Christine Cummings

The Smokehouse at Paris Avenue
Relationships Are Always on the Menu

story by HEATHER STEINBERGER        photos by RICHARD STEINBERGER

The Smokehouse at Paris Avenue isn’t a fancy place. Customers step up to the counter to order barbecue, seafood and Southern favorites, then find a seat and settle in. Steaming plates arrive from the kitchen, the hum of conversation ebbs and flows, and owner Christine Cummings greets customers with a warm smile.

“We have two regulars who come every Friday evening, sit in the same spot and order the same thing,” she says, smiling. “We’re a mom-and-pop shop, all day long.”

For Christine, those relationships are the heart of The Smokehouse, a family-run restaurant she has owned since 2020. They also are part of what she loves most about Port Royal, a village that has retained its strong sense of community even as Beaufort County continues to grow and change.

Christine knows the area well. Born and raised in Beaufort, she graduated from Battery Creek High School in 1998 and attended the University of South Carolina Aiken before transferring to South Carolina State University in Orangeburg.

“I studied business management for about three years, but then I decided to take a break,” she says. “I came home to Beaufort, then I moved to Texas to live with my brother.”

Jason Cummings, a trained chef who attended culinary school at Johnson & Wales University, was working in San Antonio. Christine says their time together introduced her to the idea of cooking as a vocation.

“It was just the two of us, so I started tagging along to the restaurants where he worked,” she says, acknowledging that she never thought she would end up owning a restaurant herself.

The siblings returned home to South Carolina, and in 2016, Jason took over Smokin’ Planks, a popular barbecue joint in Port Royal. He renamed it The Smokehouse at Paris Avenue, and for the better part of four years, business was good.

“Then his wife got sick,” Christine remembers. “I’d been helping him out, and when he needed to step back, I took over. He’d invested so much. I didn’t want to see it fail.”

Her first day in charge happened to be the same day businesses across South Carolina shut down. It was March 2020, and the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life almost overnight.

“That was crazy,” she says. “But people in this neighborhood, they knew my brother. They kept coming in and buying gift certificates.”

The Port Royal Community Beer Garden helped as well. Located on an undeveloped tract of land near Sands Beach, this outdoor gathering space allowed people to buy their drinks, sit at picnic tables and enjoy food from local restaurants while visiting with friends and listening to live music. It ran successfully for approximately two and a half years.

“They really rally around businesses here,” Christine says of area residents. “They kept us going, although there were several times I thought we weren’t going to make it. I remember cooking ribs just to put the smell out in the neighborhood!”

She describes The Smokehouse’s path forward as one full of blood, sweat and tears, with no option but to tackle each new problem as it came.

“I had to take it one day at a time,” she says. “I created new systems, with a big focus on prep work, so we’d have everything we needed at the beginning of each week. And I had to make sure the quality was always good.”

As the pandemic receded, customers returned to the restaurant in full force. People were eager to gather around the tables again, and before long, The Smokehouse was busier than ever.

Making sure her customers can continue to enjoy their favorite dishes is important to Christine. Over the last six years, she has made a few changes to the menu while staying true to its barbecue and soul-food roots.

Pulled pork and ribs remain highlights, but she has added wings, salads, specialty burgers and a few of her own specials. The menu also includes shrimp, oysters and fish, along with traditional sides such as fried okra, collard greens and red rice.

“It’s hard to say what’s most popular, because people order it all,” she says. “I can’t switch anything out!”

The Smokehouse is part of the South Carolina BBQ Trail, a tourism map that identifies barbecue restaurants across the state and helps introduce visitors to local establishments they might otherwise miss. Christine estimates her customer base is roughly half local and half visitors, including tourists and cruise ship passengers.

No matter where they come from, she wants them to feel welcome. She says she learned at a young age that good customer service is essential, and she works hard to instill that same understanding in her employees.

“When I was growing up, you had to have good customer service,” she says. “I educate our staff about that, and about having a strong work ethic. We have a good team.”

She also has plenty of family support. Her mother handles the paperwork, and her 16-year-old son helps wash dishes.
“There are always family dynamics, but we’ve bonded over it,” Christine says with a laugh. “My mom saved my butt, because she’s a stickler for details. I get that from her.”

Jason is still in Beaufort as well, and his culinary expertise comes in handy for The Smokehouse’s catering operation. Christine says they can prepare the meats, seafood and other dishes customers know from the restaurant, but catering orders aren’t limited to the regular menu.

“We want people to share their ideas,” she says. “My brother is a chef. He can do anything!”

One of Christine’s favorite catering relationships is with Backroads, an active travel company that offers guided biking, walking and multi-adventure vacations. Its regional itineraries bring travelers through coastal South Carolina, and Christine has catered special events that combine meals with live music.

“I’ve met so many people that way, which I really enjoy,” she says. “It’s a positive relationship.”

Meeting and connecting with people are among the best parts of a demanding job. The Smokehouse is open Wednesday through Saturday, but Christine says she is on site every day except Sunday, often putting in 12-hour days. When she does have time away, she prefers to keep life simple.

“When I’m not here, I like hanging out with my son,” she says. “I’ll go to a movie, chill at the Sands or just rest.”

Like restaurant owners everywhere, Christine is grappling with rising food costs and has had to raise some menu prices. At the same time, she is conscious of the customers who have supported The Smokehouse over the years.

“Costs are still going up, but relationships matter,” she says. “I’ve had to raise my prices a little, but I’m also willing to take some losses. I just can’t pass all of that along to my customers.”

Christine hasn’t forgotten how vital those relationships were when she took over The Smokehouse in 2020. They remain just as important today, whether she’s working alongside family, building her team or greeting familiar faces.

She says that sense of connection extends far beyond the restaurant’s walls, and it’s something she didn’t fully appreciate when she was growing up. She had to move away and then return to see this little corner of the Lowcountry with fresh eyes.

“The festivals, the street dances — there’s so much going on here, and there’s such a supportive, tight community,” she says. “Port Royal has a life of its own.”

For more information, visit thesmokehouseatparisavenue.com.