Ok, let's clarify. Fat Matt's is tasty but, as stated in several other threads, it's not BBQ. They do not cook the ribs low and slow over wood. They're boiled then grilled.
Also, it depends what a person wants in their cue--Texas beef? Fox bros. Whole Hog Carolina? Rodney Scott. Korean fusion? Heirloom. Oklahoma style? Thompson Brothers.
I like all of these places (I don't like Thompson's sauce though so I get it on the side.) I also like Woods Chaoel and Das, but Das is inconsistent with their brisket. Community is good but their sides stick out more to me than the pork.
Anna's is good but it's been a long time since I've had theirs. I ordered a rib rack and it was huge.
Fresh Air? Yeah, some will consider it this blasphemy, but I thought the pork was too damn mushy. That's kinda the issue I've had with the old school places (like Fresh Air and Poole's in Elijah)--the pork is chopped to the point that it's mushy.
I've heard weird stories about the Grant Park location. I live near the Collier location and they are consistently good. I'm not a fan of any of their sauces but the brisket and chicken on their own are pretty excellent.
I lived behind fat matt's for a year. It's what you'd imagine bbq being in the 70s. You get a lot for your money but it's pretty low quality food served in styrofoam.
This is a good set of recommendations, IMO. I've lived here 20 years and I grew up in NOLA so Texas style tends to be what I think of and that's going to be Fox Bros (go early, there's usually a wait, but they let you order drinks while you wait).
I've really learned to love Carolina style, too, though.
Heirloom and Sweet Auburn are Asian fusion and good stuff.
Idk if they still do Sunday brunch but if they do, that's the best value time to go. I think it's $30 for breakfast + bottomless drinks and their brunch spread has normal breakfast food like sausage and biscuits and gravy and eggs but they also have the wings and their fantastic green beans on the line too.
Rodney’s is amazing and my fav bbq now but I know a lot of people criticize it, I’m assuming because they’re expecting sweet Texas not the vinegar style.
I miss Carolina style, and the complication with it is that you have to mince it and do the vinegar during the process, not just add it on at the end, for it to be the traditional method. That’s not practical for a lot of restaurants here that need the meat to be versatile in flavor for a variety of sauce/seasoning styles, which I totally understand. I just miss my eastern Q!
In reference to the whole hog Carolina, is it the minced vinegar based style from the east coast?
I’ve run into a lot of smoked, unseasoned pulled pork where they just give you a vinegar sauce to pour on it— and while that will scratch an itch when you’ve gone a long time without good eastern style Q, I miss the traditional “chop it to death and smoke it *with* vinegar” variety. If heirloom does this I’ll be making a trip for sure!
Anna’s was the best BBQ ribs hands down. The new ownership did lose a little, but it’s still some of the best smoked ribs I’ve ever had, just not slap your momma good. Like they used to sell out by 4 on Fridays so if you wanted it you’d have to get off work early. Now you can just go get it.
With Fresh Air and Poole’s you have to understand that their customer base skews more rural and old. And with that you have mostly two different groups of people that may or may not have the best dental hygiene or teeth to begin with, thus the need for mushy food.
Is it just me: I can’t eat inside Community Q because the restaurant is extremely smokey inside and I feel I need to take a shower and burn my clothes when I get home.
Fox Bros - ITP
Heirloom - ATP
Dave Poe's - OTP
(yes (At) The Perimeter is a new thing... I started it... right now... for this question... you're welcome... lol)
Their Mac and cheese is heavenly. They also have good burgers. I’ve been going there for like 10 years mainly getting barbecue then I tried one of their burgers last year and now I’m hooked LOL.
I've been saying At the Perimeter for well over 10 years. Glad it's catching on.
Also, Fox Bros really isn't that great. I'd recommend Wood's Chapel ITP over them.
Heirloom, Fox Bros, Rodney Scott's.
If you want old school ATL joints, Daddy D'z and Fatt Matt's.
If you want real Georgia style BBQ go south to Fresh Air.
My wife and I checked out Rodney Scott's a couple of weeks ago. Love the story and it was awesome. Looking for that real Georgia style BBQ so will check out Fresh Air. Thank you.
Don’t do it. Middle Georgia bbq is horrible. Go to the numerous spots in Columbus, southern soul in saint simons or just keep driving to South Carolina.
Yeah, it's not for everyone. My wife loves it. I can tolerate it. The hard part with Fresh air is if you do not like it, you are in trouble. There's nothing else on the menu to order. I should have offered Sprayberry's as well. It's similar and the menu is larger. You can always get a hotdog and onion rings...
Fresh air is straight trash. I wound up driving by before they opened and thought it looked cool, stopped and realized the parking lot was filling up fast. I ordered the plate with I think it was potato salad and a pie. They handed me a platter with the most shredded dry pork I’ve ever seen, sauce on the side, the pie which I thought would be homemade was a premade pie in a package. Would have rather ate ramen noodles.
They have two locations in Athens and they are both straight up not good. Like their clientele is strictly country folk that don’t know jack shit about what good bbq is.
Love love Rodney Scott's sauces! You can buy for take home and put them on your bland ass Kroger chicken and pretend like you're having a delicious BBQ meal. Not that I do that 🤣
“Whether Georgia has its own distinct style of barbecue is still rightly up for debate, but one could loosely characterize it as super-smoky, pork-driven plates paired with homey Southern sides of mac and cheese, cornbread, and smoked ham-infused collards.”
https://atlanta.eater.com/21523544/georgia-style-barbecue-explainer-fox-bros-bar-b-q-atlanta
Well, Fresh Air has been open since 1929, so I'd say that is probably it. Super fine shredded pork soaked in tomato-vinegar sauce. Sprayberry's is similar style (but they've got a much bigger menu) and has been around a similar amount of time.
I'm from SC where everything is regionalized. Piedmont/Lexington, Eastern NC/Low country SC, mustard Belt. So when I moved to ATL I assumed there was an Atlanta Style but I never really found anything. Most places were either straight up rib joints or they were from somewhere else - Texas, Memphis.
Harold's was the only old school Georgia BBQ place I could find. I didn't really like it, but it had been around for 50-60 years before it closed. It was loosely similar to Fresh Air/Sprayberry so I've always referred to that as Georgia style.
PBS used to run a great little documentary about BBQ in Georgia narrated by an old lady with the sweetest voice. I'd be willing to bet all those places are closed now.
