Harry's Pig Shop, Athens, GA.

Harry's Pig Shop, Athens, GA. I'm still looking for the best barbecue joint in Athens. I've had a couple of suggestions, and today I visited one. While it was good, I'm going to shoot straight and say it's got some ways to go to rank with Georgia's best joints. The best thing about doing bbq joints is that you get to sometimes enjoy the experience with friends. Today's Harry's visit found me with 5 FCSS colleagues including Candy and Joey pictured out front.

Harry's Pig Shop, Athens, GA. I'm still looking for the best barbecue joint in Athens. I've had a couple of suggestions, and today I visited one. While it was good, I'm going to shoot straight and say it's got some ways to go to rank with Georgia's best joints. The best thing about doing bbq joints is that you get to sometimes enjoy the experience with friends. Today's Harry's visit found me with 5 FCSS colleagues including Candy and Joey pictured out front.

OK, the rundown on Harry's Pig Shop. First, it's a strip mall storefront located just off the Jefferson Road in the Homewood Shopping Center which doesn't earn it any points due to a lack of exterior charm or character. On the plus side, the interior is done nicely with a sort of retro decor with 50'ish looking tables and chairs. You also have to love the fact that there is a good amount of children's artwork with a framed poster saying "Artwork Compliments of Mr. Wilcox's Art Class South Jackson Elementary School. Now being a school person, you know I have to like that. Bonus points Harry.

The food at Harry's Pig Shop is actually pretty good or that was my experience on this day and confirmed by my friends. On the downside, when you walk in the door nor on the outside, do you get the overwhelming and intoxicating smell of hickory or oak smoked bbq. Harry's makes up for it though in other ways.

The bbq was a clean without excessive fat or bark. It was tasty, and in pieces that were almost a consistency between a chopped and pulled style. Harry's sauces earn the little joint some bonus points. We had as many as 5 different sauce options to include NC Vinegar, SC Mustard, Vidalia Onion Sweet, Hot, and then something named "Georgia Shack". Almost all of our party voted the SC Mustard (interestingly enough if you know my otherwise general preferences) the best overall sauce. Harry's understands the need for a dill pickle with bbq, so with the "Pig Sandwich" you get a pickle spear.

Members of our party had sides that included sweet potato fries, mac and cheese, house and memphis slaw among others. What's not on the menu is Brunswick stew bit, but my philosophy is that do what you do best and if it isn't stew, so what. Harry's does have some interesting things on the menu, and the most interesting to our party was "Brisket Spaghetti." To that I suggest that you should never waste good brisket!!!

A nice touch to Harry's dining experience was both the interior decor which they've broken up nicely for a strip mall joint and the Blues music playing in the background. I'll likely do Harry's Pig Shop again, but next time in Athens, I'll search out another joint to find the "best bbq joint in the Classic City."

PS. I am counting on the "dawg boys" to help me find Athens' best q joint!!!

High Falls BBQ

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High Falls BBQ. Talk about a pleasant surprise at truly a "q joint", High Falls BBQ is just that. As I travel up and down I-75 between Cumming and Cochran, I had seen the sign advertising this joint, and I'd had it on my "to do list" for some months. Most of the time I was too hurried to make the one mile detour down High Falls Road to check this joint out, but today (December 30, 2009) time was on my side. I'd been over a week without hitting a barbecue joint, and this one fit well in my time frame. I exited off I-75 and immediately was in what "the rest of Georgia" is like. The one mile trip off the interstate takes you through a nice mature stand of loblolly pines on each side of the road. About a mile down the road you approach High Falls and an area that is in some ways a "step back in time". When you pull up to this dive, you realize that life isn't always about glitz, glamour, and business. You can't help but to smile when you see the old rusty International tractor on the side of the joint along with the picnic tables out front.

Once inside, you walk right up to the counter and place your order. The menus is not expansive, but it is truly adequate and pretty much what you'd want to find at a small bbq joint. I got my first visit regular of a sandwich and Brunswick stew. I pre-tasted the two sauces available (Original and Carolina Red). Both were very good and similar in being deep red with a fairly thick consistency. My order came out rather quickly, and I first tasted the stew which was about as good as you'll find. It is thick, meaty, and not a form of vegetable soup. The barbecue was also right up there with any of the best joints I've covered. The meat was moist, clean, and quite full of pork flavor. The sauce really topped it off.

I struck up a conversation with a local living there at High Falls as he was having his 11:30 am Michelob Ultra, and he raved at how often he ate there and how much he liked it above even Fresh Air which is not too far away. The joint does not qualify as an icon or having a legendary status as it has only been opened for around 5 years or so. Run by Dean Huckabee and his wife, this is really a place that is worth visiting if you need a mental and physical departure from the hustle and bustle of the traditional dining establishments along I-75 or the metro Atlanta area. I can't wait to stop back by there so my bbq buddy and wife Debbie can join me for another pleasant visit to this somewhat quaint, retro joint that serves this little area quite well with good barbecue, friendly service, and a place to stretch and relax on our drives through Georgia. We'll give it a pretty good 4 out of 5 rating but frankly, you really won't find a lot of places doing a better job with their pulled pork bbq in Georgia.

'Cue Barbecue- Milton/Alpharetta

'Cue in Milton. 'Cue Barbecue is a new joint having just opened in June of this year. 2009 was a tough year for people trying to open up a dining establishment, but if the quality of today's dining experience continues, this joint can be around for along time. We'd passed 'Cue a few times as we occasionally travel up and down Highway 9 between Cumming and Alpharetta and had seen 'Cue a few times. I still can't tell you where Milton begins and ends in relationship to Alpharetta, but I do know every barbecue joint from the mountains to downtown Atlanta! I'd gotten some pretty good recommendations on the place, so this afternoon led me and Debbie down to try this place out....and man, I am glad we did.

First, I've had to get over the bias against joints in "strip malls." 'Cue is located in a small strip mall, but once inside, you don't feel like you are in one. The joint is nicely decorated and even has a couple of televisions for watching sporting or other events. The place was really hopping, but we got in and were waited on by a very accommodating waitress named Jennifer. Jennifer gave us a good overview of the menu and knew the product quite well as she described the two sauces (one sweet and one thin and vinegar based) as well as the various meats and sides. Debbie decided on a pork salad and I got my traditional first visit order of a pork sandwich and brunswick stew. Now one thing that is unique about 'Cue is that EVERYTHING (except the cola's and other bottled beverages) is home made. Even the bread on my sandwich and the bread and butter pickles on the side were home made. Before getting to the barbecue review, I gotta tell you that the bread was to die for.

When our orders arrived in pretty quick time frame, we were pleased right off the bat. Debbie's pork salad was as beautiful of a salad as you would ever want to see. The barbecue on the top was well portioned, clean, pretty, and had just a slight mix of bark on a few pieces of the barbecue...just like we like it. He summation of the salad was that "it was the best bbq salad I've ever had (and she's had to have a number of them with me)." My barbecue sandwich was well portioned with barbecue between two pieces of home made bread (did I mention that it was to die for?). While I tend to like the pulled pork being not quite as chopped as this, the flavoring of the pork rivaled the best around!!! With the sauce being on the side (once again, just like we like), I was able to dress up my bbq to my liking. The brunswick stew was unique. A lot of folks' stew is similar to everyone elses, but there are a few places whose stew stands out as being different (like Scott's in Cochran). This stew was not a heavy tomato base but was more of a broth based that was very good. The meat base contained both pork and chicken (my philosophy too, throw in whatever ya got), and the vegetables in the mix included whole kernel corn and baby butterbeans. Insider information has it that the brunswick stew is made from a pork rib stock, and I will tell you, it is awesome. The stew with a piece of bread on a cold, rainy afternoon will leave you warmed all afternoon long!!! I really loved the stew, but next time I'm going to try out their collard greens which when described by Jennifer had me on the brink of wavering from my initial decision of a cup of stew.

All in all, I'm going to give 'Cue a great 4+ out of 5 rating. While I didn't get the opportunity to meet the owners/operators, I did learn a little about them which adds to the intrigue of 'Cue. 'Cue's half owners are former partners with Swallow at the Hollow just down the road in Roswell. With that in their background, you know these folks know a little about both barbecue and the restaurant business. You can find out more about 'Cue at their website at www.cuebarbecue.com/.

