Best barbecue
A pulled pork sandwich with a side of collard greens at Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q on DeKalb Avenue in Atlanta. Photo: Becky Stein / Special
YOUR PICKS
1. Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
You say, “Fox Bros. have no competition! If you think some other place is better I suggest you go try it!” and “There are a lot of great choices around here, but Fox Bros. has to be the best. Anyone who says they don’t like it is either a vegan or works for a different BBQ joint.”
2. Fat Matt’s Rib Shack
3. Pig-N-Chik
4. Community Q
5. Fresh Air Bar-B-Que
6. Swallow at the Hollow
The pork platter with sides of mac and cheese and baked beans at Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell. Photo: Phil Skinner / pskinner@ajc.com
OUR PICKS
1. The Swallow at the Hollow
Food and beverage writer Bob Townsend says, “Purists may sneer at the foodie barbecue Bill Green does at this weathered-wood cabin in Roswell. But like his Southern comfort cooking across the way at Greenwood’s, there’s no arguing with the quality or intention. Feast on smoky pork or beef, baby back ribs and house-made sausage, with terrific portobello mushrooms and fried green tomatoes, and freshly baked bread and pies.”
2. Garden Produce & Country Store
3. Sam’s BBQ 1
4. Dave Poe’s BBQ
5. Community Q BBQ
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517 comments Add your comment
JT
September 25th, 2010
10:50 pm
Old South Barbeque in Smyrna is EXCELLENT! It’s a family owned/operated since the 60’s and the meat is excellent and the sides unbeatable. I always get a pint of Brunswick Stew to go!
tony d.
September 25th, 2010
10:52 pm
Thompson Brothers BBQ on cobb pkwy. I could swear I tasted a pinch of cinnamon in the sauce, and it was OUTSTANDING!
Ilove Goodq
September 25th, 2010
10:55 pm
Ya’ll need to come to Warner Robins and tryy you some Georgia Bobs BBQ uuuummmmmmm ggoodd
chris
September 25th, 2010
11:47 pm
Jim n Nicks
Lisa from Hampton
September 26th, 2010
12:28 am
We just tried Fox Brothers tonight, it was the BEST. My husband tried a combo platter, pulled pork, ribs & brisket…all were equally tasty. Thought about going back tomorrow and take our daughter, it was that good.
Popeye
September 26th, 2010
12:28 am
Stay AWAY from Fat Matt’s. They BOIL their ribs before dressing them up with sauce. THAT is not BBQ!
Jennii
September 26th, 2010
12:51 am
JJ Rib Shack and Big Daddy D’s
M
September 26th, 2010
1:05 am
Sauce- Fatt Matt’s; Meat- Community in Decatur, but Barne’s in Savannah beats any Atlanta ‘que by leaps & bounds..
stynes
September 26th, 2010
1:30 am
Fatt Matt’s is good and Williamson Bros used to be but has been extremely inconsistent the last couple of years. Sometimes good, but most times not nearly as good. I’ll also give an honorable mention to One Star for their beef ribs but the rest of the menu isn’t quite on par with the beef ribs.
My current favorites BBQ favorites are Fox Brothers and Dave Poe’s. Fox Bros has some of the best pulled pork you’ll ever taste and their tominator is amazing as well. Dave Poe’s rocks the ribs and has mac and cheese to die for. Dave Poe’s is also right around the corner from my house which helps as well!
butcher
September 26th, 2010
2:20 am
boston butt or picnic sholder???????
which leg do you want it to come from! same thing
Sarah
September 26th, 2010
3:14 am
Fox Bros. – No Contest.
John
September 26th, 2010
4:27 am
THe Very Best BBQ was from Aleck’s BBQ stand at the corner of MLK and Willis Mill Rd. He also had a location on MLK near Morris Brown College. Mr. Aleck has been since departed this earthly house but his BBQ was what I childhood was consumed of. Make mine a small end rib sandwich witha Pepsi cola Please.
Paddy
September 26th, 2010
7:41 am
Sunny…….the discussion was about Southern Bar-B-Que not Texas beef Bar-B-Que. Real Q is pork and a Southern tradition. We will eat and enjoy beef Q now and then but would never really consider it true Southern Bar-B-Que.