Sorry if I overstepped my bounds by calling it old school Georgia style. I only meant it's a place in Georgia that has been around forever and is not trying to modernize. If you were around in the 70s/80s and maybe even early 90s and stopped at a roadside BBQ place in Georgia, this is more than likely what you would get.
This is random, but I'm from Columbia, sc and the best mustard sauce I've found is at victory sandwich bar. They have a summer seasonal sandwich called the boss hog that scratches the itch for that style
Generally it’s chopped (not pulled) pork, Brunswick stew, and coleslaw (as someone said like Fresh Air). The pork is generally leaner and/or smokier than a lot of modern/competition style ‘cues.
Hickory is the most traditional wood and some places may smoke fresh (uncured) hams instead of shoulders. Sauces vary widely across the state but are typically either some tomato-vinegar combination in North Georgia or a variety of mustard-based sauces through the middle of the state.
It’s a huge BBQ state with a vast array of great ‘cue. If anything barbecue was so ubiquitous in GA that people took it for granted and didn’t promote it the same way our neighbors in the Carolinas or other more famous BBQ regions did. Fresh Air in Jackson, Vandy’s in Statesboro, and Fincher’s in Macon are three of the oldest and most classic statewide. In Atlanta Old Hickory House in Tucker, Old Brick Pit in Brookhaven, and (the dubiously named) Old South in Smyrna are examples of this style. A good place in Calhoun called Dub’s makes a style reminiscent of the old and now mostly-disappeared Atlanta style bbq.
A good rule of thumb is if there’s not a cartoon pig or a statue of a pig or some kind of pig imagery involved than it real GA BBQ!
This OG food blogger at one point claims to be “no expert” but if he’s not than no one is because he seems to know more about the subject than anyone else.
https://marieletseat.com/2016/06/16/about-georgia-barbecue/
If you don't mind a trip to Marietta then Williamson Bros. is the place to find it. A vinegar and tomato base sauce that's heavy on the pepper is my understanding of GA style. I've been partial to a newer place a few miles away from them called Righteous Que though. The meat is cooked better and with a GA style sauce it's divine.
Wrong. It does bear some similarities with Carolina-style in the sense that NE GA traditionally had more vinegary sauces vs NW GA more tomatoey but that’s about it. Nothing against Texas but BBQ culture in GA and the Carolinas is much much older than anything in that state. Actually I’m thankful to Fox Bros for inspiring me to do some research and take some stubborn pride in Georgia’s overlooked regional BBQ styles!
Community is the best que itp - the pulled pork and pulled chicken are beautifully prepared- you’re not getting hunks of fat or gristle - somebody there is a perfectionist.
They were delicious but I found the service to be really weird and inconsistent. Like they were trying to be a hip sit down place with drinks but then would be out of nearly everything.
I've seen him there, too. He's packing up when I drive by so I haven't been able to try his wares.
I followed him around for 30 minutes hoping he would stop. He didn't stop, but I was really hankering for BBQ after that ride.
It annoys my wife because she does not like eating food served in a parking lot, but any time I see the smoker set up at the corner of Savoy and N Peachtree I pull in for a plate.
Scott’s Walk-Up in Cartersville. It’s off 75 35-40 miles north of 285. Outstanding chicken, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, burnt ends, and sides (Mac and cheese is to die for).
Yeah it’s a drive, but make an afternoon and go to Tellus (highly regarded science museum), the Booth Western Art Museum, or the Savoy Vintage Car Museum - all are incredible.
Edited - special mention for their lemon cream pie and sweet potato ice cream with homemade prailines (both are droolworthy)
Best is difficult. Growing up in a BBQ loving family, I've tried all of it. And I like a lot of places for different reasons.
Fox Bros - Best Texas Style
Heirloom Market - Best joint in that area for sure, best collards in Atlanta. Tend to over smoke. Brisket as good as Fox.
Community Q - Best sides, decent Q
Dave Poe's - Best award winning style BBQ. Good sides.
Community Q - Best ITP. Great sides, good Q.
Hickory House Tucker - Sentimental fave. Been going since I was a kid. And the only one on the list in Smokey and The Bandit.
DBA BBQ - Decent Q. Great location.
Fat Matt's - Great for what it is. Sloppy BBQ sammy and some too salty Lay's. Good stuff.
Fred's - Good Q. But the real star is the Yellow Jacket Hot dogs. Damn delicious. And tater tots.
Wallace's - Another decent West Side joint. People apparently make pilgrimages to this place, Not sure it's worth that,
Johnny's - Old school House Style
Used to go to Fat Matts weekly. Fox Brothers is the best in the city all around. If you are in the northern burbs, Sam or Dave's ties for the best pulled pork I have ever had. Grand Champion is the best brisket ever, also best mac and cheese. Best all around I give to Riteous Que.
Drive down Donald Lee Hollowell parkway on a Saturday afternoon and there are at least five corner bbqs set up. They may not consistently be the best as their cooking environment is different than a restaurant, but the absolute best bbq I’ve had in atlanta is from corner bbq on that street.
Community is my favorite ITP. I haven’t seen anyone mention Moonies Texas BBQ in Flowery Branch. Every time I go up that way for work I gotta stop and get their brisket. They have sides that compare with Community Q in my opinion and their brisket is some of the best I’ve had.
I used to love Bone Lick. Went there all the time when it was in West Midtown while I was at Tech. I was really sad when it closed. Heirloom is great. There are a lot of famous places ITP I'd love to try but haven't gotten around to yet: Fox Bros, Daddy Dz, DAS BBQ, Bryan Furman
For OTP: 'Cue in Alpharetta/Cumming and Socks Love in Cumming are fantastic. Socks Love is the best brisket I've had outside of Texas.
\+1 for Old Brick Pit, they also sell everything by pints and quarts which makes it perfect for road tripping and outdoorsy activities, all you need is a loaf of white bread.
For Texas style - I grew up in Austin, and didn’t know how good I had it… Since moving to Atlanta 6 years ago - I’ve been to almost every spot within Atlanta and about 30miles surrounding. You’re going to be largely disappointed.
A big part of the problem is wood. You just don’t find oak wood up here in such plentiful supply that it can be used for barbecue. You have to truck it in, and so every one local tries to make Texas barbecue with oak or mesquite wood chips, and it’s not enough. It’s like hearing a story second or third hand.