Blue Creek BBQ, Cleveland, GA

Blue Creek BBQ, Cleveland, GA. What a wonderful surprise. After about 90 miles on North Georgia's most curvy mountain roads, Blue Creek was a fantastic respite from the cool North Georgia mountain air. I almost didn't stop here, but after passing by and seeing the sign ".99 cent 32 ounce iced tea", I figured it had to be a new addition to our collection. Deb and I gladly dismounted the Harley and went in to a join a combination of locals, tourists, and bikers looking for a good Q lunch. We were not disappointed. After ordering two drinks, a sandwich, stew, and a pork salad, I was only a little over 12 bucks lighter. The bbq sandwich was awesome both in size and taste. Blue Creek has but one sauce, and it is a fairly mid-range sauce that is pretty good in consistency and taste. The Brunswick Stew is really a pretty good stew. It isn't too thick nor is it too thin, but after a cool mountain ride, it sure hits the spot. The folks who work at Blue Creek are really hospitable, and unlike One Star BBQ in Alpharetta, you can fill your tea or coke glass up all you want for $.99...and yes, that makes a difference!!! So if you are headed to Helen or the Cleveland area, Blue Creek will not be a disappointment.

Mickey Pigg's, Alto, GA

Mickey Pigg's BBQ, Alto, GA. When we started out this morning, I didn't have a clue which bbq joint I'd hit today, but I had it on my radar. We were headed up toward Mt. Airy, GA to pick up a new trailer to haul the Harley on, and I had Googled my projected route as well as searched my memory banks for possible joints. A q joint in Alto wasn't even on the radar. The only thing I knew about Alto was that there was a State Prison there, and that is one place I'd prefer to avoid!!!

After stopping and getting some apples at Jaemor, we headed on up GA Highway 365 toward Mt. Airy. We saw this joint on the right hand side of the road, and it had great curb appeal. After getting the trailer business taken care of, I asked the fellow who sold me the trailer if he could recommend a good bbq joint in the area. Mickey's was one of two he suggested.

MP's has been in business since around 1994. The Smith family, originally from New York, moved to Florida and then back up to the Helen area later on. That makes them "halfbacks" any way you look at it, but they recognized that being in GA, you gotta be a bbq lover.

When we got back down to Mickey Pigg's we headed up to the joint. They were doing some outside smoking probably for the luring effect, but the aroma was inviting. The ambiance of MP's is really cute. It isn't real big, but it has a good feel. It isn't anything like an old sawdust floor joint, but it does have a homey feel. Deb and I started off with some home fried potato chips, and they were very good. When our order came, and it came fairly quickly, Debbie's pork salad was very generous in portion size as was my bbq sandwich and cup of Brunswick stew.

The bbq was clean and somewhere between pulled and chipped, so it worked fine as far as consistency was concerned. The Brunswick stew was an interesting mix. It was a pork base which was not as tomato based as some stews which actually made it very good. They have two basic sauces: original and hot. The original is very much a good, smokey flavored sauce with good texture, taste, and consistency. The hot was very good as well.

One of the most impressive things about Mickey Pigg's is that they also have a thriving bakery. Their cakes are really beautifully decorated, and rumor has it that their cheesecake is about as good as you will ever have. While I can't put Mickey Pigg's into the "legendary" category yet, they are well on their way. If you are heading up toward Clayton, Dillard, or southern NC, don't be afraid to give MP's a try!!!

Killer Brunswick Stew

Killer Brunswick Stew!!!

My ventures to Georgia's greatest bbq joints has me often sampling Brunswick stew along with the bbq. Some folks get it right, and some folks simply have something more akin to a vegetable stew claiming to be Brunswick stew. It is said that the origin of Brunswick stew is debated between Brunswick, Virginia and Brunswick, GA. Despite the fact that I am a Georgian by birth and residence, I find more credibility in the Brunswick, VA origin. Sampling the stews from all of these joints along with the regular smoking on my Green Egg has put me in the position of being not only a serious barbecuer but also one that has now learned to fix up a Brunswick stew that can rival the work of any of the 'q joints that I've hit. Just this evening, I've fixed up a bit pot of stew using the following recipe.

