Sam's BBQ1

Date: Thursday, April 15, 2010
Restaurant: Sam's BBQ1
Location: 4944 Lower Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30068-4321
URL: http://www.bbq1.net/
Recommended By: Matt

8.5

The walls of BBQ1 are covered by their competition BBQ trophies. Starting off we knew we were going to eat some award winning BBQ. They have good lunch specials. $6.95 for a meat, side and drink.

The sauces are served in a pumping station. KC, NC Vinegar and Mustard were available. The KC and Mustard were excellent, but most were not fond of the vinegar based. It was too vinegary.

The pork, beef and ribs all had a great smoky flavor and were pretty tender. The beef could have been a little more tender. All very delicious.
The mac and cheese was excellent. Fat noodles, cheesy and a thick crust. The Brunswick stew was thick and tasty. We also got tater tots, fries and fried okra, all were good.

You can tell that BBQ1 knows how to cook BBQ. All of their dishes were very good and worthy of competition

An additional note. Sam offers a BBQ cooking course called PorkU. This class teaches techniques for BBQing for your back yard or for competition.

Sandwich with 0 Sides - $6
Lunch Sandwich with 1 Side and a drink - $7
Plate with 2 Sides - $12
1/2 Rack Ribs - $14

Matt
Overall Score: 9
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 8.5
      Ribs - 9
Sauce:
      Mustard – 9.5
      KC - 9
      Carolina -7
Tenderness: 9
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew – 8.5
      Mac & Cheese – 9
      Fried Okra - 9
      Tater Tots – 8.5
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Cost: 8
Comments: Meats were very good. The beef was a little tough. I like that the sauces are served in a pumping station and you mix them as you please. They were all pretty good.
The Mac and chees was great, big noodles and nice cheesy taste. The Brunswick stew was good.

Mason
Overall Score: 8.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs – 8.5
Sauce:
      Mustard – 9
      KC – 8.5
      Carolina -1
Tenderness: 9
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 8
      Mac & Cheese - 9
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Cost: 8.5
Comments: BBQ1 had a catering-like van outside that had "Competition-Style Southern Barbecue" written on it, so my expectations were raised at that point. And rightly so, this place was excellent. They had trophies on the wall of competitions that they had won. The lunch special was great, BBQ sandwich, a side and a drink $6.95. It took quite a while to get our food, but that really was the only negative thing about BBQ 1. They had a whole station set up for sauces. Their sauces were excellent, with the exception of the Carolina. Extremely vinegary! Just not my style. The ribs were very smoky and delicious. The pulled pork had a great smoky flavor as well and was very tender. The mac and cheese deserves a mention, it was very good! BBQ 1 is the real deal when it comes to southern BBQ and I will be going back when I get the chance.

Dan
Overall Score: 8
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs - 8
Sauce:
      Mustard – 9
      KC – 8
Tenderness:9
Sides Taste :
      Tater Tots -8
Service: 8
Atmosphere:6
Cost: 8
Comments: Definitely enjoyable. The service was a little "shacky", literally, but all in all a very solid spot.

Shane's Rib Shack

Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Restaurant: Shane’s Rib Shack
Location: 123 Perimeter Center West
Atlanta, GA 30346-4205
URL: http://www.shanesribshack.com/

7.25

Shane's rib shack is not really a shack, but they still have pretty good BBQ. They are a chain with several locations and their meat tastes like it was made for the chain and not made on location. The Beef was very very dry, had to stop eating it. The ribs were a little tough but pretty good. They did a fairly good job with the pork.
They seem to have one of every kind of sauce. The spicy has a really good kick, Carolina Vinegar not enough spices, but had an apple vinegar taste. One of their best items was the Brunswick Stew. Nice and thick.
Shane’s Rib Shack is good for what it is, a convenient chain BBQ restaurant. Stop by if there is one around, but don’t go out of your way.

