They Don’t Monkey Around at Harold’s Country Club

With all the monkey business happening lately in Yemassee (sorry, we couldn’t resist), we thought it was the perfect time to write a love letter to Harold’s Country Club, where history, atmosphere, friendly people from all walks of life, and great food provide a legendary Lowcountry dining destination.

Situated just off U.S. Highway 17 South on the outskirts of Yemassee, Harold’s Country Club is the type of place you could only find in the Lowcountry. Originally a Chevy dealership and then a garage and gas station run by Harold Peeples, this kitschy restaurant now serves up some of the best Lowcountry vibe, hospitality, and food of anywhere we know.

A Little Harold’s History

According to Joyce Bunton, Harold’s daughter and Harold’s Country Club co-owner with her brother, Red, today’s Harold’s has quite a unique history. She recently shared some of it with us:

Harold’s Country Club has always been a gathering place for the community.

Built in the 1930s as the aforementioned Chevy dealership and purchased by Harold Peeples in 1973, it become an old-fashioned garage and gas station.

In the 1970s, friends and neighbors began gathering for covered dish suppers. Eventually the group started cooking and eating in the garage to avoid unfavorable weather and insects. As the potluck gained popularity and others wanted to join the group, Harold initially started doing all the cooking, charging a small amount to cover expenses. Later additions were Friday wings and Saturday steaks. Although his wife, Mary, handled most of the cooking, Harold was happy to take the credit.

Often, the cars had to be moved out of the garage to set up tables and chairs. The former garage now has a “stage” seating area because Harold opted to build over the “grease rack” (car lift) instead of removing it. Because the garage gradually became a bar and restaurant, the radiator hoses and fan belts still hung from the walls.

However, a major fire on May 9, 1999, changed that. The entire bar area was destroyed. Although under-insured, Harold was determined to rebuild. Friends and family helped rebuild, as well as contributing various items to help restore the unique décor.

A room for extra seating and private parties had just been completed at the back of the garage. This became the bar, and Harold’s was up and running within a week. It was two weeks before meals could be prepared. After missing the first Thursday potluck, Harold was contacted by several customers who asked that they be allowed to bring covered dishes so everyone could share a meal.

Harold was a lifetime avid player, coach, umpire, and supporter of baseball and

softball. When the local school ball field was no longer available to the local softball team, a group, led by Harold, formed Yemassee Athletic Association, bought land and built a ball field across the road from his business. The ballfield was later donated to the Town of Yemassee. On June 4, 2011, it was named “The Harold Peeples’ Athletic Park” in his honor.

At that time, the business was called Peeples Texaco Service Station. After the games, the announcer, Charles Jackson, started saying, “Now, let’s all go over to Harold’s Country Club for a cool one.” Soon people started calling the business Harold’s Country Club.

Harold passed away in 2003 at the age of 78, and Mary passed away in 2022 at the age of 95. Harold’s Country Club continues to be a family- run business. Their children, Harold Peeples, Jr. (Red) and Joyce Bunton are now the owners and are very involved with the business, as well as grandson, Bobby Bunton, who says that his Pappy taught him how to cook steaks.

Their nephew, Ronald Murdaugh, has been with Harold’s since it opened and has

been responsible for the great food all these years. Estelle Parker, a long-time employee, is the general manager. Mary’s sister, Loraine Ferguson and her daughter, Fran Zimmerman also help with the business. Other family members pitch in when needed.

A Lot of Food (and Drink)

The traditional Thursday “Potluck” nights have a different feature entrée each week (check their great website for the schedule). The possibilities include: fried pork chops (highly recommended!); fried chicken and fried livers and gizzards; shrimp gravy and baked chicken; barbeque pork and hash; chicken and dumplings; fried fish; red rice and sausage; baked ham; plus other possibilities throughout the year.

The bountiful food is served up buffet-style, including typical sides (depending on the featured entrée), like: macaroni and cheese; rice and gravy; hash (a family recipe); chicken and rice perlo; okra and tomatoes; pickled beets; potato salad; corn on the cob; green beans; other varied vegetables (think collards, butter beans, and much more); coleslaw, and more, along with biscuits, sweet tea, and varied desserts.

They even serve deep-fried turkey with rice, gravy, cornbread dressing, peas, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce the week before Thanksgiving every year. You can also order a fried turkey to be picked up Thanksgiving morning. We plan to take advantage of both offerings next year.

In the late-1980s, Harold and Mary decided to expand to Friday and Saturday nights as well. They added Friday’s famed “Wings and Things” night, where they serve up seven different wing flavors, fried chicken strips, fried shrimp and fish, burgers, steak sliders, and more.

Typical Friday night sides include French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, cheese ‘stix,’ fried pickles, and fried mushrooms.

Saturday night’s “Steaks” night features two seatings at 6:30pm and 8:00pm. Reservations are a must and you simply call and order your steak temperature—rare, medium rare, well, or whatever your preference may be. When you arrive, a buffet of large charcoal-grilled boneless ribeyes is waiting, along with baked potatoes, sautéed onions, tossed salad, yeast rolls, and dessert.

Plus, you can stick around on either Friday and Saturday night once dinner has

been cleared for karaoke, a DJ, a band, or other musical entertainment. You might even spot one of many celebrity guests, who have included movie producer Joel Silver, Martha Stewart, Mel Gibson, and Tom Berenger.

Harold’s also sports a bar serving up ice-cold beer in long-necks or cans and wine by the glass or bottle, as well as wine coolers and ales. Harold’s veterans in-the-know also know they can bring their own bottle and say cheers to the five-buck corkage fee.

We highly recommend Harold’s Country Club as a great gathering spot for groups during the Holidays and throughout the year (we recently met varied friends for fried pork chops). We also recommend designated drivers returning to spots near and far—just watch out for those monkeys!

 

 

Harold’s Country Club

97 US Highway 17-A  (97 Low Country Highway)

Yemassee, SC 29945

(843) 589-4360

www.haroldscountryclub.com

Hours

Harold’s opens at 4:00pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and they will also open at any time for private parties

Thursdays: “Potluck” Buffet 5:30pm-8:30pm

Fridays: Wings and Things 5:00pm-9:00pm

Saturdays: Steaks 6:30pm or 8:00pm (call for reservations)

Beaufort-based travel journalists Lynn and Cele Seldon (www.seldonink.com) often cover culinary travel around the world and Lowcountry Weekly lured them to write a monthly feature covering the local food scene. This includes articles about restaurants, chefs, food-focused stores, farms, farmers, farmers markets, and more. They welcome suggestions for topics, as well as recommendations for their upcoming book, 100 Things to Do in the South Carolina Lowcountry Before You Die.