How to Find Good Barbecue in Atlanta

Atlanta is a city known for its far-flung cuisine, featuring everything from nouveau Asian fusion to down-home country cooking. Barbecue is big, too. Here are some tips on finding the best pulled pork, smothered ribs and other tasty BBQ treats.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Transportation (Atlanta is a spread-out city)
• An appetite

1. Every barbecue joint professes to be the best. You can find reviews in several books and websites to give you a sense of strengths and weaknesses. Read the Zagat's Guide--the 2007/2008 edition lists Fat Matt's Rib Shack in the Virginia-Highlands and Swallow at the Hollow in Roswell as the two best, followed closely by the chain Harold's BBQ and Rolling Bones in Downtown Atlanta.
2. Local food critics know their stuff, and those at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper have raved about BBQ in the Peach State. They cite Sam & Dave's BBQ1 in Marietta for its pulled pork, along with Fox Bros. (now with a location near Inman Park) for its brisket. That spot is also known for the Tominator, a big heap of tater tots smothered in Brunswick Stew.
3. Don't be afraid of less-than-appealing storefronts; some of the best stuff is found behind dilapidated doors. A good way to know if the food's authentic is to see whether mac-n-cheese is listed as a "vegetable."
4. Other local favorites include Pig-n-Chik on Roswell Road, Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ on Edgewood Avenue, Maddy's on Scott Boulevard and Daddy D'z on Memorial Drive.