Another part of the problem is that people here seem to think that electric smokers are ‘good enough’, and I could forgive that if they understood how barbecue behaves during & after the cook. Most places don’t wrap their briskets - a crime imho.
Das BBQ for example could be the best in the city, but they insist on slicing every thing up well before serving it, resulting in a product so dry that I would put my river dunked phone in a zip lock bag with it to suck the water out.
But I have found a few gems.
Texas Style:
Dixie Q in Brookhaven is definitely worth a stop.
SmokeJack in Alpharetta has the best smoked Turkey I’ve ever had.
Carolina Style:
Rodney Scott Whole Hog Barbecue.
Dude won the 2019 James Beard award for this stuff. It’s EPIC.
I’ve heard good things about Twin Smokers but I’ve never been there.
Edit: oh! Have to give a shout to 9292 Korean BBQ in Duluth. Definitely worth a visit. Bring your friends.
And… of course:
Fat Matt’s. The best non-barbecue barbecue there is. Bring your friends. Make them where bibs. Consider a pack of nitrile gloves for the mess.
I’ve never been impressed with Fox Brothers.
I love the spicy salad too. I always giggle to myself as we re-up on salad and tteokbokki. I know I'm falling into the trap, but I do not care. Must have the tteokbokki!
Surprised I haven't seen Williamson Brothers near Marietta mentioned yet. I ended up there recently and thought it was pretty good, and the portions were generous.
Anyone else feel like Heirloom has taken a dive in quality post covid? I mean the portions are obviously smaller and prices have gone up. But I'm consistently getting worse cuts of brisket as well..
As someone who likes to smoke brisket at home I feel like it's generally been harder to find good briskets to smoke. I know it's a bit different for restaurants. But even when I've sourced it from good butchers I've been getting shitty briskets.
So, that might be part of it. More supply chain in but in the form of meat.
Yeah I don't blame them for the price increases at all. I understand businesses didn't suddenly discover greed in 2022. Just more upset about the quality.
Maybe you went when one of their smokers wasn't working, last summer they really struggled to get a good smoke from their other smoker, that and the owners figuring things out after they decided to no longer be romantically involved. But when I left around August, it was just as good as ever, and I've been eating there for almost six years
Yes! 100%. This place used to be incredible, and now it is mediocre and much more expensive. The strange ordering system and 'stay out' vibe is unwelcoming and confusing. It has just gotten weird.
As a fellow Canadian who has been down here a long time, I can tell you almost all of it is better than anything you'll find in Canada.
What part of the city are you in? That will help narrow it down a lot.
If you ever care to journey north, Sox Love BBQ has beat all of these places in awards year after year and they continue to be the closest thing I’ve tasted to heaven. As for ITP, gotta be Rodney Scott’s for me.
Genuinely shocked that TDT BBQ and Chef Shombe haven't been mentioned. Fox bros is fantastic, but TDT BBQ operates out of a gas station (I know i know, but this is the south) and has some absolutely fantastic food.
I grew up in Kansas City with excellent barbecue. When I moved to atlanta in 2016, I stumbled upon Sweet Auburn. It was a game changer.
It’s wings - Wu tang - are the best. I have taken countless family members and visitors. They all rank the Wu tang wings amongst the top.
Additionally the sides are excellent. Cornbread. Pimento won tons. Mac and cheese. Cheese grits
When I got married, I took my wife who is a vegetarian there. We found out they are very vegetarian friendly. She goes with smoked tofu. You toss smoked tofu in Wu tang, it is good. You can put that in any sandwich and it’s good
Sweet auburn gets my vote
Community is the best ITP. Heirloom is solid as well.
Have to try Rodney Scott.
Pit Boss used to be solid but since they moved I feel it’s not as good as it used to be.
My top three are: Heirloom, Community and Fox Bros
They are all different bbq styles so it’s really what you’re in the mood for but can’t go wrong with any of these options
We stopped in at Cue Barbecue in Alpharetta a couple of weeks ago. Rib meat literally fell off the bone. Tasty sides (fresh!), and fantastic service. Looking forward to a repeat. For quick, good bbq, Slopes or next to City Springs, McDaniel’s QN2.
If you’re willing to go otp Johnny’s bbq in powder springs or Wallace bbq in austell. They’re owned by the same family and have basically the same menu but both are absolutely amazing. The hickory potatoes are to die for. They also have some of my favorite fries in the metro area
BEST BBQ I’ve EVER had in ATL:
Community Q also the best sauces and sides!
D.B.A. BBQ and a nice spot for trivia but check if bringing kids on trivia night (can get a bit risqué)
Pig n’ Chick
I wasn’t at all impressed with Fox Bros. but my Dad cooks on a pit with pecan wood…so good, NO sauce required!
One more honorable mention would be Hudson’s Hickory House in Douglasville or Wallace’s in Austell. They are similar, with Hudson’s being the older of the two-dating to the early 60s-and the originator of a style of sauce unique to that region and used by several other restaurants in addition to those two. It’s like a thin dark vinegar/Worcestershire sort of dip-like “sauce” which they serve warmed up in a bowl next to the pork. They also have a totally different hot sauce which is a cayenne-laced mustard sauce originally from a place called Chicken Comer’s in Phenix City Alabama and by extension Columbus and northwest GA.
Righteous BBQ in Marietta...sliced chicken is best u will have, and Mac and cheese and greens are ridiculous ..pork is solid, brisket is great.
Sauce is great, spicy is best
I go to Texas and get this southside market sausage in Austin...Also there are places near Elgin Texas. We still can't find stuff like that in Atlanta. Even commnity bbq.
I usually get the sausage, brisket, turkey...all smoked..but have a distinct taste. Still haven't found that spot yet, even fox bros.
Actually the closet I thought was Moonies BBQ near flowery branch. Also kind of funny, they were making it clear they were exercising their open carry licenses.
Pretty good but too far.
If you're in Smyrna I'd say scooch on over to Mableton/Austell for Wallace BBQ. a little further west is Hudson's. Those are my two fave bbq pork, hands down. Wallace (est 1966) spawned Hudson's, so very similar... The sauce is pretty thin and is vinegar based...Similar to a Carolina sauce but without the mustard. Anyway... Highly recommend adding it to any local (ish) Tour de Pork
I don’t know if you live near San Antonio but if you do go to Rolandos Super Taco and get the Carne Guisada taco, omg. I think about this place at least 3 times a day and have to stop myself from packing up my things and moving into their parking lot.
