Snackin' and Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy

Big Ben Kennedy and Brandon kick things off by revisiting the wild, haunted chaos of Brandon's first appearance on Episode 13, then jump into Brandon's upcoming tour with Combat Zone 360, a veteran-focused comedy run hitting American Legions, VFWs, comedy clubs, and more. The mission is simple, get laughs in the rooms where veterans and their families already know how to tell the truth and...

Jessica Veal of Pitch a Friend Charleston stops by Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy for a funny, honest, and wildly relatable chat about modern dating, real-life connections, and why a slide deck might be the new wingman. Pitch a Friend started in Philadelphia in 2022 and has grown fast, with chapters opening in new places and people getting back to face-to-face introductions in...

Bill Walsh from Live 5 News stops by Snackin' & Yakkin' for a fast, funny, and very Charleston chat with BIG Ben Kennedy. This one has Weather talk, News stories, wild local memories, and a few side roads that somehow end up in traffic, socks, crab dip, and old-school TV lore. Bill shares how he got started in broadcasting, how he landed in Charleston, SC, and why he's stuck around...

One year in, episode 56, and I'm still here, still snackin', still yakkin', and still somehow talking my way into a brand-new season of this weird little show I love. This episode is my one-year anniversary, and I'm not gonna lie, I got a little sentimental about it. I'm talking about the new intro, the new hat, the new look, the new season, the whole deal. I also got to hear v...

Mini donuts, black coffee, food truck stories, and a whole lot of nonsense with Dave Magdeburger of Donut Daddy SC. This one has it all. Big Ben sits down with Dave from Donut Daddy, Charleston's mobile catering doughnut service, and the conversation goes exactly where you'd hope it would go, food truck life, the jump from tacos to donuts, the South Carolina Food Truck Coalition, weddings,...

A cross-country van adventure, whale facts, Alaska stories, and oatmeal cream pies. Yeah, this one goes everywhere. On this episode of Snackin' & Yakkin', BIG Ben Kennedy sits down with Vickie Griffin, a fellow medic with a whole lot of stories and one serious road trip behind her. Vickie spent 2025 chasing a new life on the road, building out her tiny van, heading west, and ending up...

Big Ben Kennedy is snackin' & yakkin' with Coach Chef Frank of Dirt Road Grub, and this one gets wild fast. We're talking beef brisket hot dogs from Charlotte, NC based company Gleezy, with a twist, and a whole lot of talk about coaching, teaching, cooking, bourbon, and building something real from the ground up. Coach Chef Frank came through ready to work. He brought the history,...

Devin Dukes and DJ Dukes of the Shrimp City Report stopped by Snackin' & Yakkin' for a long one, and this one goes everywhere in the best way. Charleston podcasting, Best of Charleston 2026, Wikipedia rabbit holes, old encyclopedias, brisket, wrestling, ghosts, the Battery, the RiverDogs, and yes, a whole lot of snackin' and yakkin'.The Shrimp City Report is a Charleston podcas...

Sweet treats, big laughs, and a Charleston bakery that knows how to show up. This week on Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy, Chasity and Nate Brown of Daddy's Girls Bakery drop in with the goods, the stories, and a whole lot of family pride. We talk about how Daddy's Girls Bakery started at home in 2016, how the shop opened during the pandemic, and why a bakery named afte...

Sam Pagano from Low Tide Brewing joins BIG Ben Kennedy for a wild, funny, beer-filled hang on episode 50(!) of Snackin' & Yakkin'. This one has everything, a brewing deep-dive, Charleston heat, food truck talk, ocean paranoia, and a very serious debate about Bruce the shark from Jaws. Sam shares how he got to Low Tide Brewing, what it took to grow into a bigger operation, and why the n...

Pizza, dirty sodas, local music stories, and one seriously good hang. This episode of Snackin' & Yakkin' brings in John Kenney of Johnny's Garage for a conversation that covers way more than lunch. BIG Ben Kennedy sits down with John to talk about the rise of Johnny's Garage in Hanahan, the long run of The Royal American in Charleston, and the kind of neighborhood spots people...

Construction noise in the background, snacks on the table, and absolute chaos in the best way. In this episode of Snackin' & Yakkin', BIG Ben Kennedy hangs with Red for a long, funny, very real conversation about karaoke nights, Charleston comedy, local fame, bad relationships, good storytelling, and the strange honor of being called someone's "ginger." It starts with chi...

Red Bull, gummy bears, Airheads, ice cream sandwiches, and one gloriously derailed conversation. Episode 47 of Snackin' & Yakkin' brings in Charleston comedian Noah Brockett for a funny, weird, and surprisingly honest sit-down with BIG Ben Kennedy. This one starts chaotic and stays that way in the best possible sense. Noah talks about doing comedy as a blind comedian without making bli...