I start the Brunswick Stew process with a 12 quart pot which is large enough to handle all of whatever I decide to throw into the mix.

• Begin the stew with one chopped onion in the pot cooking it down for about 15 minutes.
• Next, pour in two cans of diced tomatoes. If you grow and can your own tomatoes, that is even better, but two cans from the store work just as well.
• Add one cup of Heinz catsup.
• Add one green pepper or you can use red peppers if you wish.
• Add your Boston Butt, turkey, ground beef, venison, or whatever meat base you wish to use. My grandmothers would have probably thrown in a squirrel or two into the mix, but I think I'll pass on that addition. I typically prefer the Boston Butt for the meat base as it gives it the perfect fat consistency to really bring the best flavor to the stew. Tonight's stew has me using a good portion of turkey breast that I had smoked on the Green Egg. Cook these ingredients for about 30 minutes.
• The balance of the ingredients is what makes preparing Brunswick stew fun. Frankly, I'll add some staples, but I'll also search both the pantry and refrigerator for any ingredients that I think will add to the mix. You can empty any partial bottles of bbq sauce, wing sauce, a little Dale's, or whatever.
• One teaspoon vinegar.
• One teaspoon sugar.
• Salt and pepper.
• One can of cut okra.
• One can of lima (butterbeans) beans.
• One can of corn.
• Stir the ingredients for a while and then cook for another 30 minutes.

You may need to add a little salt and black pepper if you prefer, but after a little cooling down, you've got meals for the next few days. This stew is realistically as good as you'll find in any of the bbq joints' I've found. Once again, the fun thing about this is that you can literally add most any ingredient to your liking to this mix.

Pig-N-Chik on Windward Pkwy, Alpharetta

Pig-N-Chik. I had been wanting to do a Pig-N-Chik location for months. The 3 joint chain kept popping up on my radar, but for various reasons, I'd hit some more traditional, if you will, joints before finally getting to Pig-N-Chik's location on Windward Parkway. Now Windward Parkway ain't exactly the strip that you expect to find a good bbq joint on, but don't be fooled. The GA 400/Highway 9 corridors are home to some of Georgia's finest bbq joints. The Windward Parkway location is a bit tough to find, but if you happen to be shopping or working in this area, Pig-N-Chik is a good option for barbecue. Of course, there are the other fast food joints like Moe's, Mellow Mushroom, etc., in this area, but if barbecue is one your mind, there's no need to fight traffic getting over to the Alpharetta proper area to fill the urge. When Debbie and I got out of the car, we could immediately smell smoked pork in progress. That is always a good sign (don't matter who you are). Since this was our first trip to a Chik joint, we had to study the menu just a minute to see what the options are. Though we'd come for bbq, the fact is, you could choose other options like wings, ribs, and salmon. Too the cue.....

Our food came out quick even though we were the first patrons of the day :-). The pulled pork was just that.....not chipped to smitherines, not smothered in sauce to hide something the pitmaster was ashamed of, but good old pulled pork. The barbecue was clean as you'll ever find. A little burned ends along with some nice, almost fat free strips of barbecue. You have a choice of three sauces at Pig-N-Chik: Gold Label is mustard based; Red Label is hot, vinegary NC style, and the Blue Label is a mild, sweet sauce. Their Brunswick stew is certainly adequate and has a good mix of pork for the meat base with butterbeans and corn as two of the distinguishable vegetables other than the tomato base. Their french fries are crinkle cut and most likely from a frozen bag, but Debbie made hers disappear without a complaint. Of course, the Chik gets it right as they have a big roll of paper towels right there on the table for you.

We are going to give the Pig-N-Chick a 4 out of 5 ranking for the first visit, but I am planning to hit the original Roswell location before going any further. The bottom line, if you are on the East side of 400 around the Alpharetta area, you've got a few choices. If you don't want to drive over toward Highway 9, give the Chik a chance.