together because you're going to run into some problems," he said. "You might run out of cups, you might run out of change. Your wood might mess up, you might need a smoker. It's a give and take because the problems your fellow Pitmaster's restaurant is having, you might have."

Tay also hosts Bobby's BBQ Master Class to give back and teach aspiring Pitmasters. This year's class is from July 21-22.

National recognition: Greenville staple earns spot on Food Network list of Top 4 BBQ restaurants in SC

Here's how Bobby's BBQ began

For many years, Tay, a Fountain Inn native, watched his father, Bobby Louis Nelson Sr., work hard to run various Greenville restaurants. At 12, Tay began working with him. He started out washing dishes, eventually working his way up to managing during lunch hours during his high school summers.

Tay and his brother, Bobby Jr., once promised each other they would never work in the restaurant industry due to the strenuous work, Sarah said.

In a matter of just two years, in 2008 and 2009, both Bobby Sr. and Bobby Jr. died.

One year later, Tay created Bobby's Seasoning to keep their memories alive. The shake blends together spices his father used in his recipes, as well as his own preferred natural ingredients.

"His dad used to make his own custom blends and seasonings for all of his restaurants," Sarah said. "So he [Tay] would try to recreate stuff his dad would make."

Available at local grocery stores, the seasoning has expanded to include three different blends: Bobby's all-purpose seasoning, a citrus blend and a BBQ rub. On top of honoring the family's legacy, the seasonings also contain no additives, preservatives, or MSG. They are also low-sodium and gluten-free.

Later that year, Tay used his seasoning to launch a BBQ catering business, making beef brisket, pulled pork, ribs, turkey, house-made sausage and homemade sides, all, of course, topped off with Bobby's seasoning blends.

In 2014, Tay's interest sparked in Central Texas-style BBQ.

"I want to know why this works, how this works. I'm a learner. I'm curious." Tay said.

Tay continued to feel called back into the BBQ world. His peers noticed his talent, but Tay shrugged it off.

"I was good at it, but I didn't think nothing about it. I was like, 'Oh, this is something to do.'" Tay said. "A lot of people were like 'Man, you've got a real talent. You need to think about pursuing this.'"

In the fall of 2018, Bobby's BBQ opened.

Bobby's BBQ gains local, national recognition

The restaurant is beloved by locals and has been featured in Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the Tamron Hall Show.

The Nelsons are currently working on rolling out their BBQ sauces, a mustard-flavored "OG," and the "Hot OG." The sauces will be available in local grocery stores and online.

Sarah is currently working on a children's book.

"It's a story about my mom who has early onset Alzheimer's, and because baked beans are her recipe, it has a part about her and the baked beans," Sarah said. "At the end of the book, it has the recipe for her baked beans."

Ellie's Baked Beans are on Bobby's BBQ menu.

"It's like going to grandmama's house on Sunday. Like I said, we feed the body and soul," Tay said. "We just love on people. A lot of the people that work here, they have the same DNA, and if not, they get loved on more than they have before and just pass it on."

Nina Tran covers trending topics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Fountain Inn's Bobby's BBQ selected for Preserve the Pit fellowship.