Fox Brothers

Date: 12/29/2009
Restaurant: Fox Brothers
Location: 1238 Dekalb Ave, Atlanta Ga 30307
URL: http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/
Recommended By: Peter Drive By, Guy at Poker

Score 7.5

At first glance Fox Brothers looks like a great dive BBQ joint. There is a separate smoke house next to the restaurant, old signage all over the walls and the menu looks like an 1800's news paper. While you are waiting for your food the Tomminator is a must. Tater Tots covered in thick Brunswick stew smothered with melted cheese. The fried pickles or jalapenos are really good as well.
The ribs come out with a slightly burnt sauce. Pretty good, but they were not very tender. The outer ones were more burnt an the inner ones were slightly tender. The beef was not very tender. The pulled pork had a strong bitter smoky flavor. The chicken wings are smoked wings, the meat has a good kick to in and they are covered in sauce. A nice sweet and spicy combo.
Over all, Fox Brothers has a great BBQ atmosphere and some of the best BBQ appetizers around. Their main dishes need a bit of work.

Beef Sand (1 Side) - $10
Beef Plate (2 Sides) - $13
1/2 Rack - $15
Combo 2 meats - $15
Half Tomminator - $4

Peter
Overall Score: 6.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Chicken Wings - 8
      Ribs - 6
Sauce: 7
Tenderness: 6
Sides Taste :
      Tomminator - 9
      Mac & Cheese - 6
      Collard Greens - 9
      Fried Pickles & Jalapenos - 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 9
Cost: 7
Comments: Fox Bros looks great from Dekalb Ave. When I walked up and saw the smoker house next door and then the menu, I was very intrigued and excited. I ordered the Tomminator to start. Tots piled high with cheese and Brunswick Stew. It was very good, but more bar fare than bbq. The ribs and chicken wings combo looked really good when set in front of me. But, it failed to impress where the rubber hit the road. The ribs were tough. The flavor was okay, but I could tell that Fox Bros. lost focus somewhere along the way when it comes to translating their original concept with ribs into the finished product. The current execution is poor. The wings were interesting looking. Smokey and spicy buffalo flavors present as well. The Collard Greens were also good, But I won't be planing to come back again. That would require some reason other than the food.

Matt
Overall Score:8.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef - 7
      Ribs - 8
Sauce:9.5
Tenderness:7
Sides Taste :
      Tomminator – 9.5
      Mac & Cheese - 6
      Brunswick Stew – 8
      Jalapeno Corn Bread - 8
      Fried Pickles & Jalapenos – 9.5
Service: 8
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 7
Comments: When I first walked into Fox Bros I got really excited. They have a smoke house next to the restaurant, the restaurant was packed and the menu looked like a western newspaper.
We started off with the Tomminator, fried Pickles and jalapeno cornbread. The Tomminator is one of the best side dished I have had, tater tots topped with thick Brunswick Stew smothered with melted cheese. Wow. The fried pickles and jalapenos were excellent too. The breading was perfect. The corn bread was not sweet, I prefer mine sweater.
For the main dish I got a combo beef and ribs. The beef was a bit dry and not the most tender. The sauce was great, sweat and spicy I picked up a bottle on my way out. The put the sauce on the ribs early in the process with gave it a burnt sauce taste, pretty good but they outer ribs were not that tender. As I worked my way in they got more tender. The Brunswick stew way nice and thick, with a sweater tomato flavor. The Mac and chees was very cafeteria style, just OK.
Overall I would say the atmosphere, sauce and sides are amazing. The meat was OK. It may have been excellent at one point, and I see the potential but not our day.

Mason
Overall Score:7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 5
      Ribs - 7
Sauce:8.5
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste :
      Tomminator – 9.5
      Mac & Cheese – 3
      Brunswick Stew – 6.5
      Fried Pickles & Jalapenos – 9
Service: 8
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 7
Comments: There was a 15 minute wait for Fox Bros. It was packed and we couldn't find parking. There was a seperate smoke house on the side that had BBQ smoke puring out of it. During the wait we scoped the menu and it was very impressive. All kind of BBQ creations and different kinds of plates. We ordered some fried pickles and The Tomminator while waiting for our food. Wow it was all amazing. I was thinking that this could be the best BBQ yet....and then I got my plate. The ribs were ok, a little tough. The pulled pork had a very odd taste to it. Like some type of weird wood chips were used during smoking, and it didn't turn out well. The mac and cheese was very dry, I ate about a fourth of it. The brunswick stew was ok. Overall, they excell in the areas that don't really matter with BBQ. I would go back for the appetizers only. They need to revisit

Fat Matt's Rib Shack

Date: Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Restaurant: Fat Matt's Rib Shack
Location: 1811 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30324
URL: http://www.fatmattsribshack.com
Recommended By: Dan (and everyone one we spoke to)

Score 9

If you are looking for a true BBQ experience in Atlanta, Fat Matt's is the place. The building looks like it hasn't changed since the 60's. It’s a small dining area with a walkup order counter. The whole BBQ dining experience was enhanced by a two man group, singing the blues. Most of the items come a la carte, but everything is so affordable that you can make your own meal and not break the bank
The Ribs are the best we have had so far. They were large tender spare ribs, full of flavor and a good meat to bone/gristle ratio. The pulled pork sandwich was near the top of the list. The chicken is a good smoked chicken with light sauce, fairly tender.
The sides were good to OK. The Brunswick stew is a bit soupy, the mac & cheese (new menu item) were cafeteria style, white bread is Wonder Bread, and the chips are out of the bag.

1/4 Chicken - $3.75
1/2 Chicken - $5.75
Rib Sand. - $5.20
1/2 Rack - $8.95
Stew - $2
Mac & Cheese - $2

Matt
Overall Score: 9
Main Dish Taste:
      Chicken - 8
      Ribs – 9.5
Sauce: 9
Tenderness: 9
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew – 7.5
      Mac & Cheese - 6
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 9.5
Cost: 9
Comments: Fat Matt's Rib Shack had a lot of hype. Well it has lived up to its hype. The restaurant is a dive. I was very surprised that they had live music for lunch, on a Wednesday. You order at the counter; the waitress is a little rude.
Each meal is plated with a slice of wonder bread. The chicken was good, fairly tender. It came with light sauce with a bit of flavor. The extra BBQ sauce is top notch; thick and full of species. The ribs are definitely at the top of my list. They are tender with full smoky flavor. Each bit practically melts in your mouth. Good amount of meat.
The sides were nothing to write home about. The Brunswick stew was too soupy for my taste. It had good flavor but nothing special. The mac & cheese tasted like it came from a cafeteria.

Mason
Overall Score:9
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 9
      Ribs – 9.5
Sauce:8.5
Tenderness:9.5
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew -7
Service: 7
Atmosphere:8
Cost: 7.5
Comments: I will start off by saying, it doesn't get much better than this. The pulled pork was amazing. But the ribs were some of the best I have ever had. As tender as ribs can get, with the best taste I have had in a while. Brunswick Stew was ok. There were only a few of very small negatives. The cashier was a little rude (she actually got mad at me for leaving a tip!?!?). The menu is set up in a way where you have to kind of put your meal together on your own, there is no plate with sides. And to me the live music was a little annoying, but it did add to the authenticity. But the food doesn't get any better. This is the type of place that you tell people they have to go to if they are in the area.

Dan
Overall Score:9
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 9
      Ribs – 9.5
Sauce:9
Tenderness:9
Sides Taste :
      Chips - 5
Service: 8
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 9
Comments:

Peter
Overall Score:9
Main Dish Taste:
      Ribs – 9.5
Sauce:9.5
Tenderness:9.5
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew -8
Service: 8
Atmosphere:8
Cost: 9
Comments: Do believe the hype.

Old Brick Pit Barbeque

Date: Monday, November 16, 2009
Restaurant: Old Brick Pit Barbeque
Location:4805 Peachtree Rd, Atlanta, GA‎
Recommended By: Matt

Score 7.83

When they say Old Brick Pit BBQ, they mean old brick pit BBQ. This place says dive BBQ as soon as you drive by. The main street sign just says "BAR-B-Q" and two wagon wheels propped against each other that say the same. The buiding looks like a BBQ shack. When you walk in, the menu is on the wall and you can see the BBQ pit behind the counter. The qhole place smelled like tastie BBQ smoke.
The menu is simple Pork, Ribs, Chicken. Slaw, Stew, Beans, or Chips. The prices are cheap. You can get a sandwich with chips for $3.20.
The food was pretty good, nothing to write home about. All the meat was a little dry.

