136252 Wed Apr 09 16:46:02 -0700 2003 43 11 South 0 731058 Does anyone have any recommendations for barbecue in the Athens, Georgia area? Thanks. Wed Apr 09 16:46:02 -0700 2003 0 pigfan 1 731059 The barbecue in Athens proper isn't very good. Hot Thomas in Watkinsville and the place on route 78 in downtown Lexington are excellent and in easy driving distance. (Sorry, the name of the latter escapes me, but you can't miss it: small town.) Somewhere on this site there is, or at least was, a report that covered northeast Georgia barbecue, perhaps among other topics. It wasn't a post to this board, but a self-contained write-up with photographs. Not sure how many tips that had, but it's probably worth doing a search. Let me know if you discover anything else around Athens. Thanks. Wed Apr 09 16:58:41 -0700 2003 731058 0 Derek 2 731061 Paul's is the name of the place in Lexington & pigfan is correct, Lexington is not very big so it will be hard to miss. If memory serves it is only open on Sat mornings. I am racking my brain to think of any good barbecue places in Athens proper & nothing comes to mind. There are so many other great eating places in Athens I never even consider barbecue when there. Wed Apr 09 20:29:37 -0700 2003 731059 0 Lan4Dawg 3 731064 I haven't been in years and years but are the Swamp Guinea and the Pinecrest Lodge still open? Wed Apr 09 21:56:00 -0700 2003 731061 0 Joe H. 4 731066 Just checked the yellow pages (I live in Athens) and there is a listing for "Charlie Williams Pinecrest Lodge" but nothing for Swamp Guinea. Is this Pinecrest place worth checking out? One more comes to mind since my last post, also not in Athens. A place on route 29 in Danielsville (past the circle if you're coming from Athens) -- just a roadside cart, really, but pretty good product. Thu Apr 10 09:42:30 -0700 2003 731064 0 Derek 5 731076 The Swamp Guinea was virtually identical to the Pinecrest Lodge which, yes, is most definitely worth checking out. Not just food but the overall experience which was one of the most unique in America. Thu Apr 10 18:55:41 -0700 2003 731066 0 Joe H. 4 731080 alas, the Swamp Guinea is no more but Charlie Williams' Pinecrest Lodge is still packing them in. It is an experience. The food is good, not great, but there is so much of it! There is a place called the Barbecue Shack that some one mentioned to me. It is out on Lexington Rd and supposedly a hit w/ some folks. The place is only open on Fr/Sat & I think the place in Danielsville is Zeb Dean's. Fri Apr 11 10:56:43 -0700 2003 731064 0 Lan4Dawg 5 731084 I'm not a big fan of Barbecue Shack on Lexington (which is across the street from Walmart on the east side, if you're interested in trying it yourself). The pork shoulder is reasonably good but not distinctive. And the ribs taste heavily charred -- not unpleasant, but not proper barbecue either. It does get crowded, though, so maybe my take is idiosyncratic. Fri Apr 11 13:34:53 -0700 2003 731080 0 Derek 4 731136 was just up there yesterday & found out that Charlie William's Pine Crest Lodge is still open but only for banquets. For now, anyway, they are not serving the public. Thu Apr 17 08:17:47 -0700 2003 731064 0 Lan4Dawg 5 732214 JB's on Broad has good barbecue. The hot is very hot. Get it to go, not a place you'd want to linger. Thu Jul 03 11:00:38 -0700 2003 731136 0 athena (Mary Anne O'Neal) 1 731069 It's been a few years, but I recall that Hart's in Commerce was pretty good. If you take the exit to Athens from I-85 (441) and make a right on Elm St to head over to Commerce its about a mile or so on the left. Maybe somebody else has a more current report on the place. Thu Apr 10 12:52:31 -0700 2003 731058 0 Brent Kulman 2 731083 Hart's was excellent the last time I was able to get by there. However, it was at least three years ago. Worth a try. Fri Apr 11 11:43:05 -0700 2003 731069 0 Jim 1 731070 Ahhhh.....Barbecue. Here are a few in the area from my master list to get you started. I've been to some, some are better than others and some may have been already mentioned. As usual, call first. And let us know....Enjoy. Athens Barbeque Shack - 4320 Lexington Rd - 706/613-6752 - BBQ - Chicken, pork and ribs served with a variety of sides such as baked beans and cole slaw - Homemade banana pudding or cake - Drive-through window - Th-Sat L&D Charlie Williams Pinecrest - Locations: 473 Hwy 29N, 706/354-7900; 2020 Timothy Rd, 706/549-6552 - BBQ - Catfish, shrimp, chicken, steak, hamburgers