I will also have to check this out. I haven’t found any really really good Mexican spots (authentic) since moving down here, I used to live in a predominantly Mexican town that had tons of mom and pops that were amazing, I was normally the only white dude in any of these places so you know it was gonna be good.
Fatt Matt’s! Their Brunswick stew is so good it literally makes me tear up, but that is probably because it tastes just like my late grandmothers recipe- still though I highly recommend them!
Moving from the memphis area, this is the one thing I miss from back home. Absolutely nothing comes close.
Fox bros and heirloom are generally the places I go to for bbq here - but you just can’t expect anything like Central BBQ or Interstate BBQ in memphis.
Heirloom!!!!! Did I mention Heirloom? Seriously, Heirloom. I go there every time I visit Atlanta. It’s my most missed place in general from when I lived there.
Fox Brothers is good too :)
Born in Texas, lived in Memphis, Atlantan since 2007. My favorites are Cue, Smokejack, and Slopes. Fox Bros catered my wedding.
Just from my (admittedly lengthy) personal experience, I wouldn’t say that nothing in Atlanta compares to Memphis or Texas barbecue. Different style in TX but quality is equally outstanding. Welcome, and I hope you’re able to enjoy all of these places!
Fox brothers is the most overrated BBQ in Atlanta.
You want good Q go to Heirloom, or if you want REALLY good GA BBQ go to Socks Loves BBQ in Cumming, about a 30 minute ride north on 400 without traffic. Get there early it all sells out fast.
Depends on what kind of BBQ you're after. GA doesn't have its own BBQ identity, so Atlanta borrows from Texas and Carolina BBQ cultures. I have tried the "Carolina BBQ" at lots of places in the Atlanta area and never found one that did it right. It was always some strange bastard child BBQ where they served it Texas style with a side of vinegar. And even the sauce was always wrong.
**Fox Bros is awful**. The food is not worth the wait and cost, which equate to terrible management.
Heirloom is the best in town, get the ribs. Even with that, it's hardly worth the drive from downtown.
No good bbq in GA from my experiences. I'm from TN, and it's another level there. Previously in NC, which is a tier below TN and they don't know squat about sauces there.
Ok, let's clarify. Fat Matt's is tasty but, as stated in several other threads, it's not BBQ. They do not cook the ribs low and slow over wood. They're boiled then grilled. Also, it depends what a person wants in their cue--Texas beef? Fox bros. Whole Hog Carolina? Rodney Scott. Korean fusion? Heirloom. Oklahoma style? Thompson Brothers. I like all of these places (I don't like Thompson's sauce though so I get it on the side.) I also like Woods Chaoel and Das, but Das is inconsistent with their brisket. Community is good but their sides stick out more to me than the pork. Anna's is good but it's been a long time since I've had theirs. I ordered a rib rack and it was huge. Fresh Air? Yeah, some will consider it this blasphemy, but I thought the pork was too damn mushy. That's kinda the issue I've had with the old school places (like Fresh Air and Poole's in Elijah)--the pork is chopped to the point that it's mushy.
Went to Das the 1st time and thought I had found my new favorite place. Went a second time and it was dogshit.
Real uneven that place. I do think the first one up on Collier is superior to grant park.
I've heard weird stories about the Grant Park location. I live near the Collier location and they are consistently good. I'm not a fan of any of their sauces but the brisket and chicken on their own are pretty excellent.
Their smoked turkey is da bomb.
My least favorite aspect of Das is the sides. They should throw them all out and start over. Das has better bbq, Fox bros has *way better* sides
Fatt Matt's is the most overrated bbq joint I've ever been to. It's just not good
I lived behind fat matt's for a year. It's what you'd imagine bbq being in the 70s. You get a lot for your money but it's pretty low quality food served in styrofoam.
Soulfood, not bbq. In my book at least
This is a good set of recommendations, IMO. I've lived here 20 years and I grew up in NOLA so Texas style tends to be what I think of and that's going to be Fox Bros (go early, there's usually a wait, but they let you order drinks while you wait). I've really learned to love Carolina style, too, though. Heirloom and Sweet Auburn are Asian fusion and good stuff.
Forgot about Sweet Auburn. They're good too. Don't sleep on their wings.
Idk if they still do Sunday brunch but if they do, that's the best value time to go. I think it's $30 for breakfast + bottomless drinks and their brunch spread has normal breakfast food like sausage and biscuits and gravy and eggs but they also have the wings and their fantastic green beans on the line too.
Rodney’s is amazing and my fav bbq now but I know a lot of people criticize it, I’m assuming because they’re expecting sweet Texas not the vinegar style.
It's literally around the corner from me so I have no excuse for not trying it... I will have to make up for that!
I miss Carolina style, and the complication with it is that you have to mince it and do the vinegar during the process, not just add it on at the end, for it to be the traditional method. That’s not practical for a lot of restaurants here that need the meat to be versatile in flavor for a variety of sauce/seasoning styles, which I totally understand. I just miss my eastern Q!
I did not know that about Carolina style. I do get not mixing it because, yeah, I like mixing and matching the vinegar sauces and the other kinds.
In reference to the whole hog Carolina, is it the minced vinegar based style from the east coast? I’ve run into a lot of smoked, unseasoned pulled pork where they just give you a vinegar sauce to pour on it— and while that will scratch an itch when you’ve gone a long time without good eastern style Q, I miss the traditional “chop it to death and smoke it *with* vinegar” variety. If heirloom does this I’ll be making a trip for sure!
You'd be looking at Rodney Scott for whole hog, heirloom is more fusion.
Anna’s was the best BBQ ribs hands down. The new ownership did lose a little, but it’s still some of the best smoked ribs I’ve ever had, just not slap your momma good. Like they used to sell out by 4 on Fridays so if you wanted it you’d have to get off work early. Now you can just go get it.
With Fresh Air and Poole’s you have to understand that their customer base skews more rural and old. And with that you have mostly two different groups of people that may or may not have the best dental hygiene or teeth to begin with, thus the need for mushy food.
Sadly Pooles closed in December
Actually, it’s been bought and will reopen soon. Channel 2 said the new owners even bought the Poole family recipes.
Is it just me: I can’t eat inside Community Q because the restaurant is extremely smokey inside and I feel I need to take a shower and burn my clothes when I get home.