     1 lbs Rib - $12
     1/2 Chicken meal - $6
     Pork Meal - $6
     Pork Sand - $2.50

Matt
Overall Score:7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      ½ Chicken - 7.5
      Ribs – 7.5
Sauce:7
Tenderness: 8
Sides Taste :
     Brunswick Stew - 7
     Baked Beans – 6.5
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 9
Cost: 9
Comments: From the outside Old Brick Pit BBQ looks like a dive BBQ joint. The main sign just says BBQ and the building looks like an old barn. When you walk in the resturant has the smell of BBQ smoke. There a large chaulk board with the menu. There is not a big selection, Pork, Ribs, Chicken, and No Beef. There side are just as simple: slaw, stew, beans, chips. The ladies behind the counter were not too happy when I asked if I could make a chicken combo to add a couple of ribs to my chicken dish.
The chicken had a great BBQ taste, faily tender, good sauce. It was a 1/2 chicken, not bad for $6. The Beans were standard BBQ beans. The stew was laking in flavor. I added some of thier carolina style BBQ sause to give it some taste. That bumped to just OK. The ribs had a great smokey flavor. They too were lacking in flavor. After adding a bit of sauce they were good. They could easily be pulled of the bone, but not fall off.
Overall it was good but not great.
Label: Dive BBQ

Mason
Overall Score:8
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs – 7.5
Sauce:7
Tenderness:7.5
Sides Taste :
     Brunswick Stew -8
     Baked Beans - 8
Service: 4
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 9
Comments: The place has a sign in the front that says only "BAR-B-Q" and two wagon wheels propped against each other that say the same. The building is shaped kind of like a barn with big windows in the front with all kind of writing on it. We couldn't figure out the actual name of the place until after eating. Great atmosphere with all of the simplicities that you expect from a true BBQ joint. The service was exceptionally bad, from not even offering brisket to the lady behind the register rudely hurrying us through the motions. The pulled pork was very tender and tastey. Very good. The ribs seemed low quality but full of flavor. Very good seasoning and cooking, not too tender though. Altough the sides I had were very good, I have to mention how lacking the side selection was. Baked beans, stew, slaw and chips. That's it. Overall, it is a great place to stop by and get some good BBQ, but don't take your friends from out of town there bragging.

Dan
Overall Score:8
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs - 8
Sauce:8
Tenderness:8
Sides Taste :
     Chips - 5
Service:6
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 10
Comments: Not a lot of choices, the help was a little rude and the food comes quickly, not much more I can ask for from a BBQ restaurant. It was a little confusing to order, but I think that makes it even better. You gotta know what you are doing there, so you can tell the regulars from the newbies. The pulled pork was wonderful, athough I could have used a little more food. However, for $3.20, i can't really complain. The ribs were solid as well. It had a great smokey flavor that sat in my mouth even 20 minutes after eating. The sauce was also a solid plus. The only complaint I would have would be the lack of choices on the sides (no fries), but all in all a good experience.

Ribs Etc

Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Restaurant: Ribs Etc
Location: 4233 Roswell Road Atlanta, Ga. 30342
URL: http://www.ribsetc.com/
Recommended By: Matt

Score 5

From the outside Ribs Etc may look like the ideal dive BBQ joint. The inside was extra shinny clean and had flat panel TVs everywhere, which gave it a vibe of a chain resturaunt. This may be a little confusing, but not as confusing as to why a BBQ resturant would have beef on thier menu and be sold out at 12 PM. For a place named Ribs Etc, you would expect them to have outstanding ribs. The only style of ribs they serve is baby back, although they come in many different flavors.
For the most part most of the food was OK. That about all that can be said.

Matt
Overall Score:5
Main Dish Taste:
     Beef - They ran out
     Ribs - 7
     Chicken - 5
Sauce:7
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste:
     Brunswick Stew - 6
     Mac & Cheese - 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Cost:7
Comments: After I ordered the Beef plate I was informed that they were out of Beef. Poor Performance. I went with the Chicken Sandwich. The chicken was a bit dry. It was served on Texas toast with a spicy spread. I chose not to finish my plate. That was probably the best part. The ribs were baby back. A bit dry and not very tender but they had a good taste. The Brunswick stew was mediocre, at best. The Mac and Cheese was really good. Strong Cheddar flavor with a hint of spices. They had 2 sauces to choose from, 1 Carolina style and one basic. They were both OK. The sides you get with the sandwich were pretty small.
The outside of the restaurant is the most appealing part. Makes you think it is going to be a low down BBQ shack. Once you get inside the tables are nice and clean and they have brand new flat screen TVs everywhere. Nice addition.
Label: Dive BBQ / Chain


