'Cue

Date: 3/10/2010
Restaurant: 'Cue
Location: 13700 Highway 9 North, Milton, GA 30004-3645
URL: http://www.cuebarbecue.com/
Recommended By: Keith / Jacob

Score : 8

Overall Cue has good BBQ. The restaurant is a little small but does give you a modern country feel (You feel like you are in Alpharetta). Their beef and pork are both good but nothing special. Their ribs are really good, if you don't get a dry one. They do have some very good sauces. That may be their strongest point.

Their Brunswick stew was very tasty as well. Their Mac and Cheese was just OK, not very cheesy.

Overall I was satisfied with Cue. If you are in Alpharetta, we would definitely check it out. You may not want to make the drive from Atlanta.

Sandwich, no sides - $7
Plate, 2 sides - $10.50
½ rack ribs - $10

Matt
Overall Score: 8.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 8.5
      Ribs - 8
Sauce: 8.5
Tenderness:8
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 9
      Mac & Cheese - 7
Service: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Cost: 8
Comments: "Good Beef. Very Tender. 1st rib was a little dry but the 2nd was great.
Mac and Cheese was very good but could use a little more cheese flavor. Stew was one of my favorite. Very thick.
All 3 sauces had a good kick. Vinegar, KC, Mustard. "

Mason
Overall Score: 7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 8
      Ribs - 8
Sauce: 8
Tenderness: 8
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 8
      Mac & Cheese - 7
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 6.5
Cost: 8
Comments: Cue was a small place, more modern feel. The ribs were really good, but it could have been the sauce that i liked more. The sauce was great, i mixed their mustard and original together. The mac and cheese was average. The stew was great. The pulled pork was a little above avereage, very tender. Although nothing at cue was done wrong, nothing seemed to stand out either.

Smoke Jack

Date: Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Restaurant: Smoke Jack
Location: 29 South Main Street, Alpharetta, GA
URL: http://www.smokejackbbq.com/
Recommended By: Matt

Score: 8.3

We headed up to Alpharetta for lunch today. Smoke Jack fits right into Alpharetta as a fancy BBQ restaurant. A place where you can take a date and have a nice drink. On the menu they have the JACK. A combo plate with 6 meats and 2 sides, all for just $30. The menu says it can feed a really hungry person or 2 people. It fed 3 of us just fine.

The Burnt Ends were a big hit, they had a good smoky flavor and were fairly tender. The beef was not as tender as the burnt ends but still tasty. Pork was very good, tender, full of flavor, especially when you add the mustard sauce. The ribs could be ordered either Memphis style (dry rub) or KC style (thick sauce). We got the spare KC and baby back Memphis. The both were really good.

Smoke Jack also has several sides and appetizers to choose from. The fried pickles and Corn Bread Pudding are a must. The pickles come with a spicy dip and the Corn Bread Pudding has little bits of jalapenos in it, but not really spicy.

The sauces they bring depend on what you order. We recommend just asking for all of them up front. The Carolina Mustard is really good with a bit of mustard and sweet. The KC style is pretty good. The Citrus KC was not our favorite. The orange flavor is not the best in a BBQ sauce.


The Jack Combo 6 meats - $30
Beef Plate (2 sides) - $9
Sand (1 side) - $7.50

Matt
Overall Score: 8.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 7.5
      Burnt Ends - 9
      Chicken - 7
      Pork - 9
      Spare Ribs (KC) - 8
      Baby Back Ribs (Memphis) - 8
Sauce:
      Carolina Mustard - 8.5
      KC - 8
      KC Citrus - 6.5
Tenderness: 8`
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew – 6.5
      Mac & Cheese – 8.5
      Corn Bread Pudding - 8
      Fried Pickles - 9
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 7.5
Cost: 7
Comments: Ordered the Jack Meal for $30.
Beef a little dry
Burnt Ends - Awesome
Chicken - Good but not Smokey
Pork - Very good with the mustard sauce
Spare Ribs (KC) - good. A little chewy
Baby Back Ribs (Memphis) Good.
Mac and Cheese. Very good. Burt crust.
Corn Bread Pudding. Unique flavor with bits of jalapeno
Stew - too soupy. Potatoes not cooked enough. Lots of chunky bits
Fried Pickles - Very good and good dipping sauce

Carolina Mustard was a mix of Mustard and vinegar. Very good
KC a little sweet. A little spicy
KC Citrus. The citrus flavor just threw it off