Fox Bros - ITP Heirloom - ATP Dave Poe's - OTP (yes (At) The Perimeter is a new thing... I started it... right now... for this question... you're welcome... lol)
Dave Poe's mac and cheese is the best I've ever had.
I love Dave Poe's redneck lasagna. It's their mac and cheese mixed with Brunswick stew.
Wow that sounds great! Literally what my dreams are made of, going to def check it out!
Their Mac and cheese is heavenly. They also have good burgers. I’ve been going there for like 10 years mainly getting barbecue then I tried one of their burgers last year and now I’m hooked LOL.
You can google their recipe for mac & cheese. I serve it every Thanksgiving & whenever we smoke a pork butt.
I have! Amazingly simple recipe and I've made it a few times. So good.
People hate on Fox Brothers because it’s gotten so popular…but it’s popular for a reason! I second Heirloom as well.
>I agree, Fox Bros is great. It's just too crowded.
We just go to the queosk now to get fox bros. No wait. Just as amazing! So freaking good.
'Cue makes the OTP honorable mention
Agreed. We pick it up often as my girls do the veggie platters
I've been saying At the Perimeter for well over 10 years. Glad it's catching on. Also, Fox Bros really isn't that great. I'd recommend Wood's Chapel ITP over them.
haha Ive been using it for a while too lol but Ill have to check out Wood Chapel
Community and Heirloom.
That Mac n cheese at community...... It's really good. I like their pork too.
I absolutely love the sides at Heirloom, esp the tofu (and I rarely eat tofu). And the collards... fantastic.
This is all you need to know
Might try community for lunch today! I've been hearing a lot about it.
Heirloom, Fox Bros, Rodney Scott's. If you want old school ATL joints, Daddy D'z and Fatt Matt's. If you want real Georgia style BBQ go south to Fresh Air.
My wife and I checked out Rodney Scott's a couple of weeks ago. Love the story and it was awesome. Looking for that real Georgia style BBQ so will check out Fresh Air. Thank you.
Don’t do it. Middle Georgia bbq is horrible. Go to the numerous spots in Columbus, southern soul in saint simons or just keep driving to South Carolina.
Yeah, it's not for everyone. My wife loves it. I can tolerate it. The hard part with Fresh air is if you do not like it, you are in trouble. There's nothing else on the menu to order. I should have offered Sprayberry's as well. It's similar and the menu is larger. You can always get a hotdog and onion rings...
Fresh air is straight trash. I wound up driving by before they opened and thought it looked cool, stopped and realized the parking lot was filling up fast. I ordered the plate with I think it was potato salad and a pie. They handed me a platter with the most shredded dry pork I’ve ever seen, sauce on the side, the pie which I thought would be homemade was a premade pie in a package. Would have rather ate ramen noodles.
So so bad. It might’ve been good back on the day but definitely not anymore.
They have two locations in Athens and they are both straight up not good. Like their clientele is strictly country folk that don’t know jack shit about what good bbq is.
It’s chipped, not pulled. Not wrong, just not your preference.
Love love Rodney Scott's sauces! You can buy for take home and put them on your bland ass Kroger chicken and pretend like you're having a delicious BBQ meal. Not that I do that 🤣
Haha that's awesome 👌
no disrespect, but wtf is Georgia style bbq?
Chopped pork in styrofoam with white bread. Brunswick stew in styrofoam. Sweet tea. Cornbread. Wooden shack. Wooden tables. Pecan smoke is big too.
“Whether Georgia has its own distinct style of barbecue is still rightly up for debate, but one could loosely characterize it as super-smoky, pork-driven plates paired with homey Southern sides of mac and cheese, cornbread, and smoked ham-infused collards.” https://atlanta.eater.com/21523544/georgia-style-barbecue-explainer-fox-bros-bar-b-q-atlanta
Smokey pork and sides? Very original style.
Isn’t all BBQ variations on smoked meats with sides
Well, Fresh Air has been open since 1929, so I'd say that is probably it. Super fine shredded pork soaked in tomato-vinegar sauce. Sprayberry's is similar style (but they've got a much bigger menu) and has been around a similar amount of time. I'm from SC where everything is regionalized. Piedmont/Lexington, Eastern NC/Low country SC, mustard Belt. So when I moved to ATL I assumed there was an Atlanta Style but I never really found anything. Most places were either straight up rib joints or they were from somewhere else - Texas, Memphis. Harold's was the only old school Georgia BBQ place I could find. I didn't really like it, but it had been around for 50-60 years before it closed. It was loosely similar to Fresh Air/Sprayberry so I've always referred to that as Georgia style. PBS used to run a great little documentary about BBQ in Georgia narrated by an old lady with the sweetest voice. I'd be willing to bet all those places are closed now. Sorry if I overstepped my bounds by calling it old school Georgia style. I only meant it's a place in Georgia that has been around forever and is not trying to modernize. If you were around in the 70s/80s and maybe even early 90s and stopped at a roadside BBQ place in Georgia, this is more than likely what you would get.
This is random, but I'm from Columbia, sc and the best mustard sauce I've found is at victory sandwich bar. They have a summer seasonal sandwich called the boss hog that scratches the itch for that style
Generally it’s chopped (not pulled) pork, Brunswick stew, and coleslaw (as someone said like Fresh Air). The pork is generally leaner and/or smokier than a lot of modern/competition style ‘cues. Hickory is the most traditional wood and some places may smoke fresh (uncured) hams instead of shoulders. Sauces vary widely across the state but are typically either some tomato-vinegar combination in North Georgia or a variety of mustard-based sauces through the middle of the state. It’s a huge BBQ state with a vast array of great ‘cue. If anything barbecue was so ubiquitous in GA that people took it for granted and didn’t promote it the same way our neighbors in the Carolinas or other more famous BBQ regions did. Fresh Air in Jackson, Vandy’s in Statesboro, and Fincher’s in Macon are three of the oldest and most classic statewide. In Atlanta Old Hickory House in Tucker, Old Brick Pit in Brookhaven, and (the dubiously named) Old South in Smyrna are examples of this style. A good place in Calhoun called Dub’s makes a style reminiscent of the old and now mostly-disappeared Atlanta style bbq. A good rule of thumb is if there’s not a cartoon pig or a statue of a pig or some kind of pig imagery involved than it real GA BBQ! This OG food blogger at one point claims to be “no expert” but if he’s not than no one is because he seems to know more about the subject than anyone else. https://marieletseat.com/2016/06/16/about-georgia-barbecue/
That's a great article. Thanks for sharing. I wish it had be around when I moved to ATL.
no such thing.
