The Georgia Boys Georgia BBQ Review

The Georgia Boys are two brothers, Leverett and Henry Butts, natives of Atlanta, Georgia and lovers of real Southern Barbeque, or BBQ, or simply “Q.” 

Growing up in the southern suburbs of Atlanta, their initial exposure to the true delicacy that is Southern BBQ was at two long established local restaurants. Sadly, only one of which still exists today. 

The first one was, the now gone, MeLear’s BBQ on US Highway 29 in Union City, Georgia was actually the second location; it was just closer to where we lived.  The original restaurant was located in Fayetteville, Georgia on GA Highway 85 just south of GA Highway 54. 

The second one was Sprayberry’s BBQ, the original location, still located on US Highway 29 in Newnan, Georgia, and has remained pretty much unchanged since its opening on 1926. There is a newer restaurant on HWY 34 about ¼ mile east of I-85 and it is built to look like the original.

The basic BBQ plate at these restaurants was pork or beef, Brunswick Stew, bread, and pickles. At MeLear’s the bread was toasted on one side. At Sprayberry’s it was just plain white loaf bread. There were not too many side dishes as both places showcased the essence of their BBQ; the meat.

Dessert was not a mainstay at either of these restaurants. MeLears served ice box pie, lemon or chocolate, while Sprayberry’s served fried pies apple or peach and ice cream.

In early 2012, we were discussing the merits of BBQ and decided to create an informational source for those who may choose to visit our home, the great State of Georgia, and might be in search of some good quality real Southern BBQ. 

We decided to arrange the information by city rather than an alphabetical listing of the restaurants. We figured it would be easier for folks to find a good BBQ restaurant by looking at what was available where they were rather than seeing two places that look great only to find out one is located in Americus in Sumter County and the other is located in Cordele in Crisp County and the person seeking the BBQ was staying on the north side of Atlanta in Alpharetta!

Please check back often as this is a work in progress and we will be constantly updating adding other BBQ joints in different areas of Georgia beginning somewhat as a radius outward from Atlanta. 

All of our visits to rate BBQ joints will be anonymous; the staff will not know who we are and will assume we are only there to eat their “Q”. We will most likely look like regular working stiffs who cobbled enough cash together to share a combination plate. This way we get to sample what we need to, the same food you can expect to get in order give an accurate rating, without going broke ourselves!

In our opinion there really should not be too many side dishes because after all the point of going to a BBQ restaurant is to eat BBQ; not a bunch of side dishes. If that is what you are interested in then we suggest you visit Golden Coral. Accordingly, we will only rate what we consider to be the only true Southern side dishes which are Brunswick Stew and slaw.   

We hold a similar opinion for desserts in that we only consider fried pies, ice box pies, cobbler, and banana pudding as true Southern dessert dishes and these are the only ones we will rate.

BBQ sauce in our opinion is something that is added to the meat as an accompaniment. Sauce should enhance the meat and not be used as a blanket to cover and smother it. Sauce though is truly a Southern institution, like the meat, and thus will be rated as well.

The rating criteria are pretty basic but will meet the needs of someone in search of good BBQ and do not want to waste their time. 

Meat, Slaw, Pies, and Banana Pudding will be rated for taste, texture, moistness, and amount served.

Brunswick Stew will be rated for taste, texture, and amount served.

The rating scale will be:

(5) To Die For:        So good that you would kill for it and be happy to eat it as your last meal while sitting in the electric chair.

(4) Excellent:           So good that you typically will eat BBQ nowhere else.

(3) Very good:         Good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.

(2) Okay:                You only have an hour for lunch and this is the only BBQ place close enough.

(1) Needs Work:      If they get serious and study the process they may be able to make okay BBQ...maybe...someday.                                                   

(0) Insulting:            They should never even consider uttering the words BBQ in this lifetime again….ever.

In addition to the above ratings, we will provide some basic information about each restaurant including address, telephone number, website if available, hours of operation, and when possible we will provide menus and photos of the restaurant’s exterior, and the dishes we sampled.

