614820 Fri Apr 24 22:43:36 -0700 2009 7 11 South 0 4627087 Recently I heard about a new barbecue restaurant opening up in Athens, so naturally I was really pleased. I think we all know it's kind of slim pickins around here. I've been to Harry's Pig Shop twice in the last two weeks. Info: Located on Prince where it becomes 129/Jefferson highway, by the north loop, in the shopping center with Vision Video and Kingpins. They have a website now, which is new: http://www.harryspigshop.com/ I haven't tried any of the more creative dishes like the wontons, quesadilla or nachos, though I'd like to in the future. I ordered the pork platter with mac and cheese and "hash." I've gotta say, this stuff is really, really good. It's undoubtedly my new favorite cue joint in Athens. A lot of people say that a true test of barbecue's quality is how good it tastes without sauce. I am a sauce person and I don't always follow this maxim, but the pork at Harry's tastes very good with no sauce, so that's saying something. They have 4 sauces: a very NC-like vinegar one, a "Georgia Shack Sauce" that's vinegar based but thicker and kind of sweet, a "sweet onion sauce" that is, well, sweet and oniony, and a "SC mustard sauce." All are very good, and I'm not even usually a huge fan of mustard-based bbq sauces. The "hash" is really brunswick stew as far as I'm concerned. One member of my party remarked that it was a little greasy, which I suppose I agree with, but I like it a lot. The mac and cheese was stellar. It reminded me of mac and cheese that I've had at the grit - tastes very homemade. The second time I had it, it was distinctly spicy, which I very much enjoyed. Interesting that they use vegetable-based disposable plates, cups, and utensils. I'm all for sustainability, but not sure what difference it makes since they could just use and wash normal dishware? Also, I know a lot of people on here have read "The omnivore's dilemma" and might buy into the kind of stigma that goes along with such excessive corn production and usage. I think it's a nice step to reduce non-biodegradable waste, though. This is definitely my new favorite barbecue place in Athens and I highly suggest you go. Fri Apr 24 22:43:36 -0700 2009 277943 foodfechter 1 4629918 Thanks foodfechter, my wife and I came to Athens yesterday for the Twilight criterium and to visit my sister,who lives here in Athens, and her daughter,son in law and grandson, who used to live here and were visiting from So Cal. We were going to meet for dinner at La Perilla. I was not into Mexican food last night, so I checked for Chowhound recs. Low and behold there was your post about a new place to eat in Athens that is not all sandwiches and not Mexican and in the same place as La Perilla. So we checked the menu on line and decided that it was worth a chance. And everyone was glad, as Harrys is a very,very good place to meet and eat. There were 8 of us, so we got pints and quarts of; mac n cheese,bacon potato salad,baked beans,squash casserole,Memphis slaw,and tomato bread pudding! The last was the most interesting use of tomatoes I believe I have ever experienced. All the veges(yes,macNcheese is a vege!) had a bit of spice and bite that went well with the very good pork sliders that we had. I tried all of the barbecue sauce choices and was pleased with just the excellent flavor of the pig. Also tried were the pork and scallion wontons.I did not sample those, but they were all gone at the end. All in all, the place was given a thumbs up. Great for locals to pick up something for a picnic or when it is too hot to go home and cook this summer. It is very kid friendly too, with outdoor seating overlooking the parking lot. Again, thanks foodfechter for a most well timed post! Sun Apr 26 11:07:07 -0700 2009 4627087 41726 Sam at Novas 1 4630981 This is Lee Epting's new joint. I tried it over Easter weekend and loved the pork sliders, although would go without the bread next time. Vinegar sauce was excellent and they had a spicier one if asked. I also had the wontons, which were ok but a little greasy. Great addition, especially for that area. Sun Apr 26 18:50:41 -0700 2009 4627087 10283 Dax 1 4897874 Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a barbeque restaurant: it isn’t. You will get pork (and very lean, at that), but after I specifically inquired of the staff if their meat was smoked, and was informed that it is, I was quite disappointed to learn that they are misinformed. There is no smoky flavor apparent in the meat, nor are there any grills to be found on premises. The hash, though not watery like many Brunswick stew recipes, is also comparatively flavorless, as it’s not made with smoked pork. Once you throw in the unsalted fries, the industrial park feel to the dining rooms, and the inflated price, what you end up with isn’t a restaurant meal, but a caterer’s plate. This is the kind of stuff you might wolf down while standing around in golfer’s pants, but it’s not something you’ll want to eat again. Real barbeque makes you want to go back the next day. I just wanted to go find some real barbeque after eating at Harry’s. Not more than barbeque...much, much less than barbeque. Tue Jul 28 13:43:31 -0700 2009 4627087 1097427 Doeroadx 2 4897994 I would imagine that the smokers are located behind the strip mall or inside the catering operation next door? The 'cue tastes smoked to me, but could use more bark in it and they do pull into minicule strands. When I ordered a pound recently, it had more bark mixed it and wasn't scooped onto the bread so I enjoyed it more. It's ok for Athens but it won't wow you too much. Tue Jul 28 14:16:42 -0700 2009 4897874 10283 Dax 2 4930917 actually, if you look.... there is an old Southern Pride Smoker. Not more than 12 feet from the counter where you order. I was told that they use local Pecan in the smoker. Sun Aug 09 12:01:46 -0700 2009 4897874 289227 milkcrate57 1 4902834 The only weakness I feel Harry's has is that its location is in a less-frequented part of town, and despite being on US 129 are hard to spot from the road unless you already know they are there, so not as many people are aware of it -- if they advertise well once the students return, I think they could bring a lot of business to the whole shopping center, not just themselves. That said, the food is great. My girlfriend brought me here the first time, and I've been coming back several times since -- I think it could become as much of a "classic Athens" restaurant as The Grill, The Grit, or Weaver D's, given time. My favorite is the old standby of the pulled pork sandwich, which is different from and in my opinion better than other barbecues I've had (Bubba-Q, Williamson Brothers, and other NE GA locations, etc); however, I have brought several other people by in my return visits who have enjoyed the sliders, tenderloin sandwich, Razorback, grilled cheese croissant, and others. One of the other foods I have to have almost every time I come are the sweet potato fries -- other places in Athens have them, but none are as good. The regular fries are also exceptionally good. And, as someone who commits the "cardinal sin" of liking BBQ and not liking Brunswick stew, their version (called "hash") is surprisingly good. In all, I'd recommend it to anyone. And everyone. Thu Jul 30 07:07:40 -0700 2009 4627087 1097883 thisisnottravis 1 5078295 I'm a NC BBQ nut who used to think that GA BBQ totally sucked. I still think GA BBQ generally sucks, but now there finally are two places in the Athens area where you can get really really good BBQ. First, White Tiger Gourmet in the Boulevard area does small batches of pork, and is only open for lunch, except on Friday nights (I think). It's surprisingly excellent on top of field greens. Weird, but true - the pork fat and the vinegar in the Eastern NC style sauce make like a vinaigrette. Second, The O.C. Dawg House in Crawford on Hwy 78 is making some fine BBQ on Fridays and Saturdays. Hard to believe this little joint that started out as a hot dog and sandwich place makes BBQ this good, but it does. They also make the best BBQ beef brisket to be had within hundreds of miles (best I've had outside of Texas). I'm not a fan of their sauces, but good BBQ doesn't need sauce, and O.C. Dawg House's BBQ is that good. They started out making BBQ in a home smoker on their carport, but recently upgraded and installed a large commercial smoker. Both of these places put Jot Em Down to shame. Hell, at this point Sonny's BBQ or Bojangles BBQ puts Jot Em Down to shame. The only thing Jot Em Down has going for it these days is beer. I don't know much about sides at O.C. Dawg House. With take-out BBQ that good, I don't really care about sides. If I want good slaw, I'll make my own. White Tiger has good sides, but not necessarily traditional ones. They do have good slaw. Their vegetables are locally sourced and based on availability, so take what you can get there, and it'll be good and better than the crappy beans and stew you'd get at most "normal" BBQ places. Sun Oct 04 11:49:29 -0700 2009 4627087 260100 criser