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
Double Dee
April 27th, 2010
10:37 am
Fred’s BBQ House in Lithia Springs on Thornton Road is the best stew in town. I would rank it right up there with Harold’s!!
mort
April 27th, 2010
10:37 am
the best is J.R.s in peachtree corners
DANDMAN
April 27th, 2010
10:38 am
Old Hickory House is the best of all, but believe it or not Manual’s on North Highland is good too!
Dominick
April 27th, 2010
10:38 am
I did not know there was an old hickory house still around but they have always been the best.
When JR’s was around it was good but I think their receipe was the same as Hickory House.
Makes me want to find a Hickory House
Also Shane’s purchases their brunswick stew from a food supplier that supplies it to other people ( they do not even make it) and it is awful.
JIm and Nicks is ok but it really is not brunswick stew, it is some kind of soup.
Gene
April 27th, 2010
10:42 am
Shane’s or Pig N Chick….. You guys are crazy. Pig N Chick has pretty good BBQ, tater salad and brocolli, but their stew is not that good. I don’t even consider what Shane’s serves to be stew and I am from Brunswick.
Get out of the city. Go to Fresh Air BBQ in Jackson to get some real stew.
ViningsMike
April 27th, 2010
10:42 am
Old South BBQ in Smyrna is absolutely the best! If you don’t think so, you just haven’t tried it. It’s worth the drive.
Nan
April 27th, 2010
10:42 am
Harold’s Bar-B-Q is the best in Atlanta
esa
April 27th, 2010
10:43 am
Harolds
DirtyDawg
April 27th, 2010
10:53 am
Old South’s good, particularly if you like a bit of a tomato-y tang in your stew…but Harold’s is what Brunswick Stew is all about, and with their cracklin’ cornbread (now that’s absolutely, without doubt, the best anywhere) you are talkin’ a meal. Oh yeah, and my Dentist’s.
nelly
April 27th, 2010
10:59 am
dont understand why anyone would nominate Shane’s its discusting a disgrace to real bbq but i guess everybody is entitled to their opinion even if its not a good one but i am sure you are from up north right…cause down south we know what bbq is now the old hickory house is exactly where you can find bbq so northerners try it out……
lovebrunswickstew
April 27th, 2010
10:59 am
HAROLD’S HANDS DOWN THE BEST EVER. I CAN’T BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY TAKING THE TIME TO COMMENT ON SHANE’S. GET OUT OF THE HOUSE MORE OFTEN, PEOPLE
DirtyDawg
April 27th, 2010
11:00 am
I meant to mention…whataya mean sayin’ that Burgoo is akin to Brunswick Stew? That stuff is nothin’ more than what it’s named – hamburger, gravy and potatoes (or something starchy, I’m not always sure what) in a mixture that absolutely earns the name ‘goo’ You might as well say that every kind of ’stew’ is the descendant of the Irish version…not in this part of the country.
lovebrunswickstew
April 27th, 2010
11:02 am
AND I realize this is about the best of the A, but if you ever make it to Statesboro, Georgia, you gotta have VANDY’S BBQ. I grew up on it, and sorely miss it
MaBell
April 27th, 2010
11:05 am
Pippins BBQ or Mad Dawg’s BBQ in Conyers, GA.
lovesq&stew
April 27th, 2010
11:09 am
I could be mistaken, but I don’t think Fresh Air or Pippins make their own stew? As far as the best – Deans BBQ in Jonesboro. Shanes? ugh
BBQISMYNAMEOH
April 27th, 2010
11:11 am
Fresh Air Off 42 is the Best. Shanes gotta be kidden green beans or bellpeppers or something that shouldnt be in thereand wayyyyy too much sugar .
Mango
April 27th, 2010
11:14 am
My wife makes the best!
Roxie
April 27th, 2010
11:14 am
The Rusty Nail on Buford Hwy and Druid Hills has awesome Brunswick Stew!
Tonya
April 27th, 2010
11:17 am
Hickory House in Tucker
Melissa's mom
April 27th, 2010
11:17 am
The Old Hickory House in Tucker. I haven’t been to Harold’s in 2 or 3 years, but the last time I went, it wasn’t as good as I remembered.
Ryan
April 27th, 2010
11:20 am
Disty’s had the best. I MISS YOU DUSTY’S!
Melissa's mom
April 27th, 2010
11:22 am
Caren, thank you for reminding us of Two Brothers BBQ in Ball Ground. I haven’t been there in forever, but it was always one of our favorite places to stop on the way home from North Georgia. Love the home made ice cream, too.
meme
April 27th, 2010
11:23 am
Harold’s with cracklin’ cornbread
Knuckle Sandwich
April 27th, 2010
11:26 am
Ye Olde Hickory House….just hook up an IV.
