Best Brunswick stew
Harold's beloved Brunswick stew
YOUR PICKS
1) Harold’s
You say, “Harold’s. After over thirty years of eating all manner of BBQ in the South, there’s no better. It’s so good I should say it again: Harold’s.”
3) Fox Bros.
4) Fresh Air
5) Wallace BBQ
The Brunswick stew at Harold's with a few treats to go along with it. The cracklin' cornbread is a must.
1) Harold’s
Dining critic Meridith Ford Goldman says, “A big bowl of tomatoes and corn, with tons of shredded meat and a hint of spice, just like my father used to make. Warm, never hot. And no potatoes or beans, and that’s just as it should be.”
3) Fox Bros.
4) Community Q
5) Dreamland
accessAtlanta Partner Sites
Sections
Advertise on accessAtlanta.com »
Reach the audience you want by advertising on accessAtlanta.com
Join the Access Atlanta Network »
Advertisers and Publishers, expand your reach by joining the Access Atlanta Network.
Tell us what you think about the site
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement | About our ads
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
616 comments Add your comment
Joe mac and cheese
April 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
JR’S in norcross has the best in metro alanta.
justme
April 27th, 2010
1:15 pm
Enter your comments here I just tried the suggestion of a couple of posts on thi subject. I tried Amos’ stew today. This is not what I know as brunswick stew. This concoction was thin, watery, big chunks of canned tomatoes, whole kernel corn, some shredded meat and enough smoke taste to think an entire forest had been ground into it. I wasted my money and two cups of this stuff.
I will say the ladies working there were most pleasant and friendly.
CMac
April 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
Just had Kelly’s stew. Pretty darn good.
corner of Hwy 81 and 138 (Covington)
mike howell
April 27th, 2010
1:33 pm
in my opinion pippins bbq in mcdonough ga just south of atlanta has the best stew in the atlanta area,bar none! southern pit bbq in griffin ga runs a close second.
trying hard to be patient
April 27th, 2010
1:46 pm
Buckner’s Family Restaurant – Jackson, GA
Carl
April 27th, 2010
1:49 pm
Fox Brother’s BB@ – Candler Park/Little 5 Points
SOWEGA Man
April 27th, 2010
2:06 pm
Riverfront BBQ in Albany
burnedontheedge
April 27th, 2010
2:09 pm
Harold’s. If we are talking just stew, their’s can’t be beat. The best in the state, period. Now Sprayberry’s in Newnan (the original location, downtown) is a very close second but Harold’s is still the King of Stews!
Shane
April 27th, 2010
2:22 pm
Quit making fun of my bbq.
I said it
April 27th, 2010
2:24 pm
jackie
April 27th, 2010
9:55 am
I don’t know about the best but the worst is sidekicks in rockmart
I agree and LH is a snake in the damn grass to boot!!!
JGS
April 27th, 2010
3:18 pm
Piggie Park (Thomaston, Ga) Is the best
Jennifer
April 27th, 2010
3:29 pm
Fresh Air BBQ in Jackson/ Macon! Definitely the yummiest!
Brunswick Stew King
April 27th, 2010
3:44 pm
I am the king and my vote is the only one that matters:
Old Hickory House (homemade and finger licking good)
utdjrthsykugihhjcydryj
April 27th, 2010
8:11 pm
Fat Matt’s!!!!
Valinor
April 27th, 2010
8:24 pm
BBQ Stew is a highly personal thing. It’s kinda like the brand of toilet paper one uses….
I have had Brunswick Stew from a lot of places around our state and other states. My personal choices are: Papa Reds in Cumming and Armstrongs in Summerville. Many places come in second: Harolds is “the bomb” and many others. Enjoy sorting this one out.
JER
April 27th, 2010
9:07 pm
Harold’s best I’ve ever had plus cracklin’ cornbread
don-don'74
April 27th, 2010
10:03 pm
The Rusty Nail Pub on Buford Hwy. at North Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta. The best brunswick stew!!