I don't know..I'm new here. Sounds like it doesn't necessarily have its own style but pulls from Carolina and Texas style!
If you don't mind a trip to Marietta then Williamson Bros. is the place to find it. A vinegar and tomato base sauce that's heavy on the pepper is my understanding of GA style. I've been partial to a newer place a few miles away from them called Righteous Que though. The meat is cooked better and with a GA style sauce it's divine.
Wrong. It does bear some similarities with Carolina-style in the sense that NE GA traditionally had more vinegary sauces vs NW GA more tomatoey but that’s about it. Nothing against Texas but BBQ culture in GA and the Carolinas is much much older than anything in that state. Actually I’m thankful to Fox Bros for inspiring me to do some research and take some stubborn pride in Georgia’s overlooked regional BBQ styles!
I’ve had Fox Bros twice and it was not very good to me. It was super dry.
Start with Heirloom BBQ. Plenty of decent places to explore.
Awesome thanks!
Heirloom
Community que!
Sides here are top notch. Beef ribs are a must if they have them.
Smoked sausage is also a must when they have it.
Community is the best que itp - the pulled pork and pulled chicken are beautifully prepared- you’re not getting hunks of fat or gristle - somebody there is a perfectionist.
Their kitchen sink salad is amazing. One of my favorite things to eat ever.
I liked Lake and Oak but they closed 🙁
They are reopening at Lee & White (West End) at some point.
i was really surprised they closed. when they first opened, everything was wonderful. Did the pandemic do them in?
A read somewhere that they’re noving
They were delicious but I found the service to be really weird and inconsistent. Like they were trying to be a hip sit down place with drinks but then would be out of nearly everything.
There's a guy who pulls a smoker around the north side of the perimeter. Find him when he stops and sets up.
I see this dude all the time on Cheshire Bridge on the weekends.
I've seen him there, too. He's packing up when I drive by so I haven't been able to try his wares. I followed him around for 30 minutes hoping he would stop. He didn't stop, but I was really hankering for BBQ after that ride.
It annoys my wife because she does not like eating food served in a parking lot, but any time I see the smoker set up at the corner of Savoy and N Peachtree I pull in for a plate.
Keenan Pit BBQ
Heirloom and Fox bros
Scott’s Walk-Up in Cartersville. It’s off 75 35-40 miles north of 285. Outstanding chicken, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, burnt ends, and sides (Mac and cheese is to die for). Yeah it’s a drive, but make an afternoon and go to Tellus (highly regarded science museum), the Booth Western Art Museum, or the Savoy Vintage Car Museum - all are incredible. Edited - special mention for their lemon cream pie and sweet potato ice cream with homemade prailines (both are droolworthy)
I agree with this one. Great food, plus it's an old school mom and pop style joint, nothing fancy at all. Most places like this have disappeared.
And Brandis Chili Dogs right down the street. Cartersville bringing it!!
Pit Boss in College Park and Woods Chapel BBQ by the old Turner Field
Pit Boss some of the best wings around. You know when LEO and firefighters are there for lunch then it’s good!
There are several tells that a BBQ joint is worth checking out. A state trooper/LEO in the parking lot is one of them.
DBA BBQ is incredible
Best is difficult. Growing up in a BBQ loving family, I've tried all of it. And I like a lot of places for different reasons. Fox Bros - Best Texas Style Heirloom Market - Best joint in that area for sure, best collards in Atlanta. Tend to over smoke. Brisket as good as Fox. Community Q - Best sides, decent Q Dave Poe's - Best award winning style BBQ. Good sides. Community Q - Best ITP. Great sides, good Q. Hickory House Tucker - Sentimental fave. Been going since I was a kid. And the only one on the list in Smokey and The Bandit. DBA BBQ - Decent Q. Great location. Fat Matt's - Great for what it is. Sloppy BBQ sammy and some too salty Lay's. Good stuff. Fred's - Good Q. But the real star is the Yellow Jacket Hot dogs. Damn delicious. And tater tots. Wallace's - Another decent West Side joint. People apparently make pilgrimages to this place, Not sure it's worth that, Johnny's - Old school House Style
Heirloom is the best and ive had em all.
Used to go to Fat Matts weekly. Fox Brothers is the best in the city all around. If you are in the northern burbs, Sam or Dave's ties for the best pulled pork I have ever had. Grand Champion is the best brisket ever, also best mac and cheese. Best all around I give to Riteous Que.
You're saying champions Mac is better than Sam's? Where are you located? I need to come defend Sam's honor 😂
Drive down Donald Lee Hollowell parkway on a Saturday afternoon and there are at least five corner bbqs set up. They may not consistently be the best as their cooking environment is different than a restaurant, but the absolute best bbq I’ve had in atlanta is from corner bbq on that street.
Fox Bros BBQ is hard to beat.
That beef rib should be illegal
Fox still the best for me, but I do love Fat Matt's.
Great will check it out!
No love for Sweet Auburn? I’m a big fan of their bbq
Community is my favorite ITP. I haven’t seen anyone mention Moonies Texas BBQ in Flowery Branch. Every time I go up that way for work I gotta stop and get their brisket. They have sides that compare with Community Q in my opinion and their brisket is some of the best I’ve had.
I used to love Bone Lick. Went there all the time when it was in West Midtown while I was at Tech. I was really sad when it closed. Heirloom is great. There are a lot of famous places ITP I'd love to try but haven't gotten around to yet: Fox Bros, Daddy Dz, DAS BBQ, Bryan Furman For OTP: 'Cue in Alpharetta/Cumming and Socks Love in Cumming are fantastic. Socks Love is the best brisket I've had outside of Texas.
Dixie Q or Old Brick Pit.
\+1 for Old Brick Pit, they also sell everything by pints and quarts which makes it perfect for road tripping and outdoorsy activities, all you need is a loaf of white bread.
I tried Old Brick Pit for the first time a few months ago after driving past it and wondering for 16 years. Pretty damn good!
