These Georgia restaurants have some of the best barbecue in the US, Southern Living says
How do you like your barbecue?
Do you want your ribs smoked with extra flavor and topped with spicy sauce, or do you take yours on the sweet side topped with slaw?
Maybe you like pulled pork or chicken. Perhaps you like a big heaping of Georgia peach barbecue sauce on your plate?
Whatever way you like it, the South’s got it cookin’ for you.
Robert Moss, Southern Living’s contributing barbecue editor, has compiled his yearly list of the U.S. South’s best barbecue spots from Texas to North Carolina.
In addition to the barbecue taste and sauce, the side dishes, dessert, presentation and setting were all a part of the criteria for the rankings on the list.
And one thing’s for sure: you’ll want to try all 50 after reading.
“If you eat at all 50 of these joints, you will not only enjoy some fantastically delicious barbecue but will also experience the full sweep and range of the South’s diverse and thriving barbecue culture,” said Moss.
And in Georgia, there’s no shortage of mouth-watering barbecue, so Peach State residents can rest assured. In fact, a few Georgia restaurants made the list.
Here are the three barbecue spots in Georgia that made Southern Living’s list.
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Que
Southern Living ranking: 49 of 50
Addrewss: 1238 DeKalb Avenue Northeast, Atlanta
Phone: 404-577-4030
Website: foxbrosbbq.com
Yelp rating: 4.5/5 stars from over 4,600 reviews
What Southern Living thought:
“Fox Bros. still stands out because of its lively atmosphere and its over-the-top barbecue creations. Brisket, pulled pork, chicken, and ribs anchor the menu, and those meats get spun into creative, cross-regional combinations like ‘chicken fried’ ribs with Alabama-style white sauce, ‘Tomminator’ tater tots smothered with Brunswick stew, and towering smoked bologna and pimento cheese sandwiches. The Foxes call this ‘Atlanta Style,’ and it seems well suited to such a dynamic melting pot of a city,” Moss said.
Fresh Air Bar-B-Que
Southern Living ranking: 2 of 50
Address: 1164 Highway 42 South, Jackson
Phone: -770-775-3182
Website: freshairbarbecue.com
Yelp Rating: 4/5 stars from 169 reviews
What Southern Living thought:
“The wooden paneling on the walls is stained almost black from decades of hardwood smoke, and you order at a short counter just in front of the big L-shaped brick pit where the barbecue is cooked. No brisket, ribs, or even chicken can be found on the smoke-blackened menu board. Here barbecue means one thing and one thing only: pork— specifically, 15 to 20-pound hams slow-cooked over hickory and oak. The finished pork is chopped into long shreds and dressed in a thin, tangy red sauce, and it’s infused with the rich, juicy smoke flavor that you can only get from a direct heat pit,” Moss said.
Southern Soul Barbeque
Southern Living Ranking: 22 of 50
Address: 2020 Demere Road, Saint Simons Island
Phone: 912-638-7685
Website: southernsoulbbq.com
Yelp Rating: 4.5/5 stars from 1,222 reviews
What Southern Living thought:
A constellation of factors makes Southern Soul a must-visit barbecue destination. There are delicious slow smoked meats, of course — brisket, chicken, turkey, and sausage, all cooked over oak on Oyler and Lang pits. Sweet and smoky honey-basted ribs are long-time crowd favorites, and Southern Soul’s rich, tangy version of Georgia’s traditional Brunswick stew is a delight. The laid-back, retro beach vibe is essential, too. . . . There’s always something intriguing to be found on the specials board, too, like smoked mahi dip, reubens with house-cured pastrami, and smoked wings tossed in Georgia peach barbecue sauce. It all adds up to an irresistible barbecue oasis just a mile from the Atlantic Ocean,” Moss said.
Southern Living’s Top Ten
Others on the Southern Living list in the top ten best barbecue joints in the south:
1: Snow’s BBQ in Texas
2: Fresh Air Bar-B-Que in Georgia
3: Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Alabama
4: Louie Mueller Barbecue in Texas
5: Scott’s Bar-B-Q in South Carolina
6: Skylight Inn BBQ in North Carolina
7: Lexington Barbecue in North Carolina
8: Lewis Barbecue in South Carolina
9: Goldees in Texas
10: B.E. Scott’s BBQ in Tennessee
What’s your favorite barbecue spot? Comment below to let us know.
This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 9:47 AM with the headline "These Georgia restaurants have some of the best barbecue in the US, Southern Living says."