The Authority
September 26th, 2010
8:26 am
I’m only going over this once ppl. Fat Matt’s is a joke, KC Pit BBQ was hands down the best, so good the feds had to shut it down for fear the ppl wouldn’t need the gov’t. Rolling Bones is pretty good and Fox Bros is solid. If you want real BBQ though you need to go to Texas and eat at Cooper’s in Llano or the Salt Lick in Driftwood. Now that i’ve spoken, the matter is settled.
Alison
September 26th, 2010
11:20 am
OTP: Slopes in Roswell!
ITP: Harolds
Kathy Stone
September 26th, 2010
2:27 pm
The absolute best bbq in the Lawrenceville area is Hometown BBQ on Hwy 29. Great pork and terrific stew!!!
Kathy
Sheriff's Deputy
September 26th, 2010
2:35 pm
Community BBQ…Clairmont Rd south of the VA Hospital. The best pulled pork you’ll get anywhere. Just thinking about it has made me get ready to go there. The folks that run the place make you feel welcome, too. The prices initially seem high, until you see the size of the servings. I always end up bringing some home.
TheTruth
September 26th, 2010
2:44 pm
Clearly its Rolling Bones BBQ on Edgewood. I would never step foot in any of these other places after going here..I’m with General Zod, maybe it isn’t a place for earthlings, lol!
Valerie
September 26th, 2010
2:50 pm
Old South BBQ in Smyrna! YUM!
gojackets!
September 26th, 2010
2:59 pm
Fox Bros, Swallow in the Hallow, and Pig n Chik!
tspec
September 26th, 2010
3:00 pm
If you folks ever want to venture out of your cozy little suburbs, JJ’S Rib Shack on Campbellton Rd. Is the best!!!!! I wasn’t impressed with Kansas City or Memphis BBQ
Bubba Grant
September 26th, 2010
3:14 pm
Looks like most any place pleases metro Atlanta bbq eaters since no metro Atlanta bbq joint ranks above average in any national comparison of great bbq joints.
Sean
September 26th, 2010
3:38 pm
Pig N’ Check
cletus Snow
September 26th, 2010
3:59 pm
Shanes Rib Shack is great for a chain Waaaaay better than Sonny’s Mad Dogs BBQ in Conyers is very good. BUT the fact is No one in Atlanta can compete with Fresh Air BBQ in Jackson Ga. They invented BBQ and stew in 1929, Yup It’s a little bit of a drive but it’s worth every mile Check em out before you say something stupid
Woodstock Dawg
September 26th, 2010
4:22 pm
I like Dreamland in Roswell.
Here's a thought...
September 26th, 2010
4:46 pm
McGhin’sSouthern Pit BBQ in Griffin is the best ever! The food is the freshest I’ve ever had in a BBQ place. The restaurant itself is nice with its country decor. Also, try the coleslaw … it’s amazing! Here’s the link to their site if you’re interested.
http://www.southernpitbbq.com/
arichbug
September 26th, 2010
5:02 pm
southern pit in griffin is THE BEST BY FAR!!! its right off of hwy 1941 on the left.
Mac
September 26th, 2010
5:24 pm
Shane’s Rib Shack in Buckhead really rocks. The restaurant is small with limited parking, but they get you in and out of there really fast. The food is the best, and the portions are huge. The grey haired manager is there all the time and knows everyone by name and what they order. That’s what brings us back all the time.
bigred
September 26th, 2010
5:28 pm
I don’t get into the city that much but up here north of Atlanta in Suwanee Jim & Nick’s has the best in the area! And the baked beans are the best I have ever tasted!
lkjlkj
September 26th, 2010
5:29 pm
If I really wanted to show them good barbecue, I’d take them to Memphis.
Danny Cruikshank
September 26th, 2010
5:40 pm
I have traveled all over Georgia working.The best places for good bbq Bubba-Q in Woodstock..Hawg in Bones in Waycross..Jot em Down in Athens.Sam and Daves was really good but have not been there since they split.Bubba-Q serves the best brisket this side of Texas.
MotherIrish
September 26th, 2010
5:49 pm
Why Swallow at the Hollow of course – but for once a year – The Roswell Masons 2nd Sat in October. The really best stuff.