and sandwiches with fries, hushpuppies, sides and home-style desserts - Different setup than original Pinecrest Lodge, but same food - Drive-through service at both locations - 7d L&D Charlie Williams Pinecrest Lodge - 1 Pinecrest Lodge Rd - 706/353-2606 - Southern foods - Barbecue, catfish, seafood, greens, hushpuppies - All-you-can-eat seafood, steak and barbecue buffet on F and Sat and an all-you-can eat country-style buffet with catfish, fried chicken, barbecue, macaroni and cheese, collards, desserts and more for Sunday lunch - Original location - F-Sat L&D, Sun L Fresh Air Barbeque - 1110 Hull Rd - 706/546-6060 - BBQ - Spinoff from Jackson (Flovilla) and Macon GA locations ** Bogart (NE, ~5 mis W of Athens) Fresh Air Barbeque - 5170 Atlanta Hwy - 770/725-5227 - BBQ - Spinoff from Flovilla ** Danielsville (NE, ~15 mis NNE of Athens, on US 29) Dean Zeb Bar-B-Que (aka Zebs Bar B Que) - Royston Rd (US 29) - 706/795-2701 - BBQ with pepper-vinegar sauce - Tu-Sun L, Tu-Sat D ** Franklin Springs (far NE, ~25 mis NE of Athens, ~2 mis E of Royston) Bar H Barbecue - 1380 E. Main St - 706/245-0022 - BBQ - Casual - Eat in or takeaway - No res - $, MC/V ** Hull (NE, ~8 mis NE of Athens on SR 72) Bills Bar B Que - Danielsville Rd (10010 Fortson Store Rd, off US 29) - 706/549-4949 - BBQ - Chopped pork or beef, FFs, hushpuppies, fish strips, shrimp, chicken strips, sandwiches, hamburgers, hamburger steaks - L&D ** Lexington (NE, ~10 mis E of Athens, along US 78) Paul's Barbecue - US 78 (downtown) - 706/743-8254 (listed as Paul George, Elberton Rd, Carlton, GA) - BBQ - Hickory- and red oak-smoked pork, Brunswick stew, Bunny brand white bread - Meats are cooked on his farm then brought to little store on Sat AMs where meat is pulled and sauced - Tables and folding chairs - Open Fourth of July and Sats from ~0900h til stew and meat is gone (~1400h) ** Watkinsville (NE mid, ~10 mis S of Athens, along US 129) Thomas Barbecue (aka Hot Thomas Barbeque & Peach Orchard) - 3753 Greensboro Hwy - 706/769-6550 - BBQ - Pork barbecue, ribs, chicken (Sat only), Brunswick stew, chili dogs, burgers, homemade desserts - Platter with large heap of hickory-cooked pork, good sweet-pickle cole slaw, Brunswick stew and white bread - Dark red, vinegary sauce (order hot) - M-Sat from 0800h, but maybe as late as 1045h Thu Apr 10 14:18:46 -0700 2003 731058 0 SBCochran 2 731081 should have read your post first Fri Apr 11 10:59:43 -0700 2003 731070 0 Lan4Dawg 2 731120 Fresh Air and Hot Thomas' are both very good. I've tried to find Zeb's before--it has a legendary status--but I've never been able to find the damn place! Tue Apr 15 11:14:35 -0700 2003 731070 0 chris o 1 731093 'tis no more, but the only answer to a question about Athens BBQ used to be Poss's. Sat Apr 12 11:40:42 -0700 2003 731058 0 wabbitslayer 2 4116513 Could someone please describe Poss's sauce for me? Thanks, Mon Oct 20 12:16:18 -0700 2008 731093 113381 dvreed 1 2334276 My friends and I really dig Zeb Dean's and Jot 'Em Down - Zebs is a little drive from Athens, but Jot 'Em Down is out on the east side. Tue Feb 27 12:02:56 -0800 2007 731058 78279 jennybwithdbt 1 2336764 There's a new place in Watkinsville (Smokin' Stevie's, on Mars Hill Road) that's not bad. It's not Paul's, and the sauce is a bit tomatoey, but it's pretty tasty and not very far. They also take credit cards. Wed Feb 28 05:50:55 -0800 2007 731058 17145 hillarybrown 1 2338884 hot thomas....ordinary; fresh air, the same. zeb's more of it. the one in lexington is good but they use fresh ham and not shoulder. jot'em down is good. have hope....there is a smoker and trailer on the lot next to what i call ' the flying chicken' place at the point where extension meets 441 business (main st) and it is REALLY GOOD! and the stew has not been ruined by a pressure cooker as is almost ALL north georgia stew. one can actually see the corn and butter beans floating around.....savannah style she says and it is true - that is where i first had it and it should not resemble mush. the folks who run the trailer are going to open over next to the high school on hog mountain and they will laugh all the way to the bank. one big problem with bbq places is that even if the bbq is good, the sides are invariably terrible...too sweet beans, too sweet slaw and something almost inedible called 'texas toast', a greasy slice of fried bread. not so at the trailer, the bread is unusually good, the slaw is o.k. and at least not too sweet. my own