Lexington smokehouse that’s popular with presidential candidates plans to expand

A Lexington barbecue restaurant that’s known as a stopping place for presidential candidates plans to expand both its facilities and menu.

The owners of Hudson’s Smokehouse, who have leased their property since 2004, considered for a year whether to move to a new location. Instead, they bought the current site at 4952 Sunset Blvd., the local name for U.S. 378,

“In the end, it made sense to stay where we were,” co-owner Clint Hudson said.

Hudson’s, located in the middle of one of the state’s most conservative communities, is known as a gathering place for Republicans. Several candidates have stopped there before South Carolina’s presidential primary, including Carly Fiorina and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker before the 2016 primary and U.S. Sen. John McCain before the 2008 primary.

The $1.7 million purchase clears the way for Hudson and brother Clay to fulfill their dreams to grow the business over time.

Plans call for a new restaurant, with the current facility becoming the home of the catering operation now located a few miles south in the Red Bank area. No timetable is set for those changes.

“Our kitchen now is doing all it can handle,” Hudson said.

In addition, the family will test additions to the menu to offer more variety after measuring interest at catering parties and events. Those dishes are yet to be decided, Hudson said. Its catering service promises choices from “down home” to “contemporary uptown glitz.”

But the focus will remain on the barbecue and traditional side dishes for which it is known. The restaurant’s slogan will remain “taste the South in your mouth.”

Many recipes at the restaurant were developed from cookouts with relatives and friends.

Hudson and his brother Clay are taking charge after their father Robin’s death in 2014. “We’re mixing his vision and our ideas,” Clint Hudson said.

Purchasing the site allows the Hudsons “to control their destiny,” said Lexington Mayor Steve MacDougall, general manager of the restaurant.

So far, there are no plans to open additional restaurants despite requests for do so.

His family wants to concentrate on making improvements at its headquarters before considering the idea, Hudson said.

“Completing our vision here is our first goal,” he said.

This story was originally published November 1, 2017 at 11:35 AM.