Ootowner
September 26th, 2010
5:53 pm
Please!!!! there is awesome BBQ in Atlanta including the Atlanta places listed above. The best I’ve had is called JJ Rib Shack or something. I’ve given up searching……
JONP
September 26th, 2010
5:54 pm
R.I.P. Big Ed’s!!!!
smoke your own
September 26th, 2010
6:00 pm
Has anyone suggesting Harold’s actually eaten there lately? Not so great anymore.
JONP
September 26th, 2010
6:03 pm
There is nothing bad on Slope’s menu!
Marilyn Bledsoe
September 26th, 2010
6:07 pm
Wallace in Austell…ask for BBQ with some of the outside (charred)…awesome. Also, cannot beat Fresh Air (Open Air?) in Jackson…still uses original recipe and it is the best. Worth the drive.
GeorgiaTraveling
September 26th, 2010
6:42 pm
Dreamland is the best I have found in Atlanta by far, at least for pulled pork. The ribs and chicken can be a bit dry and the sides selection is limited. Pig n Chik is OK. I don’t consider Shanes to be real BBQ, despite their ads to the contrary–it tastes like BBQ at a Denny’s or similar cheap general restaurant. Jim n Nicks is surprisingly good, but the service — at least in Cumming — has been consistently poor and slow on all of our visits, and the food overpriced, so we’ve removed that from our frequent visit list. ‘Que in Alpharetta is good, and Smokejack isn’t bad either, though a bit heavy on the pocketbook. Haven’t eaten at Williamson Bros in years. But I still find the best BBQ at hole-in-the-wall joints in Texas. Good cue, good value, real pit smokers, no pretense.
UGAfan
September 26th, 2010
6:48 pm
Fat Matt’s on Piedmont. http://www.fatmattsribshack.com/
Dave
September 26th, 2010
7:04 pm
If you have not already, a must try is Smokejack BBQ in Alpheretta!!!
scott
September 26th, 2010
7:14 pm
Hickory Pig Gainesville Ga
stockbridge
September 26th, 2010
7:18 pm
shanes is good if you’re constipated. best is mine
Paul Helbert
September 26th, 2010
7:18 pm
Unfortunately the best BBQ is not in Atlanta. Well maybe some sort is, but the best BBQ chicken is in the central Shenandoah Valley of Virginia any Saturday by any church or civic group. Folks outside of that area have no idea. For sliced pork or beef BBQ sandwiches and BBQ beans there is none better than The Ridgewood just outside of Bluff City, TN. I can’t speak about pulled BBQ or BBQ ribs because I have never had any I would go back for, so maybe Atlanta has something there. I’ll try anybodies BBQ once!
GW
September 26th, 2010
7:28 pm
Been here in Atlanta metro for a few years now, and have YET to find something worth writing about. Let it be told, Atlanta is best known for southern food, but outside of soul food (which is not all that grand) either, I don’t think it exists. The bbq here is just plain out right poor for what is being served and covered with TOO much sauce! Funny, when the topic of bbq comes up for who has the best in the U.S., the city of Atlanta is never mention and for good reason.
Durden
September 26th, 2010
7:52 pm
My House!!! There is no really good BBQ in the city and the mom and pops places are terrible. I gotta taste smoke so i do it at home!
Tom w
September 26th, 2010
7:55 pm
Great BBQ good prices good atmosphere (See ya in Hiram)
Tom w
September 26th, 2010
7:57 pm
Let me speak again Jim and Nicks (I like HIram location) Great BBQ Good fun!
Fred
September 26th, 2010
7:59 pm
I’d be hard pressed to make a choice between Fox Brothers and The Community Q. I liked the baby back and spare ribs from The Q better but I thought Fox smoked them (pun intended) on the short rib. The pulled pork was equally excellent. The Q has that awesome Mac and Cheese and Fox Brothers have that awesome remoulade to go with their fried dill pickles. I put them equal on their Brunswick stew. They taste different, but both are great. You would almost think the two places were owned and run by friends……….. oh wait, they are.
I don’t get the Harold’s nods. The one time I went I had what tasted like pork over cooked in an oven, frozen until it was freezer burned and then heated up in a steam oven. It was this gray, dry, tasteless matter that I HOPE was some sort of animal flesh other than rat.
MZ
September 26th, 2010
8:06 pm
Barbeque Street in Kennesaw
BBQ queen
September 26th, 2010
8:09 pm
‘Cue is opening for lunch in Cumming tomorrow. Haw Creek Plaza. Yoohoo!