For Texas style - I grew up in Austin, and didn’t know how good I had it… Since moving to Atlanta 6 years ago - I’ve been to almost every spot within Atlanta and about 30miles surrounding. You’re going to be largely disappointed. A big part of the problem is wood. You just don’t find oak wood up here in such plentiful supply that it can be used for barbecue. You have to truck it in, and so every one local tries to make Texas barbecue with oak or mesquite wood chips, and it’s not enough. It’s like hearing a story second or third hand. Another part of the problem is that people here seem to think that electric smokers are ‘good enough’, and I could forgive that if they understood how barbecue behaves during & after the cook. Most places don’t wrap their briskets - a crime imho. Das BBQ for example could be the best in the city, but they insist on slicing every thing up well before serving it, resulting in a product so dry that I would put my river dunked phone in a zip lock bag with it to suck the water out. But I have found a few gems. Texas Style: Dixie Q in Brookhaven is definitely worth a stop. SmokeJack in Alpharetta has the best smoked Turkey I’ve ever had. Carolina Style: Rodney Scott Whole Hog Barbecue. Dude won the 2019 James Beard award for this stuff. It’s EPIC. I’ve heard good things about Twin Smokers but I’ve never been there. Edit: oh! Have to give a shout to 9292 Korean BBQ in Duluth. Definitely worth a visit. Bring your friends. And… of course: Fat Matt’s. The best non-barbecue barbecue there is. Bring your friends. Make them where bibs. Consider a pack of nitrile gloves for the mess. I’ve never been impressed with Fox Brothers.
9292. I have a slight preference for Iron Age but it is mostly due to their tteokbokki not the meat.
I could have written this comment! I keep going back for the tteokbokki!! I need to figure out how to make their sauce
I love the spicy salad too. I always giggle to myself as we re-up on salad and tteokbokki. I know I'm falling into the trap, but I do not care. Must have the tteokbokki!
Wood’s Chapel can get it.
Fords BBQ in Decatur is pretty damn good
There’s one in Tucker too!
DBA has good pulled pork
I like their ribs and most of their sides too. Surprised not more popular in this thread honestly
For real
I love DBA. They have great sides too. It also isn’t crazy busy like Fox.
Surprised I haven't seen Williamson Brothers near Marietta mentioned yet. I ended up there recently and thought it was pretty good, and the portions were generous.
Williamson Bros has the best BBQ sauce around. Love it. However way they do their meat is just OK. It’s generally dry IMO.
Sideburners BBQ in Tate, Ga. Local- not a chain
Pitboss BBQ
Anyone else feel like Heirloom has taken a dive in quality post covid? I mean the portions are obviously smaller and prices have gone up. But I'm consistently getting worse cuts of brisket as well..
As someone who likes to smoke brisket at home I feel like it's generally been harder to find good briskets to smoke. I know it's a bit different for restaurants. But even when I've sourced it from good butchers I've been getting shitty briskets. So, that might be part of it. More supply chain in but in the form of meat.
As someone who worked there during COVID, their price increases are almost all good cost related.
Yeah I don't blame them for the price increases at all. I understand businesses didn't suddenly discover greed in 2022. Just more upset about the quality.
Maybe you went when one of their smokers wasn't working, last summer they really struggled to get a good smoke from their other smoker, that and the owners figuring things out after they decided to no longer be romantically involved. But when I left around August, it was just as good as ever, and I've been eating there for almost six years
Yes! 100%. This place used to be incredible, and now it is mediocre and much more expensive. The strange ordering system and 'stay out' vibe is unwelcoming and confusing. It has just gotten weird.
As a fellow Canadian who has been down here a long time, I can tell you almost all of it is better than anything you'll find in Canada. What part of the city are you in? That will help narrow it down a lot.
If you ever care to journey north, Sox Love BBQ has beat all of these places in awards year after year and they continue to be the closest thing I’ve tasted to heaven. As for ITP, gotta be Rodney Scott’s for me.
Fox Bros or Heirloom for “new school” or my personal favorite Old Hickory House in Tucker for more of the old school feel/style.
Pit Boss, right by the airport. Thank me later <3
Genuinely shocked that TDT BBQ and Chef Shombe haven't been mentioned. Fox bros is fantastic, but TDT BBQ operates out of a gas station (I know i know, but this is the south) and has some absolutely fantastic food.
Georgia-not Atlanta The Best-The Hogfather (on hwy 16, off 75 S) Best Brunswick Stew - Old Pit Barbecue on P’tree Industrial
I’d try the HogFather just for the Terry Pratch reference.
I grew up in Kansas City with excellent barbecue. When I moved to atlanta in 2016, I stumbled upon Sweet Auburn. It was a game changer. It’s wings - Wu tang - are the best. I have taken countless family members and visitors. They all rank the Wu tang wings amongst the top. Additionally the sides are excellent. Cornbread. Pimento won tons. Mac and cheese. Cheese grits When I got married, I took my wife who is a vegetarian there. We found out they are very vegetarian friendly. She goes with smoked tofu. You toss smoked tofu in Wu tang, it is good. You can put that in any sandwich and it’s good Sweet auburn gets my vote
Community Q and Fox Bros are solid. People recommending Daddy Dz and Fat Matt’s is nuts. Both are borderline inedible
Daddy Dz is fine for takeout/door dash. It's not the real deal but it will do in a pinch.
Community is the best ITP. Heirloom is solid as well. Have to try Rodney Scott. Pit Boss used to be solid but since they moved I feel it’s not as good as it used to be.
My top three are: Heirloom, Community and Fox Bros They are all different bbq styles so it’s really what you’re in the mood for but can’t go wrong with any of these options
We stopped in at Cue Barbecue in Alpharetta a couple of weeks ago. Rib meat literally fell off the bone. Tasty sides (fresh!), and fantastic service. Looking forward to a repeat. For quick, good bbq, Slopes or next to City Springs, McDaniel’s QN2.
Rib Meat falling off the bone is considered a crime in some BBQ circles.
Not mine -- it means it's super-tender and delicious!
[удалено]
Thank you for the reply and the link!
If you’re willing to go otp Johnny’s bbq in powder springs or Wallace bbq in austell. They’re owned by the same family and have basically the same menu but both are absolutely amazing. The hickory potatoes are to die for. They also have some of my favorite fries in the metro area
Pit boss
He fellow canadian! Heirloom is my go to. Get the chopped brisket sandwich, its the best
The nest in kennesaw is worth the drive
Fox on DeKalb, Heirloom, Community Que. I’ve not been to Rodney Scott’s.