Mason
Overall Score:4
Main Dish Taste:
     Pulled Pork - 7
     Ribs - 3
Sauce:7
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste:
     Brunswick Stew - 6
     Mac & Cheese – 9
     Fries - 6
Service:8
Atmosphere:6
Cost: 5
Comments: Sorry but baby back ribs are just not my thing. Besides from being baby back ribs, they appeared to be baked. The taste wasn't awful but was less than acceptable. The sauces were not bad, two flavors (spicy and original). When mixed together they were pretty good. Pulled pork was good, tender. You did get your choice of Texas toast or regular bun with your sandwich which i felt deserved a note. The sides were average with the exception of the mac and cheese, it was amazing. Very unique twist to mac and cheese. I could almost give it a 10 but it was a little peppery. As for the price, there was a $4 difference in the bbq sandwich plate and the pulled pork plate. Not sure about that. The atmosphere was confusing. It looks like a biker bar from the outside (with the exception of the cool shape of the building), but has an almost chainish feel on the inside. My final word, good for a bbq sandwich and fries for lunch, but seek other options if you are looking for some real bbq.


Dan
Overall Score:6
Main Dish Taste:
     Pulled Pork – 6.5
     Ribs - 6
Sauce:7
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste:
Fries - 6
Service: 7
Atmosphere:8
Cost:6
Comments: It was good, but not memorable. Everything I had was enjoyable, but 3 days later, I really don’t even remember what I had. I usually have that aching desire to go back, but not here. I did enjoy everything though. The ribs were good and the pulled pork was even better. Nice and tender. The fries were tasty as well. The atmosphere, while clean, was a little too clean for a BBQ place. I felt more like I was in TGI Friday's instead of a BBQ place. I did like the TV's though. Overall good, but forgettable.

Spiced Right

Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Restaurant: Spiced Right
Location:635 Atlanta Street, Roswell, GA 30075
URL: http://www.spicedright.com/
Recommended By: Josh

Score 8.17

Spiced Right may not be spiced completly right but their BBQ is done right. While there was only one sauce to choose from, and it was just OK, their ribs and beef brisket were excelent. Most of the sides were top notch, but the beans were a bit sweet. Overal atmosphere and service is what you would expect from a BBQ joint.


Matt
Overall Score: 8.5
Main Dish Taste:
Beef Brisket - 9
Ribs - 8
Sauce: 7.5
Tenderness: 8.5
Sides Taste:
Brunswick Stew - 9
Baked Beans - 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 7
Comments:
Both the Ribs and Beef were nice and tender. The ribs that I got were a little fatty and had small bones, but the meat was really good. The beef came without sauce; once I added sauce it was perfect. The Brunswick stew was very good. The beans were a good but a bit sweet. The sauce was a mix of thick and vinegar. I liked it because it had sweet and spicy. But there was no other choice.
The Atmosphere at Spiced Right is what you would expect from a BBQ joint; Old signs on the walls, worn concrete floors, and a large smoker outside. You order up front and they bring you the food. I ordered the combo meal, 2 meats 2 sides, which was $11, a bit pricy. If you get 1 meat 2 side its $7. Much more reasonable.
Label: Dive BBQ


Mason
Overall Score: 9
Main Dish Taste:
Ribs - 8.5
Pulled Pork - 6.5
Sauce:6.5
Tenderness:9
Sides Taste:
Fries
Hashbrown Caserole - 9.5
Service: 9
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 8.5
Comments:
If I would have just got the ribs then this would have been very close to a 10. The pulled pork was just very mediocre. There was only one sauce and it was "OK". But very authentic BBQ experience!


Dan
Overall Score:
Main Dish Taste:
Ribs - 8.5
Pulled Pork - 4
Sauce:4
Tenderness:8
Sides Taste:
French Fries - 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere:8
Cost: 7
Comments:Ribs and fries were great. Pulled Pork and Sauce to so much.


Josh
Overall Score: 7
Main Dish Taste: Ribs - 7
Sauce: 6
Tenderness: 7
Sides Taste:
Fries - 10
Baked Beans - 5.5
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Cost: 7
Comments:
The ribs are excellent, but the sauce is not very exciting and
there is only one choice. The fresh-cut fries are some of the
best that I have ever had and I would eat at Spiced Right only
for the fries without hesitation. The baked beans are barely
one notch above those you would buy in a can at the grocery
store, not very exciting. Atmosphere is. . . lacking - just what
you would expect from an authentic BBQ joint.

Suggest A BBQ Restaurant

Please leave us a comment with any BBQ resaurant that we have forgotten in the atlanta area. We will add it to the list and rate it.