So basically there will be: 

Three rating levels, (3, 4, and 5), that are worth your money and time                                      

One rating level, (2), that is worth your money and time; only if you have no other options available        

  

Two rating levels, (0 and 1), that are worth neither your time nor your money under any circumstances because they certainly were not worth ours!

The Georgia Boys Abroad

We are true native Georgia boys whose love of Georgia runs bone deep, and who truly believe that the best BBQ is found only within the borders of the Great State of Georgia, we thus consider the mere thought of BBQ from anywhere else being superior to Georgia BBQ to be traitorous talk…akin to blasphemy. However, we do occasionally travel to other worlds outside of our beloved Georgia and have found that some of them purport to make excellent BBQ themselves. Some even have the unmitigated gall to claim that their BBQ is better than anyone else’s anywhere…including the BBQ that is made in the Great State of Georgia, God's Own Country! Well…being of open, even if not always sound and/or sane, minds we do give these places a chance to prove their claim.

 

So here, under the “Georgia Boys Abroad” part of our blog (as far as we are concerned anywhere beyond Georgia’s borders is in fact another country), you will find our reviews of BBQ restaurants from places other than Georgia. Here we will also include our reviews of BBQ trucks and trailers, in addition to hole-in-the-wall BBQ joints and restaurants, because let’s face it…not everyone outside of Georgia understands that the best BBQ is generally found within a small decrepit building loosely defined as a shack.

Hudson's Hickory House

Hudson's Hickory House located at 6874 Broad Street in Douglasville, Georgia is in a real building versus a shack.  The prices are very reasonable and the portions are large. Ordering a plate allows for a side dish of either fries or a baked potato; we choose the fries and were pleasantly surprised that they were of the hand cut variety, and they were very good.

You can reach them by phone at 770-942-4828.

As for our rating we give Hudson's Hickory House an overall rating of:

2 – Okay (You only have an hour for lunch and this is the only place close enough)

The breakdown was:

Meat:  4 Excellent (So good that you typically will not eat BBQ anywhere else.)

We had a BBQ plate with sliced pork and we also tried the pulled pork. The meat was very moist and in fact did not need any sauce at all. The meat comes chopped, sliced, or pulled. Also for only ten cent more, you may order all inside meat.

BBQ Sandwich: 3 Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

We got sliced meat on the sandwich which made it easier to handle as a sandwich. The bun was soft, warm, and moist. The sauce can come on the side, which is how we feel it should be sauce should enhance the flavor of the meat, not cover it up.

BBQ Sauce: 1 Needs Work: If they get serious and study the process they may be able to make good sauce maybe...someday...

The sauce is homemade and it is vinegar based and thus is very very tangy. It also has a bitter mystery ingredient that detracts from the taste of the sauce and anything you put it on. It should be used very sparingly if at all. They will give you extra sauce if you ask for it.

Brunswick Stew: 2 Okay (You only have an hour for lunch and this is the only place close enough)

The Brunswick Stew was okay. It was tomato based but a bit on the thick side and could have benefited from more broth. It had a chili-esque texture.  The spice was warm but not hot; there is mustard based hot sauce on the tables to add if you prefer a hotter stew.

Fried Pie: 2 Okay (You only have an hour for lunch and this is the only place close enough) They have apple, blueberry, cherry and peach fried pies. Being Georgia boys, natives of the Peach State, you might think that we would choose a fried peach pie. Well, Southern boys are a mysterious bunch…and thus, we chose apple. It was served warm with butter and it was okay. It was deep fried, but even though it was not dripping in grease, the crust was somewhat doughy. The filling was hot and could have benefited from more apples. The size was adequate: big enough for us to share one.

Wallace's Barbeque

Wallace’s Barbeque located at 3035 Veterans Memorial HWY (GA HWY 78) in Austell, Georgia is a wonderful restaurant in a real building versus a shack. According to the picture on the back of the menu, this location was opened on June 7, 1988, just down the street from the original location that was established in 1966 by Gerald Wallace. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are large. Ordering a plate allows for a side dish of either fries or a baked potato; we choose the fries and were pleasantly surprised that they were of the hand cut variety, and they were very good.