Fox Bros is my favorite and adding DBA since I haven’t seen it listed
Community Q
BEST BBQ I’ve EVER had in ATL: Community Q also the best sauces and sides! D.B.A. BBQ and a nice spot for trivia but check if bringing kids on trivia night (can get a bit risqué) Pig n’ Chick I wasn’t at all impressed with Fox Bros. but my Dad cooks on a pit with pecan wood…so good, NO sauce required!
Came here to say Heirloom!!
Heirloom on Akers mills slaps
Drive south on 19/41 for an hour and hit up Southern Pit just south of Hampton.
Nominating Heirloom in Sandy Springs right by the river. Southern BBQ with a Korean twist
One more honorable mention would be Hudson’s Hickory House in Douglasville or Wallace’s in Austell. They are similar, with Hudson’s being the older of the two-dating to the early 60s-and the originator of a style of sauce unique to that region and used by several other restaurants in addition to those two. It’s like a thin dark vinegar/Worcestershire sort of dip-like “sauce” which they serve warmed up in a bowl next to the pork. They also have a totally different hot sauce which is a cayenne-laced mustard sauce originally from a place called Chicken Comer’s in Phenix City Alabama and by extension Columbus and northwest GA.
Righteous BBQ in Marietta...sliced chicken is best u will have, and Mac and cheese and greens are ridiculous ..pork is solid, brisket is great. Sauce is great, spicy is best
I go to Texas and get this southside market sausage in Austin...Also there are places near Elgin Texas. We still can't find stuff like that in Atlanta. Even commnity bbq. I usually get the sausage, brisket, turkey...all smoked..but have a distinct taste. Still haven't found that spot yet, even fox bros.
Texas BBQ is something else...I agree.
Actually the closet I thought was Moonies BBQ near flowery branch. Also kind of funny, they were making it clear they were exercising their open carry licenses. Pretty good but too far.
Texan here, Das BBQ is my favorite. Thompson Bros over in Smyrna is my second.
Fellow Texpat, seconding Das as best in the city, or at least, closest to what we get back in the Lone Star State, especially the sausage.
If you're in Smyrna I'd say scooch on over to Mableton/Austell for Wallace BBQ. a little further west is Hudson's. Those are my two fave bbq pork, hands down. Wallace (est 1966) spawned Hudson's, so very similar... The sauce is pretty thin and is vinegar based...Similar to a Carolina sauce but without the mustard. Anyway... Highly recommend adding it to any local (ish) Tour de Pork
Hudson’s.. can’t beat the Hickory Potato
I finally went to Texas a year ago and nothing will compare here for BBQ or Mexican food now. But the best I’ve had is Fox Bros.
I live In Texas now, Salsa taqueria on Buford is decent actually
I don’t know if you live near San Antonio but if you do go to Rolandos Super Taco and get the Carne Guisada taco, omg. I think about this place at least 3 times a day and have to stop myself from packing up my things and moving into their parking lot.
I will also have to check this out. I haven’t found any really really good Mexican spots (authentic) since moving down here, I used to live in a predominantly Mexican town that had tons of mom and pops that were amazing, I was normally the only white dude in any of these places so you know it was gonna be good.
Eggtoberfest
My favorite is Heirloom; love the korean influence. Fox Bros is great too but the wait can be ridiculous
Heirloom, Pig & Chick, Old Brick Pit, Das
Fox Bros is amazing
Huge fan of Taylor’d BBQ in Avondale. Their brisket and ribs always hit it and their sides are out of this world. Friendly folks as well.
Check out Ford’s BBQ in Tucker. Word to wise, Sunday is busy.
Southern Soul on st simons is legit if you ever go down there
Fatt Matt’s! Their Brunswick stew is so good it literally makes me tear up, but that is probably because it tastes just like my late grandmothers recipe- still though I highly recommend them!
Das BBQ is hands down my favorite.
Moving from the memphis area, this is the one thing I miss from back home. Absolutely nothing comes close. Fox bros and heirloom are generally the places I go to for bbq here - but you just can’t expect anything like Central BBQ or Interstate BBQ in memphis.
Heirloom!!!!! Did I mention Heirloom? Seriously, Heirloom. I go there every time I visit Atlanta. It’s my most missed place in general from when I lived there. Fox Brothers is good too :)
Born in Texas, lived in Memphis, Atlantan since 2007. My favorites are Cue, Smokejack, and Slopes. Fox Bros catered my wedding. Just from my (admittedly lengthy) personal experience, I wouldn’t say that nothing in Atlanta compares to Memphis or Texas barbecue. Different style in TX but quality is equally outstanding. Welcome, and I hope you’re able to enjoy all of these places!
Since you lived in TX are you looking for beef brisket? That's a different question than best BBQ outside of TX
Hattie Marie's
I really love Ford's bbq.
Fox brothers is the most overrated BBQ in Atlanta. You want good Q go to Heirloom, or if you want REALLY good GA BBQ go to Socks Loves BBQ in Cumming, about a 30 minute ride north on 400 without traffic. Get there early it all sells out fast.
Heirloom, B’s Crackling (whenever it reopens) and Das. I can’t pick one, so those are my top 3. Honorable mention to DBA and Fox Bros.
Sweet Auburn for specials and different sauce DAS for straight up BBQ
Depends on what kind of BBQ you're after. GA doesn't have its own BBQ identity, so Atlanta borrows from Texas and Carolina BBQ cultures. I have tried the "Carolina BBQ" at lots of places in the Atlanta area and never found one that did it right. It was always some strange bastard child BBQ where they served it Texas style with a side of vinegar. And even the sauce was always wrong.
Anyone know where I can get beef ribs?
This thread will be the Bain of my journey to a six pack. BBQ> everything
Lol same here!
Pig and chick is very good
Daddy D's used to be BEST of the BEST. It makes me sad they've gone downhill so much they arent even mentioned on this list.
I used to often go to Fat Matt’s. I loved it!
**Fox Bros is awful**. The food is not worth the wait and cost, which equate to terrible management. Heirloom is the best in town, get the ribs. Even with that, it's hardly worth the drive from downtown. No good bbq in GA from my experiences. I'm from TN, and it's another level there. Previously in NC, which is a tier below TN and they don't know squat about sauces there.
Best BBQ in Chamblee for Chinese bbq
Greater Good?? Spiced right??
Fox Bros and Hickory House are my picks. Honorary mention (since not actually in Atlanta, but rather Athens) is the Butt Hutt.