BBQgirl
April 27th, 2010
11:26 am
Twenty years ago, ths entire post would have said, “Melear’s in Union City, GA.” Mr. Melear died a few years ago. His brother owns a place in Fayetteville — his meat is cooked well but the stew barely compares. It is thickend with Grits. After all these years, I haven’t had a good plate of BBQ since Mr. Bill retired.
Sunshine10
April 27th, 2010
11:28 am
If it has Lima beans, potato, or anything other than beef, pork, chicken, and corn, it ain’t Brunswick Stew. Those are called Camp Stew.
My Votes: Harolds, Old Hickory House, PR’s(Pappy Reds), and BBQ1.
RGB
April 27th, 2010
11:29 am
Fox Bros. is pretty tasty. Even though Old Hickory House is pretty close to being a chain, it’s still good stuff. As far as the recipe goes, good luck with that. Both my brothers worked there back in the 80’s and honestly, you’d never be able to recreate it. This is one of those cases where you don’t want to know the how’s – just enjoy it.
Pope of Pork
April 27th, 2010
11:31 am
I had been a long term fan of Harold’s, especially the stew. Recently I took a group from work, and was embarassed. The food was substandard, all of it. At that point, all the atmosphere just looks scary and you never want to go back.
Jill
April 27th, 2010
11:32 am
Pink Pig in Cherry Log, GA, which is off state highway 5. Don’t get anything else there, though. The rest of the ‘cue is pretty bad. The stew is the best I’ve ever tasted. Nothing comes close.
Susan
April 27th, 2010
11:33 am
Harolds…absolutely the best! Get the big bowl with cracklin cornbread and sweet tea!
GREG
April 27th, 2010
11:33 am
TWO BROTHER’S BBQ IN BALL GROUND!
Christy H.
April 27th, 2010
11:39 am
Wallace BBQ in Austell!!
Christi
April 27th, 2010
11:43 am
HAROLDS!!!!
flotown jack
April 27th, 2010
11:46 am
How far afield does one go before the town is no longer considered “Atlanta”?
RSP
April 27th, 2010
11:51 am
It is clear that most of you have not been to Scott’s Walk-Up Bar-B-Q up in Cartersville. His stew is award winning and extremely good. All of his BBQ is good.
JT
April 27th, 2010
11:51 am
I’ve always been a fan of Thompson Brothers BBQ on Cobb Parkway (across the street from Best Buy). Fox Bro’s is definitely good, but I’ve always felt that their hype is bigger than their taste.
smokemonter
April 27th, 2010
11:52 am
Harolds with their awesome cornbread
TASTY B-B-Q
April 27th, 2010
11:59 am
FOX BROS…………………..LOCATED IN INMAN PARK!!!
Local
April 27th, 2010
12:00 pm
You bunch of Yankees the ONLY Brunswick stew is at Holcombes in Sparta and Greensboro!
Turtlejack
April 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
Shane’s? SHANE’s??? Please! BEST is SPEEDI-PIG in Fayetteville – by far!
BBQ Fan
April 27th, 2010
12:01 pm
Thompson Brothers BBQ in Smyrna. The stew is slap your momma good.
Will
April 27th, 2010
12:04 pm
The Old Brick Pit!
bbrayant
April 27th, 2010
12:05 pm
two butts barbeque…clay bryant….lagrange, ga
BC
April 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
Really? Harolds?? Gross. Williamson’s Brothers all the way!!!
Steph
April 27th, 2010
12:11 pm
JR’s in Norcross.
I can’t visit the ATL without stopping there.
Jack Lee
April 27th, 2010
12:26 pm
Up until 2006, I have lived in Georgia all my life and have tasted many bowls of genuine Brunswick stew. I now live in Kentucky, and have tried this “burgoo’, and I have to say that it’s not even remotely related to the Brunswick stew I have known and loved all my life, except for the color. It reminds me of a very expensive bowl of Campbell’s sirloin burger soup. In fact, I believe they make a bundle out of just opening a can of soup and charging 10 times the price for it. Further, as an expert on true Brunswick stew, I’m insulted that burgoo is even included in this article as a “version” of Brunswick stew. They have some pretty good BBQ here, but it begs for a bowl of real Brunswick stew to be served with it….not this “burgoo” stuff.
Linda Gail
April 27th, 2010
12:30 pm
Harold’s is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But…………….OB”S in McDonough runs a close second.
Of course since Harold’s grandson opened a new place in McDonough on 42 Highway all others take a BIG backseat.
old Dawg
April 27th, 2010
12:39 pm
Fresh Air in Jackson
2nd place the Kelly’s in Walnut Grove
Paul Johnson's Fish Fry
April 27th, 2010
12:46 pm
Best without a doubt is tie between Sonny’s in Dacula and Shane’s Rib Shack on Cobb Pkwy.
Close second would be Slope’s runny stew.
Newt Gingrich
April 27th, 2010
12:49 pm
Folks, everyone knows the best stew in the ATL is located virtually next door the Big Chicken at Williamson Brothers. I buy it by the quart there and turn it up and drink it like a shot glass!