Satterfield's BBQ, Macon, GA

Satterfield's BBQ, Macon, GA. Yall won't some boiled peanuts??? That's what you'll get asked when the waitress greets you at your table. I've had dried ones before at a bbq joint, but never boiled ones. As much as I love boiled peanuts, I was there for their bbq and stew. One of them didn't disappoint me.

We pulled up to Satterfields on New Stree in Macon just off Riverside Drive and merely a stone's throw from the"original" Krystal in Macon. The parking lot was well packed, but inside the joint was a good mix of business types, families, service workers, and little old ladies. Once inside you are surrounded by almost everything "pig". To be right downtown Macon, you'd think you could be in any small Georgia town.

We were greeted quickly by our waitress. Debbie and I both ordered a sandwich, and I added my small order of Brunswick Stew. In addition to these items, the sandwich came with a nice service of potato chips and there were a few really good pickles rounded out a very nice looking meal. There were but two sauces from which to choose- regular and hot. Both were good, and the hot really didn't set your soul on fire, and it turned out to be my choice.

The stew: The stew is among the best I've eaten. It was somewhat of a hash with small, whole kernels of corn. The stew had good appearance, smell, and taste.

The bbq: The bbq, though having had a good review from my son earlier, wasn't bad but didn't really excite you. I'm not sure how it is cooked at Satterfields, but it is pretty clear that it isn't open pit.

All in all, I can't complain. We got to try out this neat joint that I hadn't eaten at in perhaps 10 years. Frankly, though, next Macon trip is back to Fresh Air!

Smokejack BBQ, Cumming, GA

Smokejack BBQ & Grill, Cumming, GA. My spring break would have not been complete without checking out a new BBQ joint, so my number 1 BBQ buddy (Debbie) and I decided to try out the Cumming location of Smokejack. We had tried out the Alpharetta location of Smokejack almost 2 years ago, and then sometime last year they opened their Forsyth County location located next to Midway Park.

The event started rather humorously when the hostess asked us when we walked in the door "are you going to dine with us today?" We sort of thought, "no, we've actually come to get our laundry done!" I actually had another thought but it will have to be left off this blog! We were seated in a booth in this neat and clean new joint. With ample seating and several large screen TV's, this is a great lunch or even evening entertainment spot. The menu at Smokejack has variety enough to suit even the non-Q lover. I ordered up my typical BBQ sandwich and Brunswick stew while Debbie opted for the sandwich and fries. The pricing of the menu is slightly on the high side, but hey, if they can't make a profit they can't stay in business.

The meals came out very quickly, so we give them high marks for that along with the fact that the tea and diet coke were both very good sized beverages. Both the sandwiches and the sides were very generous in portion sizes, so once again, things were on the positive side. Debbie's fries looked very good as they were nicely fried homemade steak fries. The BBQ sandwich is a very attractive looking pulled pork sandwich that has not been chopped to death. There are no sauces on the table. Rather your sandwich comes with a small container of sauce that highly resembles a South Carolina mustard based sauce. The stew was actually the highlight of my order. Though somewhat light on the meat base, the vegetables in the stew included potatoes, tomatoes, lima beans, and corn. Overall, they stew received a 4 out of 5.

The BBQ's best attribute was the appearance and texture. The pulled pork was clean with slight traces of bark. Perfect. The taste was somewhat disappointing as the one thing missing was the "smoke". Despite the name of the joint, the bbq lacked the desired "smokiness" of flavor. It is quite apparent that the cooking of the bbq is done in a commercial cooker that doesn't rely on wood as its primary source of heat. This type of bbq is typically consistent in quality, but its quality level will seldom reach the highest rating of 5.

We left full and content with the idea that I'd probably try the place again with guests. I sincerely wish Smokejack the best of success in Forsyth County. They do boast Saturday night live music of which I'll probably never dine late enough to experience, but given the expansive bar and big screen televisions, it could be a happening little place in this growth area of Forsyth County.