opinion is that if the beans are sweet-ish (and the almost always are), then the slaw ought to balance it out by a little tang....as in n.y. deli slaw. this guy may do it as he is (gasp!) not from the south but from the bronx. Wed Feb 28 14:32:22 -0800 2007 731058 78655 mzim 2 2339652 Talk about coming to Athens with the hatedown. You sign up one day and proceed to trash almost everything across half a dozen or so posts. What exactly are your qualifications? And why a problem with using a fresh ham instead of a shoulder? If you were in NC, they'd tell you to use the whole pig. Wed Feb 28 17:54:58 -0800 2007 2338884 78724 athenseats 2 2342032 Texas Toast is griddled and delicious. And you ruin your cred by saying that Southern slaw to accompany barbecue should be like NY deli slaw. "Extension meets 441" - can you elaborate on this? In Watkinsville? Thu Mar 01 11:39:10 -0800 2007 2338884 10283 Dax 3 2344535 Sounds like it's by Chicken Express. Fri Mar 02 05:45:30 -0800 2007 2342032 17145 hillarybrown 2 3197589 Several of these statements seem to indicate personal preferences, rather than statements about quality. The various opinions regarding barbecue itself, cole slaw, brunswick stew, baked beans, and even sweet tea - and of course, the sauce - are more numerous than gnats below the gnat line. I have enjoyed finding the variety. Fresh Air in Bogart was a place I drove by one Sunday afternoon just about the time I was telling my wife that I could use a light snack. A chopped pork sandwich and a glass of sweet tea filled the bill much better than my other options. Was it the greatest barbecue I have ever had? No! Would I stop there again for a snack or a meal? Yes! It does seem to be true, in my experience, that the sides are often disappointing - places let the barbecue carry the dining experience. A couple of notable exceptions - although not in the immediate area of Athens - are the two locations of Sam & Dave's BBQ in Marietta and Bub-Ba-Q in Jasper. Slope's BBQ in Roswell and Sandy Springs also do a much better than average job with their sides. Tue Dec 11 04:45:00 -0800 2007 2338884 10288 Milt 1 2339133 A greasy slice of fried bread sounds delicious. Wed Feb 28 15:37:02 -0800 2007 731058 17145 hillarybrown 1 2339641 Zeb Deans is fairly good and has all the atmosphere you can hope for . Jot Em Down is good but never open when I want it. I love JD's ribs and his smokers are right there out back, the Q often has black burnt pieces which is not the way I like it. I activly dislike Fresh Air, a friend had his wedding reception there and it was a major disaster. Hot Thomas is fairly good but drive 20 mins further south to Greensboro for much better. Wed Feb 28 17:51:32 -0800 2007 731058 44963 gashrink 2 3005440 Up date: Jot EM Down is d'bomb! I love North Carolina style BBQ and Jot Em Down has the best I've had in the state.Nice smoke flavor and a perfectly balanced hot and sour sauce it's out of the way for me but worth the drive. Thu Oct 04 15:06:18 -0700 2007 2339641 44963 gashrink 3 3005613 Do you have an address or exact location for Jot 'em Down? Thanks so much! Thu Oct 04 16:03:50 -0700 2007 3005440 25751 carolinadawg 4 3007509 Go to the end of College Station and turn right (I think it's called Barnett shoals road there.) Go past the next light (where Barnett Shoals turns) and its the little wood sided building on your right. It's a little old country store. I love their vinegar based sauce. Fri Oct 05 08:45:35 -0700 2007 3005613 44963 gashrink 4 3007974 The Jot 'Em Down Country Store sits near the intersection of Whitehall and Barnett Shoals Roads. Owners: Danny Bell, Bill Morton, Elrod Sims Type: retail household goods, weekend barbecue restaurant Address: 150 E. Whitehall Road Phone: (706) 549-2110 Hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday Fri Oct 05 10:30:47 -0700 2007 3005613 132455 Compton Jones 5 3011817 Thanks gashrink and Compton Jones! Sun Oct 07 05:28:12 -0700 2007 3007974 25751 carolinadawg 6 3137882 Went to Jot 'Em Down this weekend (its great to find a "Q joint open on Sundays!) and I thought it was fabulous! Great old time, country store atmosphere. The "Q is moist, tender and smoky, served unsauced, with 6 or 7 different kinds of sauces on the table to put on it. (Try "Elrod's sauce...awesome!) Mon Nov 19 06:01:10 -0800 2007 3011817 25751 carolinadawg 7 4048873 Hey, I just ate at Jot 'Em Down a couple of weeks ago and I do admit, it is great. If you like Jot, You'll