A comedy talk that actually goes somewhere, and two comics swapping stories about stage life, day jobs, Disney, coaching, and why making people laugh still matters. Episode 46 with David Furr is funny, loose, and packed with the kind of conversation that feels like hanging out after a great set. David Furr joins BIG Ben Kennedy for one of the wildest snack choices the show has seen so far, an Outb...

Josh Bates came to Snackin' & Yakkin' and this one goes gloriously off the rails. Comedy clubs, Mountain Dew, oatmeal cream pies, giant laughs, and a real talk moment about mental health in comedy, all in one episode. Josh, comedian and owner of Wit's End Comedy Club and Lounge in North Charleston, hangs with BIG Ben Kennedy for a wild, funny, and weirdly heartfelt conversation abo...

A Charleston chef, a startup founder, a recovery story, and a whole lot of truth. Ben Ellsworth pulls up a chair and gets real about food, addiction, work, and what it costs to build a city people love. This episode of Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy goes way past small talk. Ben Ellsworth shares how he went from working the line and living hard to getting sober, rethinking his...

Matching orange shirts, career-ending jokes on standby, and a bag of Zapp's Voodoo that never stood a chance. In Episode 43 of Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy, Charleston comedian MK Kern pulls up for chips, Baja Blast, roast battle talk, and the kind of comedy shop talk that only happens when the mic's hot and the snacks are loud. Along the way, MK and Ben get into: *...

DI-Why? pulls up with two Lunchables, pink coconut water, and a whole philosophy on making art without waiting for permission. Episode 42 gets weird in the best way. Big Ben Kennedy and DI-Why? talk Charleston music, Julian Smith's one-take magic, why "DI-Why?" is more than a name, and how building something yourself feels equal parts thrilling and terrifying (especially when you sig...

Coffee, laughs, and a pink toilet quest for a Barbie bathroom. Candace Patterson from City Lights Eastside pulls up with house drinks, flavorful sandwiches, and South African flavors that hit the spot. This episode gets into the real story behind City Lights Eastside, the 1889 building, the two-year permit marathon, and the DIY buildout that somehow ended with all fingers intact. Then the snacks s...

Apples, the first return guest, is back for a chaotic hang with BIG Ben Kennedy. Pants get mentioned, demons of demonetization get summoned, and the snack table turns into a science lab. Combos meet Yoo-hoo, coconut cocorolls get promoted to straw status, and somehow the conversation swerves into comedy life, friendship separation, movie theater snack smuggling, and the eternal battle of salty plu...

Keeli and DJ Wild Bill (aka the adorable chaos duo behind Outlaw Entertainment) pull up to Snackin' & Yakkin' with BIG Ben Kennedy for Hobnobs, energy drinks, apple soda, and a nonstop stream of pop culture callbacks. Along the way, Wild Bill breaks down the real story behind his DJ name, Keeli talks influencer life and product reviews, and Ben tries to keep the episode on the rails (s...

Courtney Lee Ann from Frothy Beard Off World pulls up with craft beer, big energy, and the kind of honesty that pairs well with salty snacks. We crack open a lineup that includes Sip Sip Pass, Critical Hit, Out at Third, and the fan-favorite seasonal Sour Cran (cranberry sour that drinks way too easy). Add Chex Mix, a surprisingly good sparkling apple mango drink, some real talk about trivia night...

Frankie Ferreira of Frankie Ramen pulled up with a spicy miso bowl that had us fully lost in the broth: a 12-hour pork tonkotsu base, a three-miso blend, braised pork shoulder, and a soy-soaked soft-boiled egg that might ruin regular eggs forever. This one’s a laid-back hang with real food talk (Tokyo ramen training, pop-up life in Charleston, late-night service stories), plus the kind of meal tha...

Old-school comedy talk, road stories, and a snack table that’s doing the most. Jimmy Kimrey joins Big Ben Kennedy for Smartfood white cheddar popcorn, Red Bull debates, and real talk about working clubs before social media ran the booking calendar. Jimmy breaks down life on tour with Shelley Belly, why he keeps his material for the stage, how recovery and comedy can share the same lane, and the et...

A charcuterie board so packed it needs to loosen it's belt. Keith Lovas from Graze Craze Mount Pleasant pulls up with a full-on grazing board, fresh dips, and the kind of “perfect bite” combos that make you forget you ever ate sad crackers alone. Big Ben Kennedy and Keith snack and yak about how a former high-rise builder ended up building charcuterie boards instead, why everything’s made fresh, t...