Atlanta Barbeque - Who's the best?
 

Hi guys,

I'm new to the area. We live by Perimeter Mall and have been trying to figure out where to go for BBQ. I know everyone has their opinion and it will probably take us a few tries before we find our favorite but any help pointing us in the right direction would be great! My only constraint is that I don't like fatty ribs.

Thanks for the help!
Rachel

Take 85 south to the airport, and get on a plane to Syracuse, NY..The best bbq in the world is there.. dinosaurbarbque.com
(sorry, couldn't help myself, I've been down here 2 years and can't find bbq as good as Dinoaur)

Willamson Brothers BBQ in Marietta is the best anywhere.

Harold's Barbecue at 171 McDonough Blvd., SE, Atlanta is legendary for its pork. No frills, but has drawn downtown movers and shakers for lunch forever. Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell, Green Street has very good 'cue and stew, as well as turkey and portebello sandwiches. Live music (sometimes) in a real deal ambience.
Pig & Chik, Roswell Road, Sandy Springs is a favorite of the Atlanta Journal reviewers, though there is no ambience.

Swallow in the Hollow...was incredible..a little difficult to find (looks like a cabin right off the main road). If anything it's a great excuse for us Bostonians to go back...

I agree that Harold's is the best bbq, but the place is nothing to look at. For a nicer dining experience, I like the live music at Fat Matt's Rib Shack or the Swallow in the Hollow. BTW, Harold's is right next door to the pen, but no need to worry as it's usually filled with law enforcement!

Swallow at the Hollow looks nice. I think we are going to try that one first. A friend of mine had recommended Williamson Brothers but had also said that the ribs were on the fatty side. If there are any other suggestions, keep them coming! Thanks again!

Fat Matt's is good. A former owner or manager has opened a very similar restaurant in Decatur called Maddy's Ribs and Blues Joint. A friend who can't STAND fat loves the food there. Worth a try if you are ever in the area.

I like Sonny's. Yes, a chain. But, I do like it. (Ducking for the flaming that is sure to come! :-) )

I have heard Fatt Matt's is great, but I haven't eaten there yet. Sam and Dave's brisket is DELICIOUS and their Mac and Cheese and Brunswick stew are equally delicious, they just opened their second location, near Marietta square. SiH is pretty good, sometimes the meat (pork specifically) is fatty the music is great but you have to get tickets most weekends.

Agree.... Harolds down by the Atlanta Pen is the best.

Is Dusty's at Briarcliff and Clifton still open? I always enjoyed bbq from there (the fact that it was on the way home each evening didn't hurt). I believe they called it "North Carolina style"..... whatever that means....

There was a place in Northlake, on the Tucker side of 285 that used to have great BBQ......

Dusty's is still there. www.dustys.com

Old Hickory House at Northlake (near AAA)?

Yes, Old Hickory House is the one in Northlake.

I used to eat at the Old Hickory House on Piedmont at Monroe as well, but it has been Cow Tippers for a dozen years now.

I worked in Stone Mountain/Tucker, but lived in Buckhead/Midtown, so I'd stop at these places on the way home for dinner. I was always going the opposite way of everyone else.....

still am.....

HH is great for breakfast too.

I didn't know that Cowtippers used to be a HH. I eat there quite often - not for the food per se, but for the entertainment!

Funny last line on your post Keith!

I actually got to try Harold's on a long layover in Atlanta. Very good! But I didn't expect the pork rib sandwich to have the bones still attached. Also the brunswick stew they served was soooo comforting....but OK, I guess that's not really BBQ.

There's a Slopes BBQ in Sandy Springs that's pretty good.

The best brunswick stew in the state (that I've tasted) is sold at Katchamaverick Feed and gas station out in the boonies. They don't have it all the time but when they make up a batch...woo-hoo! Almost as good as grandma used to make :-)

(ira, are you listening? close to you too)

Slopes, pig and chik, old hickory house and swallow in the hollow are my faves.....the Atlanta area is the BEST for que IMO.