You can learn more about them at their website http//:wallacebarbeque.com

As for our rating we give Wallace’s BBQ an overall rating of:

3 – Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

The breakdown was:

Meat:  4 Excellent (So good that you typically will not eat BBQ anywhere else.)

We had a BBQ plate with sliced pork and we also tried the chopped pork. The meat was very moist and in fact did not need any sauce at all. 

BBQ Sandwich: 3 Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

We got sliced meat on the sandwich which made it easier to handle as a sandwich. The bun was soft, warm, and moist. The sauce can come on the side, which is how we feel it should be sauce should enhance the flavor of the meat, not cover it up.

BBQ Sauce: 3 Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

The sauce is homemade and it is vinegar based and thus is very very tangy. It should be used sparingly and in this amount perfectly complements the meat. They will give you extra sauce if you ask for it.

 Brunswick Stew: 3 Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

The Brunswick Stew was very good. It was tomato based but a bit on the runny side and could have benefited from more meat or perhaps shredded meat instead of the ground meat in contained. It had a subtle smoky flavor. The spice was warm but not hot; there is mustard based hot sauce on the tables to add if you prefer a hotter stew.

Fried Pie: 2 Okay (You only have an hour for lunch and this is the only place close enough) They have peach and apple fried pies. Being Georgia boys, natives of the Peach State, you might think that we would choose a fried peach pie. Well, Southern boys are a mysterious bunch…and thus, we chose apple. It was okay. It was deep fried, but even though it was not dripping in grease, the crust was somewhat doughy. The filling was hot and could have benefited from more apples. The size was adequate: big enough for us to share one.

Smoke House BBQ, Gainesville, GA

Smoke House BBQ located at  3205 Atlanta Highway in Gainesville, Georiga, has been serving BBQ to the Oakwood and Gainesville communities for over thirty years. They also have the unique honor of being the ONLY two-time first place winner in the annual Stone Mountain Park BBQ Cook-Off. Smoke House BBQ combines very well the BBQ Shack and sit down dining experience. Customers walk up on the front porch and place their order at one window and it is served from the next window. All orders are served in to-go packages, and those who choose to eat there may do so in a screened in dining area called the "Wood Shed" containing several large picnic tables under lighted ceiling fans next to the BBQ Shack.

They also sell reasonably priced customized tee-shirts.

As for our rating we give Smoke House BBQ an overall rating of:

4 – Excellent - (So good that you typically will not eat BBQ anywhere else.)

The breakdown was:

Meat:    5 To Die For  (So good that you would kill for it and be happy to eat it as your last meal while sitting in the electric chair). It is clear why Smoke House BBQ has taken first place twice in Stone Mountain's BBQ Cook-Off. The meat is shoulder meat and comes chopped but if you as they wil serve it to you pulled. It is so tender that it literally cannot be sliced. We had a BBQ plate with pulled pork. We recommend you ask for pulled pork unless you must eat chopped. The meat was amazing and was, in fact, so good that it did not need sauce at all. It was very tender and moist and had a wonderful subtle smoky flavor unlike some that tases like you are biting into a piece of charcoal. The portion, though not huge, was ample for the price and was very filling.

BBQ Sandwich: 5 To Die For (So good that you would kill for it and be happy to eat it as your last meal while sitting in the electric chair.) We got pulled meat on the sandwich as well. The bun was soft, warm, and moist. The sauce comes on the side, which is how we feel it should be since sauce should enhance the flavor of the meat, not cover it up.

BBQ Sauce: 2 Okay (You only have an hour for lunch and this is the only BBQ place close enough.) The sauce at Smoke House BBQ  is homemade, and it is vinegar based, thus very tangy. It also had quite a bit of pepper in it, giving it quite a kick. We felt that the meat was so good that the sauce actually detracted from the meat.  It should be used sparingly and in this amount complements the meat more than detracts from it.