Mason
Overall Score: 8.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 6
      Burnt Ends - 9
      Chicken - 8
      Pork – 8.5
      Spare Ribs (KC) - 8
      Baby Back Ribs (Memphis) - 8
Sauce:
      Carolina - 4
      KC - 8
Tenderness: 8
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew - 7
      Corn Pudding - 9.5
      Fried Pickles - 9
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 6
Cost: 8
Comments: The atmosphere is a little more modern. It didn't really have a BBQ feel to it. We started off with the fried pickles. Very good quality, huge. Came with a spicy sauce for them that was awesome too. Then we opened the menu and there it was, THE JACK. 6 meats and 4 sides for 30 bones. It said it would comfortably feed 2, but it comfortably fed 3. The beef was a little on the dry side, the pork was great. The burnt ends were very tender and some of the better I have had. Chicken was good. It came with spare ribs and baby back. You don't get that often! They were both great. A little small, but done right. The corn pudding they serve is a must, it is amazing. I live fairly close to smoke jack and will be making this a regular stop.

Dan
Overall Score:8
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 4
      Burnt Ends – 9.5
      Chicken - 6
      Pork – 9.5
      Spare Ribs (KC) - 7
      Baby Back Ribs (Memphis) - 8
Sauce:7
Tenderness:8
Sides Taste :
      Fries - 6
      Fried Pickles - 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere:7
Cost: 7
Comments: Try a little bit of everything, which was AWESOME. If only every place had the Jack on their menu, that would be great!! To me, the burnt ends and the pork were the stars. I had never had burnt ends before, but I may have to start trying it after this experience. The ribs were also very good. The chicken and beef were alright, but nothing to write home about. All in all a top 5 BBQ experience and I would definitely go back again.

Best In BBQ

You have asked for it, here are our current rankings:

Visit Date - Restaurant - Group Score
12/2/2009 - Fat Matts - 9
3/3/2010 - Smoke Jack - 8.5
4/15/2010 - Sam's BBQ1 - 8.5
10/14/2009 - Spiced Right - 8.17
3/10/2010 - 'Cue- 8
11/16/2009 - Old Brick Pit Barbeque - 7.83
12/9/2009 - Swallow At The Hollow - 7.8
1/6/2010 - Pig and Chick - 7.8
12/29/2009 - Fox Brothers - 7.5
5/19/2010 - Dreamland - 7.33
1/27/2010 - Shanes - 7.25
11/24/2009 - One Star Ranch - 7.13
1/20/2010 - Old Hickory House - 6.75
1/11/2010 - Slopes - 6.6
12/15/2009 - KC Pit - 6.5
10/27/2009 - Ribs Etc - 5
3/24/2010 - This is It BBQ - 2.67
12/9/2009 - Bennie's Barbecue - Closed


Still to come
Five Star Barbecue
Lowcountry Barbecue Restaurant
BBQ Corner 2
Woodys
Rolling Bones
Dusty's
Community BBQ
DBA Barbecue
Williamson Bros Bar-B-Q
Rib Ranch
PR Barbeque
Harold's Barbecue
Bobby & June Country Kitchen
Daddy D'z
Sam and Dave’s BBQ2
Hometown BBQ
Jim N’Nick
Old South BBQ

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.

Smoke on the Lake

Its spring time and a good time to get outside. If you are looking for a day trip on May 8th, check out the Smoke on the Lake BBQ Festival. Its at Cauble Park on Lake Acworth from 10am-6pm.

Old Hickory House

Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Restaurant: Old Hickory House
Location: 5490 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA‎
URL: http://www.oldhickoryhouse.com/
Score: 6.75

Old Hickory House may look great from the outside. The inside has a Southern Cafeteria feel. It seems to be a hotspot for the retired folks. The menu seemed to be more of a country kitchen then just BBQ.

On Wednesday they have a great lunch special for $6.99, a meat, 2 sides and drink. It was a ton of food. After we ordered the waitress also brought us a basket of biscuit, corn bread and Texas toast. All very tasty.

The pork and ribs were both average. The ribs were pretty fatty with extra cartilage. The beef was very finely chopped, almost to a powder. The sauce was just awful, almost like ketchup with chunks added in. The only really good thing on the menu was the Brunswick Stew.