Full Rack - $19
1/2 Rack - $12
Plate (2 Sides) - $9
Sandwich (1 Side) $7

Dan
Overall Score: 6.75
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 6
      Ribs - 8
Sauce:8
Tenderness: 6
Sides Taste :
      Fries – 7.5
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Cost: 8
Comments: For a chain, it was fine. The ribs were good, but the pork just wasn’t anything special. I wouldn’t rush back to go to Shane's, but the price aint bad and the service is pretty quick.

Matt
Overall Score: 7
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef - 4
      Ribs – 7.5
Sauce: 9
Tenderness: 6
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew – 9.5
      Mac & Cheese - 7
      Fries - 8
      Fried Okra - 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Cost: 8
Comments: Chain. Meat seems to be reheated. Beef Very Dry and chewy. Ribs need a knife to separate but tasted good. 5 sauces to choose from. Spicy has a really good kick. Carolina vinegar not enough spices, but had an apple vinegar taste.
Stew, one of the best. Very thick; Fries good seasoning; M&C decent cafeteria style; Okra good

Mason
Overall Score: 8
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs - 8
Sauce: 9
Tenderness:7
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew – 9.5
Service: 6
Atmosphere:6
Cost: 8
Comments: Even though Shane's is a chain, it was a great BBQ. The stew was excellent. Pulled pork was great. The ribs were definitely on the tough side, but great flavor. The sauce was excellent, many to choose from. The only negative i could point out is the atmosphere, very chainy. But i have to say it excelled where other dives failed. I will be going back here a lot.

Year End Review

We started the BI Bbq Group back in October. So far we have made it to 8 BBQ restaurants. Here is what we think so far.

Visit Date - Restaurant - Group Score
12/2/2009 Fat Matts - 9
10/14/2009 Spiced Right - 8.17
11/16/2009 Old Brick Pit Barbeque - 7.83
12/9/2009 Swallow At The Hollow - 7.83
12/29/2009 Fox Brothers (Review to come) - 7.5
11/24/2009 One Star Ranch - 7.13
12/15/2009 KC Pit - 6.5
10/27/2009 Ribs Etc - 5

Here are our individual favorites

Best In ___ (So Far....)	Mason	Dan	Matt	Peter
Overall BBQ	Spiced Right	Fat Matt's	Spiced Right	Fat Matt's
Ribs	Fat Matt's	Fat Matt's	Fat Matt's	Fat Matt's
Pork	Swallow At The Hollow	Fat Matt's	--	Fat Matt's
Beef	Spiced Right	--	Spiced Right	--
Brunswick Stew	One Star	--	One Star Ranch	One Star
Sauce	Swallow At The Hollow	One Star Ranch	One Star Ranch	Fat Matt's
Atmosphere	Swallow At The Hollow	Fat Matt's	Fat Matt's	Fat Matt's
Service	--	--	--	Fat Matt's
Side Dish	Fox Bros.	--	Fox Brothers	Fox Bros.

Yet to Visit
Dreamland
Slopes
Pig and Chick
JRs
BBQ1‎
Five Star Barbecue
Lowcountry Barbecue Restaurant
Shane’s Rib Shack
Old Hickory House
BBQ Corner 2
Smoke Jack
Woodys
Rolling Bones
Dusty's
Community BBQ
DBA Barbecue
Williamson Bros Bar-B-Q
Rib Ranch

KC Pit

Date: Thursday, December 17, 2009
Restaurant: KC Pit
Location: 6317 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30328
URL: http://www.kcpitbbq.com/

Score 6.5
KC Pit has recently changed locations. The new building made KC Pit change from a dive BBQ joint to an upscale dining experience. Jazz music, waterfall behind the hostess stand, fancy linens, BBQ sauce in mini silver containers…. If you are going on a nice date but still want to eat BBQ, then KC Pit is the place for you. Some may call it "GayC Pit".

Over all the food was pretty good but not the best. The beef was very good. Ribs and pork were good. None of the meat had a smoky flavor. And none of the meat came with sauce, so you can eat it without the mess. They all came platted fancy with garnishes. The sauces were both really good KC style sauces. One thick molasses (without the strong molasses flavor) and the other was a ketchup base with spices (without a strong ketchup taste).