Brunswick Stew: 4 Excellent (So good that you typically will not eat BBQ anywhere else.)

The Brunswick Stew was perfect; without complaint. It was hearty, tomato based, slightly thick but still runny with bits of meat and a subtle smoky flavor. The spice was just right warm with no harsh bites lurking later. You could make a meal of this alone.

Banana Pudding: 5 To Die For (So good that you would kill for it and be happy to eat it as your last meal while sitting in the electric chair). In a word, it was amazing. The size was good: big enough for us to share one and both feel satisfied. When we first opened the container (remember everything is packaged to go even if you choose to eat in the "Wood Shed"), it was pale almost white in color which is a contrast of the pale to bright yellows we have seen before. This is due to its being a custard, rather than the pudding based we ate as kids. Additionally, the vanilla wafers were mixed thoroughly throughout the pudding. This technique allowed the wafers to soak up the pudding so that it resembled more bread pudding than banana pudding and the pudding base had a wonderfully playful banana flavor...just a hint so you got a good tatse but it was not over powering and did not overshadow the slices of banan inside.

For more information you can visit their webpage :

http://smokehousebbqandcatering.com/default.html

Sprayberry's Bar-B-Que, Newnan, GA

Sprayberry’s Barbeque was established in 1926 in Newnan, Georgia and has been a family owned and run operation ever since. In addition to the original location located in Newnan at 229 Jackson Street, they have a second location on Hwy 34 just east of I-85 (at Exit #47). We ate at their original location, but the menu at boht places is the same. They are closed on Sundays.

Sprayberry’s was a favorite of the late Southern humorist and author Lewis Grizzard. Sprayberry’s even named a BBQ platter after him the “Lewis Grizzard Special” which is a BBQ sandwich, Brunswick stew and onion rings. For us, the allure of Sprayberry’s is more personal in that it is one of the places our paternal grandparents would meet for dates when they were in high school…or so the story goes…

As for our rating we give Sprayberry’s an overall rating of:

3 – Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

The breakdown was:

Meat:    3 Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

We had a BBQ plate with sliced pork. The meat was a little dry. This is because they use all cuts of the pig and not just the hams and shoulders which tend to be darker and more moist. We did sample the chopped and because it is chopped it was able to soak up more of the sauce and was less dry but dry still the same. Our recommendation is go with the chopped meat on BBQ plates.

BBQ Sandwich: 4 Excellent (So good that you typically will not eat BBQ anywhere else.)

We got sliced meat on the sandwich as well. It was better than the plate. The bun was soft, warm, and moist. The sauce comes on the side which is how we feel it should be sauce should enhance the flavor of the meat, not cover it up.

BBQ Sauce: 3 Very Good (It is good but you will eat BBQ at other places too.)

The sauce at Sprayberry’s is homemade and it is vinegar based and thus is very very tangy. It should be used sparingly and in this amount perfectly complements the meat.

Brunswick Stew: 5 To Die For (So good that you would kill for it and be happy to eat it as your last meal while sitting in the electric chair.)

The Brunswick Stew was perfect; without complaint. It was hearty, tomato based, very thick with bits of meat and a subtle smoky flavor. The spice was just right warm at first then finishing with just the slightest tangy bite. A bowl of this could be a meal unto itself.

Fried Pie: 5 To Die For (So good that you would kill for it and be happy to eat it as your last meal while sitting in the electric chair). They have peach and apple fried pies. Being Georgia boys, natives of the Peach State, you might think that we would choose a fried peach pie. Well Southern boys are a mysterious bunch…and thus, we chose apple. It was amazing. The size was good big enough for us to share one and feel satisfied. It was deep fried yet was not dripping in grease. The crust was light and flaky and the filing was piping hot and was mostly apples not the gooey syrup often found inside a fried pie.

For more information you can visit their webpage: www.sprayberrys.com