love Zeb Dean's (Called just Zeb's) on the other side of Danielsville. Real North Carolina style BBQ. Vinegar and pepper based sauce in a bottle on the table. Meat served naked (as it should be). Their stew is one of the most distinctive flavored stews I have ever had. I have eaten stew all across GA-TN-NC and SC and Zeb's still is my favorite. Zeb's stew is the traditional "first grown up food" for my children! GOOD STUFF!!! By the way; Texas Barbecue BITES!!! Tried that at six different locations and hated every one! Fri Sep 19 22:00:13 -0700 2008 3137882 227362 GoBigC 8 4052411 Texas Barbecue as in barbecue from the state of Texas or is that the name of some chain? Because if you mean from all over the state of Texas, where have you gone? Have you tried any of the offerings in Lockhart? Mon Sep 22 07:17:54 -0700 2008 4048873 10283 Dax 1 3138258 Big fan of the newly opened Jimmy's on Lumpkin. The pulled pork is the best as far as the meat goes. The greens are really, really good, too. Organic pig, and most of the vegetables are too, some of them grown by the owner or the chef. They don't seem to be getting the business they deserve. I hope they stay open because, 1. they're good, and 2. they deliver to my neighborhood. Mon Nov 19 08:07:40 -0800 2007 731058 73832 AmyWatts 1 3178620 Does anyone remember the name of a place that was on Broad st (between downtown and milledge) as late as 1996? If I heard correctly the owner was shot (and killed) in the parking lot - and both locations (there was another one out jefferson road) shut down soon after. I always liked their barbecue a lot but can't remember the name of the place. Tue Dec 04 10:36:21 -0800 2007 731058 147714 artybastard 2 3185901 That was the Spring House Barbecue which was where Peaches is now I believe. Very fine BBQ. Major tragedy when Anthony Lee Dye the owner was shot and killed. Murder is unsolved. Here is a GBI link: http://www.ganet.state.ga.us/gbi/homicides/dye.html Thu Dec 06 14:33:25 -0800 2007 3178620 44963 gashrink 3 3186010 Spring House was ok, but not that great. Sadly Athens has traditionally not been a real barbecue town (like lots of North Georgia towns). It is however, improving. Thu Dec 06 15:07:25 -0800 2007 3185901 10283 Dax 4 3197798 Dye's death was a tragedy whether you loved his Barbecue or not. I did like his cue. It was smoked out back and nicely sauced but more than that I like the family friendly feel of his restaurants. He has been missed. Tue Dec 11 06:48:25 -0800 2007 3186010 44963 gashrink 5 3198048 um ok, I was only talking about the barbecue not his death. I was still living in Athens when he was killed. Tue Dec 11 08:10:08 -0800 2007 3197798 10283 Dax 6 3198703 SPRING HOUSE That's it... thanks yall. I like BBQ quite a bit but certainly wouldn't call myself a connoisseur. That being said, I thought that while the Spring House may not have been the best I've had, I thought it was among the best (I've had - shrug). I remember the beans as being great and having huge chunks of meat in them. deep fried rustic chunks of potato. decent sauces and authentic - unrefined barbecue... plus I only lived a couple of blocks away on meigs st so it was easy to get to. At the time, it seems like it was pretty much either that or sonny's so. Spring house, yes. Tue Dec 11 11:15:00 -0800 2007 3198048 147714 artybastard 7 3199002 Smokin Po-Boys in Winder (20 minutes from Athens) is really good. Ate their smoked chicken last night and I can say it was the best smoked barbecue chicken I have ever had. Their pork is top notch as well, within my top 5 of all time. Haven't had a chance to eat their ribs yet. They had a beef brisket special last week. OH BOY was it good! Tue Dec 11 12:50:29 -0800 2007 3198703 137181 Modawg1991 8 3210439 Po Boy's is indeed great. It's on my top 5 as well. Their pulled pork is my favorite. And have you tried the fried pies they sell at the register? Man, oh man are they good. I've found the ribs hit or miss though. I've had truly great ones there and really dry ones. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the place is always empty yet Shane's Rib Shack is always packed. Whatever, their loss! Sat Dec 15 10:00:05 -0800 2007 3199002 102650 creativeusername 1 4427403 The best 'que near Athens is a short drive away. Madison, GA. Here's the address. Family run---really great! Crowe's Open Air Bar-B-Que 1320 Eatonton Rd Madison, GA 30650 (706) 342-7002‎ Tue Feb 17 21:02:04 -0800 2009 731058 267785 lamesa