Mac & Cheese was very good; it too was platted all pretty like. Brunswick stew extra meaty. Sweet potato fries were a nice touch.

Pork Sand (1 Side) - $5
Beef Sand (2 Sides) - $8
1/2 Rack - $13

Mason
Overall Score: 6.5
Main Dish Taste:
Pulled Pork - 7
Ribs – 6.5
Sauce: 7.5
Tenderness:7
Sides Taste :
Brunswick Stew - 7
Mac & Cheese – 8.5
Service: 7
Atmosphere:1
Cost: 8
Comments: This is the first time I have ever heard contemporary jazz being played at a BBQ joint. This was a very confusing place. Very contemporary atmosphere, even the menus. Then you open them up and everything looks the way it should at a BBQ joint, even the prices. The food came out and was good. After about 3 bites it just began to have this very chainy taste to it, as if it was not cooked with care. No smoked flavor in the pulled pork or ribs, which were about the same quality. The mac and cheese is the only item which I can say was worth the trip. I also must mention the fact that the BBQ sauce was served in a little silver pitcher-like container that looked like it would come out on a platter to some rich kid being served breakfast in bed. And we had to beg for it, our waiter had to bring more about 4 times due to the small amount. I do like that fact that this place is unique, even if it is not what I am looking for. Overall, I say pass unless you like eating BBQ with a silk shirt on.

Matt
Overall Score:7
Main Dish Taste:
Beef - 9
Ribs – 7.5
Sauce:8.5
Tenderness:
Beef – 9.5
Ribs – 7
Sides Taste :
Brunswick Stew – 7.5
Mac & Cheese – 8
Sweet Potato Fries – 9
Service: 8
Atmosphere:4
Cost: 8
Comments: This KC Pit BBQ is definitely not the same KC Pitt it was 2 years ago. I felt like I was walking into some hit midtown restaurant/bar. Even the menu screams, "we are fancy". The beef was very tender and tasty. It did not have any sauce on it, but it didn't need it. They served two sauces. One a thick KC style, sweet and thick, but it was not too sweet. The other was more tomatoes based with bits of species. The ribs were OK. They didn't have sauces either, but they needed some. Neither meat had a real smoky flavor, it seems they were both mostly cooked in the oven.
The stew was thick, but did not have much stew flavor. Most of the taste is the meat. The Mac & Cheese was very good. It is cafeteria style but much better. I also had some good sweet potato fries.

Dan
Overall Score:6
Main Dish Taste:
Pulled Pork – 6.5
Ribs - 7
Sauce:6.5
Tenderness:5
Sides Taste :
Fries - 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere:2
Cost: 8
Comments: The place was clean, the menus were very sturdy and well put together, the service was courteous and polite, and there was no chance of me getting dirty at all during my meal. This is NOT what I want from my BBQ experience. The restaurant was high scale but the food was low scale.
All in all, the food wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t memorable. The ribs were tasty, the pork was ok, and the fries were good. However, when the French fries are the best part of the meal, that’s not a good thing. We may need to try the "low class" KC Pit to give it a real chance.

One Star Ranch

Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Restaurant: One Star Ranch
Location: 25 Irby Ave NW, Atlanta, GA
URL: http://www.onestarranch.com
Recommended By: Matt

Score 7.13

If you decide to head to One Star Ranch, you will forget you are in the middle of Buckhead; instead you will think you were in a dive bar out in the country side. The walls are covered in old signed dollar bills, worn street signs and some bull horns.
We got a waitress on her first week, so our service was not the best. All the meat we received was pretty dry. The ribs are cut before they are smoked, which makes them even drier, but does give them a bit more flavor. We had to ask for sauce, once we got it, it was worth it. Both the regular and spicy had a great smoky taste.
They have a wide variety of sides. The stew rank one of the best so far. So thick you can eat it with a fork. The jalapeno cornbread was soft, slightly sweet and with a hint of spice.
Overall, if you are looking for a great atmosphere and some good sides, we have found your place. If you are looking for some good pork, beef and ribs, I hope you like them extra dry.

Lunch Sand - $7
Ribs (8) - $20
Plate 2 Sides - $11

Matt
Overall Score:7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef - 7
      Ribs - 6
Sauce:9
Tenderness:5
Sides Taste :
     Brunswick Stew -9
     Jalapeno Cornbread – 8.5
Service: 6
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 8
Comments: As soon as you walk into One Star Ranch you feel like you have stumbled upon a dive bar in the middle of nowhere. There are signed dollar bills on every wall along with other country signs, and a set of bull horns. It was our waitress’s 1st week, so my meal had issues (for the 3rd BIBbq trip in a row). First she forgot my order. Then she brought me Pork instead of Beef. Luckily the Manager was there to bless my pork and make it Kosher. Actually the Manager was very friendly and did try and make us happy.
The Brunswick stew is one of the best that I have had, so thick you can eat it with a fork. The Jalapeno Cornbread had a hint of sweet and little kick, great combination. Once I got my beef, it was tasty but dry. We had to ask for extra sauce, because there was none on the table. Both the regular and spicy sauces were excellent. Thick with bold spices and a smoky flavor. The way I imagine BBQ sauce tastings. The ribs were also very dry. They were cut before they were cooked so they had full smoked taste, but also contributed to them being dry. My last piece was more like a piece of rib jerky.
Label: Dive BBQ

Mason
Overall Score: 6.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 7
      Ribs - 6
Sauce:9
Tenderness: 4.5
Sides Taste :
     Brunswick Stew - 9
     Fries - 8
Service:6
Atmosphere: 9.5
Cost: 7
Comments: It is a little shack type building that was hard to find parking for. When you walk in the first thing you notice is all of the one dollar bills on the walls. Really cool. The service was about the worst I have had, except for the fact that the owner kind of just stands around and checks on everyone. He ended up serving us half the time. The sauce was excellent. even though you have to ask for it (it is not sitting on the table) and it is not brought out by default. The ribs were very different. Not tender at all. Crunchy almost. The pulled pork was ok. The Brunswick stew was amazing. Some of the best i have had. So thick and full of goodness that I was able to finish it all with a fork. Bottom line is this: The worst part of the experience was the food, so therefore it is hard for me to give it a good score.

Dan
Overall Score: 7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 6
      Ribs - 8
Sauce:9.5
Tenderness: 5
Sides Taste :
     Chips - 5
     Fries - 8
Service:
Atmosphere:
Cost: 7
Comments: The atmosphere is exactly what you want out of a BBQ place. The look, the smell, the signed dollar bills on the wall. It had everything you could want. The service, on the other hand, was terrible. They forgot an order, there was no sauce on the table and it wasn’t easy to get it from waitress. However, once we got the sauce, it was outstanding!! The best sauce we had yet. And the manager was nice helping out the waitress. The pork was ok, the ribs were better, especially with the sauce, but the tenderness wasn't great. The Ribs were definitely dry, but the taste was great. All in all, i liked the place and would definitely come back, despite its shortcomings.

Peter
Overall Score:7
Main Dish Taste:
      Sausage Sandwich - 5
      Ribs - 6
Sauce: 8
Tenderness: 5
Sides Taste :
     Brunswick Stew - 9
     Fries - 6
Service: 5
Atmosphere:9
Cost: 7
Comments:Good atmosphere, but service, though "perky", missed the mark. Pros: The Brunswick Stew....Cons: Dry Pork and beef. Won't be top on my list to visit in the future.

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.

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.

Weclome To The BIBbq

At work we have a group of guys that enjoy to go out to lunch every day. There had been several debate to which is Atlanta's best BBQ restaurant . We decided to hit up a different BBQ restaurant each week and rate several aspects of the experience to determine what is truly the Best In BBQ in Atlanta. Thus the BIBbq group was born.

Each week the group will visit a different BBQ restaurant. We are currently located near Perimeter Mall, so we are starting off with the restaurants within a 10 mile radius. We will rate the restaurant on the following categories: Main Dish Taste, Main Dish Tenderness, Sauce, Side Items, Service, Atmosphere, Cost and an Overall rating.

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.