Philip
April 27th, 2010
10:45 pm
Harold’s hands down. Also have the best chopped pork sandwich. And for all you so called enthusiasts if your place puts beans in the stew it ain’t Brunswick Stew!
mountaingirl
April 27th, 2010
10:51 pm
Harolds?? Was the worst I’ve ever had, go to Ole’ South BBQ In Smyrna if you want GOOD Stew!
Dixie
April 27th, 2010
10:56 pm
Fresh Air of Athens, Jackson and Macon is the best in North Georgia
Bobby Dews
April 28th, 2010
7:55 am
1. Harold’s 2. Williamson Bros 3. Dreamland 4. Pappy Red’s 5. BBQ1
The so-called stew at Shane’s and Slope’s is atrocious.
BBQ Man
April 28th, 2010
8:05 am
I love BBQ, and all things associated with it. I traveled to the stewbilee in Brunswick last year and tasted 50-60 different variations from around the state, and I rarely pass a bbq joint I don’t stop and check out while traveling – and by far, the winner in my book was Mrs T’s, a local competition cooking team. I don’t think they have a restaurant or anything, but it’s a local guy here in Atlanta (I wish I could remember his name, I just remember he was located in the Atlanta area). Anyway, if you ever see him at a bbq cookoff, or catering an event, stop by and see if he has any mixed up…. it’s great stuff ~
DirtyDawg
April 28th, 2010
9:40 am
Appears that we’ve got us a bunch-a ‘experts’ around here. Got to say I’m glad that the AJC ran this cause there’s clearly a lot of places I haven’t been to yet and intend to. But I do want to say that while there are plenty of variations on what I’ve known as Brunswick Stew around, most of ‘em just don’t measure up. Shane’s a non-starter…and even Fox Bros., Sam and Daves and Community BBQ don’t serve what should be the ’standard’ for BStew. And as much as I love Old South – been eatin’ there since the Llewallyn’s opened it in ‘68 – and don’t get me wrong, I love the stew too, but it clearly has a ‘tang’ that just ain’t what, again, I think Brunswick Stew should be. No, Harold’s – admittedly I haven’t been there in almost a year, but I can’t believe they would have allowed it to tank as, at least, one has pointed out – is, in my mind, the ’standard’. It better be cause their meat ain’t gettin’ it – unless you order outside-sliced…then you’ll at least get some flavor even if you’re gonna be chewin’ on it a while…and while I’m on it, Williamson’s may have something going for it, but ever since I went there right after they opened ever how many years that was ago, ordered an ‘outside-sliced’ plate and got a strip of blacked meat about the size of half a hot dog and challenged ‘em on it only to have them look at me like I was ordering sushi or something…needless to say, I ain’t been back to try anything.
Butt Whole
April 28th, 2010
10:03 am
Never had Harolds. Tried Dean’s once and didn’t care for it. Wallace’s and Fred’s are good but my pesonal favorite is Old South in Smyrna. Not to mention you get a big ol’ hug when you walk in the door!
BeenToThemAll
April 28th, 2010
10:29 am
It all starts with pork cooked the right way – that is the basis for the stew. Therefore, Harold’s and Slope’s are automatically excluded because their pork is like what my mom used to roast in the oven – no crust, no pinkness, entirely white. I have never been to Shane’s and never will because they use electric cookers.
The best in town – Wallace in Austell, The Old Brick Pit in Chamblee. To repeat, it starts with the pork and those two places have the best pork in Atlanta as well.
What they sell as stew at Sprayberry’s in Newnan is pretty darn tasty, but the consistency to it is kind of like what is served on a Sloppy Joe.
Butt Whole
April 28th, 2010
10:45 am
I forgot to add The Old Brick Pit in Chamblee. Their stew is very good as well and like themall said, their pork sandwich can’t be beat.
jackie
April 28th, 2010
11:17 am
SPRAYBERRY’S NEWNAN GA (original location at corner of Sprayberry Road & Hwy 29/Jackson Street)
KG
April 28th, 2010
12:23 pm
Williamson Brothers BBQ- best Brunswick stew EVER!
Dixigoddess
April 28th, 2010
12:26 pm
Hey Dominick There are 2 Old Hickory Houses left, run by family that started the business. One’s at Lavista & I285 in Tucker, one’s on Chamblee Dunwoody. By the wa y, does anybody remember Lefty’s Barbeque in Decatur on Candler near Memorial? They will always be number 1….
LT
April 28th, 2010
12:58 pm
Nothing compares to Mrs. T’s. Not even close. Try it once and you will agree!
AuntJacks
April 28th, 2010
1:38 pm
I agree with BBQ Man, we’ve had Mrs. T’s Brunswick stew at work and it’s the BEST EVER. His wife brings the stew and barbque to work. Check out Mrstsbbq.com for more info.
Joaker
April 28th, 2010
2:25 pm
Old Hickory House definitely!!!! J.R.’s Log House used to have great stew. Definitely NOT Bub-Ba-Q in Woodstock or Slope’s.
Cara B.
April 28th, 2010
2:28 pm
Old Hickory House — Dunwoody or Tucker — best stew in Georgia. Fox Bros. is a close 2nd.
Betty
April 28th, 2010
2:36 pm
My house on Memorial Day or 4th of July. My husband makes the best I have ever tasted.
BarBgrandy
April 28th, 2010
3:54 pm
This might be a stretch but Folks (formally Po Folks) suits me fine
Linda Sewell
April 28th, 2010
4:11 pm
Wallace BBQ, Austell, GA Veteran’s Memorial Hwy
the BEST of everything BBQ around….no comparison!
keeball
April 28th, 2010
4:28 pm
Wallaces….grew up in Belvedere loved Lefty’s across from the Outpost
Smokey the Pundit
April 28th, 2010
7:22 pm
Shane’s is so bad that after tasting it I left it on the table. I even declined a go bowl to take it home. I don’t understand how you people can eat ‘baked’ bbq.
longdog
April 28th, 2010
7:24 pm
Poss’s in the can and then Fincher”s in macon
JimBob
April 28th, 2010
7:25 pm
I dont know if they are still open but HOT THOMAS on the Athens/Greensboro Highway had some stew I used to drive an hour for.
tom
April 28th, 2010
7:26 pm
Dreamland in Roswell – definitely
longdog
April 28th, 2010
7:26 pm
Betty that cant be true your husband does not wash his hands after going to the outhouse
Alice Carnahan
April 28th, 2010
7:45 pm
Old South in Smyrna.
Brian F.
April 28th, 2010
7:47 pm
I have had many of the stews listed here, and Old Hickory House is still by far the best. When my cousins from New York come to Atlanta, the first place they want to go is Hickory House. I mean literally straight from the airport to Hickory House. Tucker or Dunwoody.
270.Mark
April 28th, 2010
7:59 pm
Hands down is Wallace’s in Austell
Stan
April 28th, 2010
8:04 pm
Old Hickory House, Old Hickory House, OLD HICKORY HOUSE!!! (Not even close) As much as I like the BBQ at Williamson Bros., I was really disappointed in the stew. And I agree about Shane’s – their stew is awful! (Love the Big Dad’s, but hate the stew!)
Baby Joker
April 28th, 2010
8:08 pm
Pippin’s in Conyers
Chuck
April 28th, 2010
8:21 pm
Dickey’s BBQ in Alpharetta
Eddie
April 28th, 2010
8:24 pm
Melears in fayetteville. i grew up with the old union city location but its gone now
OJ
April 28th, 2010
8:27 pm
On my way to Statesboro in the morning. Lunch will be Brunswick stew at Vandy’s. There are some good stews to be found in the ATL, but nothing like Vandy’s. I always buy a pint and freeze it in small portions to dole out carefully when I am back in the city. How lucky I was to grow up with such great regional food.