Chow Down Atlanta

Three of my most favorite barbecue places in town comes from a grandson, a bird, and some brothers. But since I am an Equal Opportunity Eater, I also go to all the other hundred (bbq) places in town. You know how servers ask if it’s the first time you’ve been to a place? Like, so what if I have or haven’t? What can you possibly tell me if I haven’t? I’ve been here a couple of times and sure enough, I get asked that million dollar question. So I put it to the test and answered, No. I waited for a good comeback. Because I never get one. And… this girl no older than 18, actually had a good one. She proceeds to tell me a brief history of the place, how the menu is laid out, what some of the items were, what the portions are like, and gave a few suggestions. I was actually impressed.

On this visit, we got a combo plate and some ribs. I have never been blown away by their KC- style barbecue. They use this sweet glaze on the meat that I’m not a big fan of. It’s cloyingly sweet and reminded me of those fake-looking chicken entrees from chain restaurants. An option is to get the Memphis-style dry-rub instead.  The meats here are fork-tender and flavorful and the portions are huge.

What’s really amazing here are the sides. They are all made in-house from scratch. Two words: Corn Pudding. It’s savory with a slight sweet, lots of corn flavor, lots of fresh corn. It’s a cross between a quiche and a pie. It’s buttery, milky, eggy, and just plain delicious.

Other notable sides include the creamy cheese grits, the leafy collard greens, the macaroni & cheese, and the Vidalia onion rings. I’d go for the corn pudding alone.

Smokejack Southern Grill and BBQ
2 Locations:
29 S Main St
Alpharetta, GA 30004
(770) 410-7611

5063 Post Rd.
Suite 105
Cumming, GA 30040
770-781-8474

Technorati Tags: bbq, Alpharetta, Cumming

“The combo plate comes with a nap.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll make room for you.”
“On one of those benches.”

Apparently, they do not know who they are dealing with.

My meal: Rib Combo. Plate. Beef rib and sliced brisket. Mac-n-cheese and collards. And a Diet Coke.

I was anticipating a platter with humongous portions with the way they were talking to me. So although the plate that came had substantial serving sizes, it was a piece of cake for me. Of course, I can out eat everyone I know. But that is just (little ‘ol) me.

The brisket was glorious. The fibers detached from each other without any effort. Its smokiness was addicting. The beef rib (sans bone) had a nice crust. Both are fork tender. And very, very flavorful.

The mac-n-cheese is simply to-die for. The cheesy, sweet cream oozing out of every rigatoni is just so good. I could eat a whole platter of it. The toast was buttery and soft. The collards are silky and not at all mushy, although, it was a bit on the salty side for me. Seeing it untouched, I was offered to replace it with something else (they use a very bold chicken stock but the kitchen will be appropriately notified, I was told). With the meal almost over, I settled for a banana pudding instead. I am not a dessert person but all I can say is that it was good and creamy, not too sweet, and not too rich.

I had the pleasure of having lunch with the lovely, lovely, lovely Amy (yes, that is three lovelies for you) after weeks of trying to get our schedules in sync. She had a pulled pork sandwich and a side of mac-n-cheese. The pulled pork was as good as the other meats. It was tender and juicy and just as tasty.

Overall, a great lunch. Great barbecue and great mac-n-cheese. The sauces are both good — there is a vinegar-based one and a sweet one. Combine them both for a good kick. I cannot wait to come back and try all the other meats and sides. Incidentally, I demolished everything on my plate. As usual.

Insider tip:
Located at the old spot that used to be The Epicurean restaurant.
Menu here.

The scoop:
Community Q BBQ
1361 Clairmont Rd
Decatur, GA 30033
(404) 633-2080

Technorati Tags: Decatur, barbecue

Hawaii is a conglomeration of many ethnic cultures. As such, Hawaiian food has many influences from all the different races found on her islands. Plate lunch is an integral part of Hawaiian cuisine. It is similar to a combo plate, bento box, or meat-and-two.

Waikikie has an extensive menu of plate lunches to suit any island barbecue craving; plus some. I have been a regular here since 2006 and my standard orders are usually the Waikikie Combo and the Super Combo. The Waikikie combo comes with barbecue beef, chicken, and short ribs. The meats are all tender and marinated well. Each plate comes with two scoops of steamed rice and a scoop of macaroni salad.

The Super Combo has barbecue chicken and short ribs then topped with two over-easy eggs with gravy — though I always skip the gravy. Both are great choices and quite filling. In fact, you can not go wrong with any of the plate lunches. Even the fried rice and curry dishes are all good.

Insider tip:
Closed Mondays.
Tuesday through Thursday: 11:00 am to 9:30 pm
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am to 9:00 pm

The scoop:
Waikikie Hawaiian BBQ
2160 Briarcliff Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
(404) 638-1115

Technorati Tags: Hawaiian, barbecue, grill, Druid Hills

There’s an advantage to being the only girl and younger than everyone else in the premises: you get all the lovin’. Two seconds from entering and I’m already on first name basis with the guys behind the counter. It’s a nice way to make someone feel at home in the midst of all the testosterone under one roof. And all them guys are nice!

It’s my first time at this location although I’ve been to the other two many times. Order at the counter, get your utensils, then sit down and wait for your food to get delivered to you. I ordered the pork ribs, the counter guy looks at me and writes down a quarter slab plus my two sides. Hmmm, quarter slab. He clearly doesn’t know me — my size is inversely proportional to my appetite. But I didn’t want to hurt his feelings so I didn’t disagree with him and ended up with what looks to be a kid’s plate. Fine, I’ll just eat again one hour later.

I have always liked their sliced beef brisket, pulled pork, and pork ribs. Barbecue Man also agrees. They are moist and fall-of-the-bone tender with a good layer of fat. I also like the smoky flavor that is evident in every bite. Sides are forgettable (read: frozen kind) so skip the fried ones and opt for either the coleslaw, baked beans, or Brunswick stew (all homemade).

Definitely a good place for cheap but good eats. My total bill was close to $12 with 2 cans of Diet Coke.

Insider tip:
They have Fat Tire beer!

The scoop:
Pig-N-Chik BBQ
5071 Peachtree Industrial Blvd
Atlanta, GA 30341
(770) 451-1112

Technorati Tags: barbeque, Chamblee

Sometimes, it’s good to go to a place where everyone’s been but you. That way, most inconsistencies have been worked out. My second trip to FBB was this Saturday for a family lunch. My first trip was a blur but this second one was more memorable. I was really lusting for The Lopez, but I came late and my folks have already finished with their appetizers so I didn’t think it was fair to make them wait any longer. It’ll have to be another time.

Adoration came in the form of the special of the day: Beef Ribs. This scary, intimidating, monstrous dish looked depressing — it was covered in black crust. But it was the softest crust, more of a coloring than crust, really. First bite and it was barbecue heaven for me. It was oh so tender, moist, and very, very flavorful. It was so good by itself but a few douses of the sweetish barbecue sauce made it ever more wonderful. A winner!

My sides of collards and fried okra were good, not impressive, but better than most. The greens didn’t have the offensive bitter taste and the fried okra were battered lightly and fried golden. Both good choices. The jalapeño corn bread was just so-so. It was dryish and not enough heat.

My sister’s sliced brisket was also quite delicious. The meat was so tender and moist. Overall great barbecue meats. Her Brisket Chili was amazing. It was flavorful with lots of meaty goodness. I didn’t care much for the onion rings as they were just pedestrian. The Brunswick Stew was good in flavor but just didn’t do it for me. The Mac-n-Cheese was meh. It was gooey and starchy. Quite a turn-off.

The best barbecue I’ve ever had was at my uncle’s. A Georgia transplant who’s lived here most of his life, he prides himself in slaughtering a whole cow and making the best bbq ever. No place has come close. When I was younger, we used to go to Austin at least once a month for barbecue. But that got old. I’m so glad FBB came into our chain-laden scene. We now have another choice and no longer have to put up with chains who come and go.

Insider tip:
The parking lot is tiny but street parking isn’t difficult to find.

The scoop:
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
1238 Dekalb Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
(404) 577-4030