Lunch Special - Wed - Plate (meat, 2 sides, drink) $7
1/2 Rack - $12
Plate (2 sides) -$9

Matt
Overall Score:6.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Beef – 6.5
      Ribs - 6
Sauce: 5
Tenderness: 7
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew – 8.5
      Mac & Cheese – 8.5
      Fries - 8
      Corn Bread - 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Cost: 9
Comments: The Old Hickory House is a country kitchen and BBQ. We went on a Wednesday and the daily special was 1 meat, 2 sides and a drink for $6.99. And it was a ton of food. After we ordered our waitress brought us a basket of Texas toast, biscuits and sweet cornbread.

Beef was over chopped. Slightly Tender. Sauce was awful. Ketchup with chunks added to it. The ribs were fatty and dry.
Fries. Wedge fries. Tasty
Stew was thick and good

M&C Good Cafeteria style

Mason
Overall Score:7
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork -7
      Ribs - 7
Sauce:6
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew -8
      Mac & Cheese – 7.5
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Cost: 9
Comments: Old Hickory House looks great on the outside, but when you walk inside it has more of a cafeteria feel to it than a BBQ joint. The service was good. The waitress brought a lot of bread to the table which was great. The pulled pork was pretty good, average. The ribs seemed as though they weren't cooked with care. The stew was really good, but when the stew is one of the best things you had, that is not a good thing. I would have to say pass on this one.

Dan
Overall Score:6.75
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 7
      Ribs - 6
Sauce:5
Tenderness:
Sides Taste :
      Fries - 8
      Corn Bread - 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7.5
Cost: 9
Comments:

Slopes

Date: Monday, January 11, 2010
Restaurant: Slopes
Location: 200 Johnson Ferry Road Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30328-3820
URL: http://www.slopesbbq.com/

Score: 6.6

The inside of Slopes has a good country feeling. You order at the counter and can also choose to pick up some pork rinds. During the week you can choose to add an extra rib to your meal for just $1. Good deal. The ribs were just OK with a very mild smoky flavor. The pork was also just average. The chicken was very dry and they do not offer Beef.

The sides were hit or miss. Great Fried Okra, but the Jalapeno Cheese Grits was a miss. Mac and Cheese was blah. The Brunswick Stew was pretty soupy and had bits of corn meal it in. It got mixed reviews. If they have a dessert special, you should go for it. The Blackberry Cobbler was great.

Overall it is a mediocre BBQ place. I would eat there if I was meeting a group out for a meal.

Sandwich (0 side) $4.25
Plate (2 sides) $8.75
1/2 rack - $11
Extra Rib with Meal - $1

Peter
Overall Score:7.5
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork - 7
      Ribs - 7
Sauce:7
Tenderness:7
Sides Taste :
      Fried Okra - 8
      Jalepeno Cheese Grits -4
Service: 8
Atmosphere:7
Cost: 8
Comments: Not bad, the Fried Okra was excellent! The Jalapeno Cheese Grits special was a big letdown.

Mason
Overall Score:7
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork – 7.5
      Ribs – 7.5
Sauce:7
Tenderness:7
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew -7.5
      Mac & Cheese - 6
Service: 8
Atmosphere:7
Cost: 9
Comments: It is located in a shopping center and packed for lunch. The atmosphere just really didn't seemed to be attended to. Kind of like a chain usually is. The biggest attraction to me was the ability to add 1 rib to any plate for $1 (Up to 3 ribs), and I added 2. The Brunswick stew had a very thin consistency, but very tasty. I liked it. Mac & cheese was mediocre. The ribs had a hint of smokiness too them, but also a baked taste as well. It took away from them and left them average. The pulled pork was good. The tenderness of the pulled pork and ribs was average. Overall, this is a mediocre BBQ joint. Go here for a BBQ sandwich and some fries, but nothing more.

Matt
Overall Score:6
Main Dish Taste:
      Chicken -5
      Ribs - 7
Sauce: 7
Tenderness:7.5
Sides Taste :
      Brunswick Stew -7
      Mac & Cheese – 6
      Blackberry Cobbler- 9
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Cost: 8.5
Comments: Order at counter. No Beef :(. I like the extra rib for $1. The chicken was dry. The Brunswick stew was soupy and had corn meal in it. I stopped eating it. Mac and cheese was not very cheesy. Pie was good.

Dan
Overall Score:6
Main Dish Taste:
      Pulled Pork – 6
      Ribs – 6.5
Sauce:7
Tenderness:6
Sides Taste :
      Fries - 8
Service: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Cost: 9
Comments: