Where to Find the Best Atlanta BBQ

Sweet Auburn BBQ

656 North Highland Avenue Northeast (Poncey-Highland) 

The Place

Definitely head to Sweet Auburn BBQ if you are looking for the best Atlanta BBQ. The restaurant reflects the sibling owners, Howard and Anita Hsu’s, southern upbringing and Asian roots. They started out with an eatery within the Sweet Auburn Market, one of the many food halls in Atlanta. Now they have grown to a full restaurant in Poncey-Highland. Many BBQ joints look like a hole in the wall. Sweet Auburn still has a country feel, but combined with modern decor. I often choose an outdoor table in front of the restaurant on the sidewalk. It’s one of the few Atlanta BBQ restaurants where you order at your table.

With so many great BBQ places in Atlanta, I don’t get to eat at all of them frequently. Sweet Auburn is the one that I make sure to dine at every time I am in Atlanta. You’ll see below that the food is the main reason, but the location in one of my favorite neighborhoods is great too. Plus the service is always excellent with attentive, but not overbearing servers. They are knowledgable about all the menu items. 

The Meats & Sauces

I always order a 2 meat and 2 side combo with Texas toast. I need to branch out, but every time I choose the pulled pork and brisket. I often prefer pulled pork over brisket, but the brisket here is amazing. Most of the time I feel like the meat isn’t flavorful enough on its own without the sauce, but the brisket was so good here that I forgot to use the sauce on my first visit. That doesn’t mean the sauces aren’t tasty though. The tomato based sauce with a touch of spice is my top choice.

The Sides

The Asian twist really comes through on the classic BBQ sides. The sides have changed over the last few years and I occasionally switch up what I order too. Let’s be honest, sometimes I order an extra side as they are so good!

The sesame peanut slaw is an Asian slaw. Instead of the typical mayo and vinegar dressing of coleslaw it had a peanut dressing. I don’t typically like coleslaw and really liked this….so make what you want of that! The pear slaw is a more traditional coleslaw.

The wok fired green beans are one of my go to choices. I like that they have a bit of a kick. I tried the tempura fried green beans appetizer (not a side) and was expecting them to be like all the other fried green beans I have had and loved, but even better with the Asian flavors incorporated. There was nothing wrong with them, but I didn’t love them like I do most of the time.

A bucket of jalapeño cornbread is another appetizer. Honestly it’s so good I could eat the whole bucket myself. That’s not the best idea so luckily you can substitute the Texas toast for cornbread for an upgrade. The Texas toast is better than most places though. You can also order the cornbread as a side for a small upgrade with a platter or as a side on its own. It doesn’t matter how you order it, but you are missing out if you don’t have the cornbread! 

Wood’s Chapel BBQ

85 Georgia Ave SE (Summerhill)

The Place

Established in 1865 Wood’s Chapel was originally a church in the Summerhill neighborhood, one of Atlanta’s oldest neighborhoods. It was the anchor of a thriving African American community. The area has transformed a great deal since the late 1800s due to racial issues, commercialization, and urban renewal. By the start of the 21st century Georgia Avenue was quite neglected. In the last few years a large redevelopment plan has taken place to revitalize the neighborhood. There’s much more to the history than that, but what you need to know is that in 2019 Wood’s Chapel BBQ was born in the old Wood’s Chapel!

It’s a counter service place with large tables inside and outside where you can go to hang out and have some good food. There’s an indoor game room and a few outdoor games. Overall the service is friendly and the atmosphere is welcoming.

The Meats & Sauces

Wood’s Chapel is a good example of an Atlanta BBQ place that does a variety of regional favorites. They have whole hog from the Carolinas, St Louis ribs, and traditional Texas brisket. The meats are smoked in wood fire pits with white oak logs for up to 20 hours. The pulled pork was nice and tender. When you see the smokehouse from the sprawling outdoor patio it makes you feel like you are at a backyard gathering.

There are three different types of sauces depending on what type of meat you order. I had the vinegar based sauce with my pork. Usually it wouldn’t be my first choice, but it added a nice flavor to my pork. When ordering ask for no sauce or a different sauce if you have a preference.

The Sides

The sides are more on the contemporary side. They take a typical southern side like potato salad and put their own spin on it by adding dill. The honey butter cornbread is pretty classic though, and pretty amazing. It is the perfect consistency. It melts in your mouth, but it doesn’t feel like you are eating a lump of butter. Don’t look too close or you may notice I couldn’t even wait for a picture before I took a bite out of the cornbread! The downside is that you can’t have it as a side with a platter, even though it is cheaper than the other sides.

I have heard great things about the desserts as well. Of course that means I need to go back. I have my eye on their chess pie, but looks like they don’t have it on the menu anymore.

Fox Bros BBQ

1238 DeKalb Ave NE (Candler Park)

The Place

Fox Bros BBQ is one of the most well-known and popular BBQ places in Atlanta. Twin brothers Jonathan and Justin Fox moved from Fort Worth, TX. Once in Atlanta they missed the flavors of Texas barbecue and started smoking meats at their own backyard gatherings for friends and family. Soon enough after a couple of years of catering, Fox Bros BBQ was born in 2007! Before Fox Bros, pork was king in the city. The brothers are known for bringing brisket to Atlanta and influencing other pit masters in the area.

They now have four locations, all marked on the map above. They also have some additional pop ups at breweries. The address under the picture is their original location.

The Meats & Sauces

True to the brother’s Texas roots, the Texas style meats are smoked for a long time on low heat. The brisket is their claim to fame. All their meats are done to perfection though.

Chicken fried ribs, what an amazing invention. How are these not on the menu of every BBQ restaurant in Atlanta? If you’ve read my Atlanta breakfast and brunch posts you know I am a huge fan of fried chicken. Obviously I love BBQ too. Put the two together and you get the most amazing combination. It’s one of those foods where the rest of the world melts away when you’re eating it and all you can think is “this is so good”. Order them as an appetizer or as one of the meats on a combo plate.

They have a few different sauce choices. The main sauce is tomato based with a hint of vinegar. They combined the heat of a Texas sauce with the sweetness of a southern one. They also have a spicy sauce that I really like.

The Sides

All the classic BBQ sides like coleslaw, potato salad, and mac and cheese are on the menu. The gooey mac and cheese with full shell pasta is one of the best in the city. There are also some sides with a twist such as the Fox-a-Roni-Mac & Cheese+Brunswick Stew and the Frito Pie with fritos, brisket chili, & cheddar cheese.

I ordered another staple BBQ side – green beans. Although green beans are a common side, the green beans here are spicy and have just the right amount of kick to them.

The jalapeño cornbread was also a delicious take on a classic southern side. It’s actually a cheaper side so it may make sense not to use it as a side on a combo plate, but you’ll want to order it. If you haven’t already figured it out, I am a cornbread connoisseur of the highest degree! 

Lewis BBQ

544 Piedmont Ave NE #406 (Piedmont Heights)

The Place

John Lewis is a legendary pit master. He grew up in Texas and helped his friend Aaron Franklin start the very well known Franklin BBQ. Lewis also partnered with LeAnn Mueller to open the sought after La Barbecue. Both are still top bbq places to eat in Austin.

Charleston, SC was Lewis’s next move. There are no shortage of amazing places to eat in Charleston. One of my favorites is Lewis BBQ. Lewis opened this nationally recognized BBQ restaurant in 2016.

The Meats & Sauces

At the counter serve restaurant you’ll first choose your sides and then your meats. After choosing sides wait behind the stop sign for the next available meat slicer. Meat is taken very seriously here……as it should be! It’s a slow process where the slicers take their time and talk with you. If you’re lucky you’ll get a sample too.

Similar to the Fox brother’s story, Lewis also brought Texas brisket to the Lowcountry and now Atlanta. The Central Texas style brisket is the star of the show. There are other meats available, but the brisket here is in a class of its own. Order it sliced or chopped. You’ll be asked if you want it lean or fatty. I recommend ordering half and half of the sliced brisket.

Sauces are self serve from big containers. Be careful as they come out fast! There are four choices. Not only did I like the flavor of the Hatch Green Chile, but I don’t know of any other BBQ spots in Atlanta that have a green BBQ sauce. The Original Red and the Lewis Secret Sauce were both good too. The vinegar based Tangy isn’t my cup of tea…..or I mean sauce!

The Sides

I almost made a dire mistake. The Green Chile Corn pudding is described as a cheesy corn pudding. As someone who doesn’t like cheese I was going to skip it. Luckily just in time I remembered how amazing it was in Charleston and how we went back up for more. Whether you like cheese or not, it is a delicious soft casserole. It isn’t gooey with melted cheese, but it also isn’t as bready as cornbread.

Other sides are classic sides with a bit of a Southwest flavor. The Cowboy Pinto Beans are topped with pico. The Stewed Green Beans have tomatoes and spices. Green onion is included in the Creamy Potato Salad. I’m not a huge fries person, but the Tallow Fried Fries are really good.

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack

1811 Piedmont Ave NE (Piedmont Heights)

The Place

Known as an Atlanta institution, Fat Matt’s Rib Shack is the place to go for ribs in Atlanta. Who would have guessed from the name, right?

At a friend’s party we placed a big delivery order with two slabs of ribs, chicken, several pints of sides, and a sweet potato pie. Order direct instead of from a third party delivery service as the prices are quite inflated. While the delivery prices were crazy, I give them credit for the containers they used for delivery. Bonus points for cutting the pie and wrapping each slice individually within the pie. 

With live blues music every evening, Fat Matt’s is more than a restaurant. Dine in person, especially if you enjoy live music, to have the full experience.

The Meats & Sauces

I’m usually not a huge ribs fan as they are quite messy and you don’t get a lot of meat on a rib. That’s not special to Fat Matt’s, but ribs anywhere. I don’t eat ribs a lot, but I am a big carnivore so I do know good meat. The ribs are indeed good meat. They come with enough sauce on them that I didn’t feel any extra sauce was needed. 

They also serve chicken, pork, and smoked sausage. I didn’t try the other meats, but those who had the chicken said it was good. Since hearing about their pork sandwich, I do want to try that. 

The Sides

The sides are pretty classic BBQ sides with choices including collard greens, baked beans, Brunswick stew, and coleslaw. I tried the Brunswick stew and I liked it better than others I have had in the past. 

There’s no cornbread on the menu, but you do get wonder bread. With our delivery order we received an entire loaf of wonder bread! If they could serve some cornbread or at least some good Texas toast, they would be a contender for the best Atlanta BBQ due to the ribs. 

Rodney Scott’s BBQ

CLOSED AS OF 5/3/26 UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: 668 Metropolitan Pkwy SW (Adair Park)

The Place

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ began in 2017 in Charleston, but Rodney Scott has been cooking whole hog BBQ since he was a child. In 2018 he won the prestigious James Beard award for the best chef in the southeast. Now pit masters that have been trained in the same style run five other locations in Atlanta, Nashville, and three Alabama cities. 

The Atlanta location in Adair Park has bright, open indoor seating. There is screened in patio and outdoor seating as well. It is quickly becoming one of the best BBQ places in Atlanta. 

The Meats & Sauces

What makes Rodney Scott’s one of the best Atlanta BBQ spots is that all of the meats are pit cooked. This traditional and time consuming method gives the meats their delicious smokey flavor. The meats can be ordered as a sandwich or as a plate. Both the brisket and the pork are delicious. The pork is quite a bit spicier than a usual pulled pork. 

There are three sauces. My favorite was Kathy’s sauce, which is sweeter and ketchup based. The vinegar and pepper based Rodney’s sauce was a close second. The “other sauce” was fine, but I didn’t love it. I like how they have the bottles on the table so you can use as much as you want and try them all.  

The Sides

Rodney Scott’s had some of the best cornbread. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you read that right. They “had” amazing cornbread and now they have changed their cornbread. RIP nice sugary bottom cornbread. At least if you haven’t eaten here yet you don’t know what you’re missing and they still have good cornbread. Another plus is that cornbread comes with the plates and combos and doesn’t count as one of your sides. 

The hushpuppies are just as delicious. Despite being a popular southern side, they aren’t available at too many of the best Atlanta barbecue restaurants. 

The baked beans are quite good. I’m never a huge fan of baked beans, but when they are done like this I am all for them. You can’t go wrong with any of the sides. 

Dixie Q 

2524 Caldwell Rd NE (Brookhaven)

The Place

Located in Brookhaven, Dixie Q is owned by Scott Serpas, a chef who hails from New Orleans. Louisiana flavors show up in a few dishes.

They have friendly service that is attentive, but not overly in your space. I liked the patio seating and appreciated that there were tables in the shade. 

The Meats & Sauces

The meats are all smoked over oak and hickory wood in house. When they are gone, they are gone! I only tried the pulled pork and it was excellent. 

The pork was flavorful on its own, but I liked both of the sauces, an original and a spicy. If it wasn’t for another table asking for the spicy I wouldn’t have known about it. I prefer when places provide all the options, but at least thanks to me you’re prepared now! 

The Sides

The sides are all made from scratch. I don’t remember why, but I only tried one side here. Would you be surprised if I told you I ordered cornbread? It was very good too! The Texas toast wasn’t anything to write home about. I wish they skipped that and gave cornbread instead.  That would make me give them 5 stars. Did I say that the cornbread was really good!? 

Heirloom Market BBQ 

2243 Akers Mill Rd SE

The Place

What do you get when you put a boy from the south and a Korean pop star together? You get Heirloom Market BBQ, the perfect combination of traditional southern BBQ and Korean flavors. The owners created an interesting BBQ place in Atlanta that is distinct from others in the city.

It’s located just inside the perimeter of 285 near some of the Chattahoochee River trails. Work up an appetite hiking and then pick up some ‘cue to go. Dine in is standing room only and it can get pretty packed so you may want to order take-out. You will be salivating waiting out front in the parking with all the delicious smokey smells in the air.

The Meats & Sauces

It’s hard to say where the best brisket in Atlanta can be found, but the brisket here may be my favorite. It is very tender and doesn’t need any BBQ sauce. I rarely say that! Many would disagree with me, but the spicy Korean pork didn’t hit my fancy. One of their best sellers is their spicy Korean pork sandwich with kimchi coleslaw on top.

With five different types of BBQ sauces you are sure to find one you like. I tried the Korean sauce which has a sweet heat flavor. My favorite was the Kitchen, which is described as ‘spicy fresh’. It was tangy and reminded me of Ortega taco sauce for some reason….but that’s a good thing!

The Sides

The Texas brisket chili was spicy and hit the spot. It’s served with cheese and sour cream on top and doesn’t skimp on the brisket. The Korean sweet potatoes were my favorite. They tasted like sweet potatoes, but elevated to a new level. They were in a sauce that had a sweet, syrupy taste which added the perfect flavor. The bun was almost good enough to eat on its own, but was a great vessel for putting the meat in my mouth. 

Community Q BBQ

1361 Clairmont Rd (Decatur) 

The Place

Community Q BBQ is located in North Decatur near Emory. Each day they cook all their food fresh. As their slogan says “until the meat runs out”, be prepared that they might occasionally run out of meat. 

The portions here are slightly smaller than at other Atlanta BBQ places, but the prices are much lower as well. The two meat combo with one side is around $16 – 18. It is rare to find a two meat combo platter for under $22. 

The Meats & Sauces

The pulled pork and brisket are both very good. Like some of the other places I did feel they needed the sauces. All the meats come on Texas toast, which is delicious. They are known to prepare an excellent sloppy joe if you are looking for something a little different. 

They have two sauces, one red sauce and one vinegar sauce. Unless I really dunked my meat in the vinegar sauce I didn’t really get a strong flavor from it. The red sauce had a good taste though and added a lot more flavor to the meat. 

The Sides

The sweet potatoes with braised kale was an excellent side and a little different from the usual BBQ joint sides. They do serve all the classics like potato salad, collards, and Brunswick stew. The macaroni and cheese is highly rated here too. 

Twin Smokers BBQ

300 Marietta St NW suite 104 (Downtown)

The Place

I went to Twin Smokers on a Friday night. I do realize that is probably the worst time, but I wasn’t pleased with the service. I had to wait for a table and was told to sit at the bar. The bar didn’t have any seats available so then they tried to get me to have take out. It didn’t feel like they wanted any solo diners. There was a table available and nobody else was waiting. I wasn’t up for the “grab a seat at the bar if you can” experience. 

When a seat at the bar finally opened up there was a bit of a wait to order. I was only informed that they were out of several items after specifically asking. When my two meat and two side combo arrived, it was missing the cornbread. It took awhile, but when I finally got the bartender’s attention I asked if it was on the way out. She informed me that they were out of cornbread. Ummm, you weren’t going to tell me that?? Then she acted like she supposed she could give me another side if I wanted it. The problem wasn’t that they ran out of food, but how it wasn’t communicated. 

The downtown location is handy and works well to include in your Atlanta itinerary if you’re visiting the top attractions in the city.

The Meats & Sauces

Service aside, the food was very good and that is what matters most when recommending the best Atlanta BBQ. They serve regionally inspired BBQ cooked over different types of wood. The Texas-Style BBQ is smoked over Texas Mesquite and Post Oak. Southern-Style is smoked over White Oak and Hickory. The Twin Smokers name comes from this twin smoker method. 

The brisket was excellent. While I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to try the pulled pork, the smoked sausage was a pleasant surprise.

The sauces were good, but it was the meats that kept my attention.

The Sides

As I mentioned I was also bummed that they had run out of cornbread. You know how I feel about cornbread! The charro beans were a nice, spicy alternative. I also had the sweet potato casserole with pecans. That was delicious! If that seasonal side is available when you visit, don’t hesitate to order it! 

BBQ 56 

1563 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd SW (Westview)

The Place

While I recently discovered BBQ 56, it has been around since 1956. Now the name makes sense, right? Located in Westview it feels like a true neighborhood gem. 

You’ll be hit with the smoky aroma as soon as you walk in the door. I never like the smell clinging to me after I leave, but it’s a good sign that the BBQ will be excellent. Your ear drums will also pick up on the sounds. The music is too loud for my taste, but from the first bite of BBQ I was able to partially tune it out. 

I was impressed with the service. It felt like the down home southern hospitality you want from a restaurant in Atlanta, but don’t consistently receive. There was only one waitress, but I was greeted upon arrival and she stayed on top of all the tables. 

My only big complaint is that the website doesn’t have a menu. It’s always puzzled me why you would have a restaurant website without a menu? Isn’t that the number one reason people are looking at your restaurant website? 

The Meats & Sauces

I had a mild panic when I started to write this section, because I realized that I never tried the BBQ sauce.  Please don’t discredit me thinking I don’t know the best Atlanta BBQ now! I know it’s a crime to not try the BBQ sauce. 

On the bright side you know what that means! The meats were so good, they didn’t need any BBQ sauce. BBQ 56 really shines thanks to the meats. 

The dino beef ribs were recommended as the number one choice. As they were only sold separately and couldn’t be included on the platter I went with the back up suggestion of the rib tips. They wouldn’t have been my first choice originally, but I’m so glad I had them. Some things are so good, there isn’t the right combination of words to describe them. Order them for yourself! I also really liked the smoked beef jalapeño sausage. 

The Sides

I wasn’t as enthralled with the sides. It wasn’t that the collard greens and baked beans that I ordered weren’t good. My lack of enthusiasm was due to the choices. They were all really classic choices like potato salad and mac & cheese. The first disappointment was that there was no cornbread. Need I say more! In addition, I like the more inventive spins on BBQ sides. There was nothing wrong with the sides, they just weren’t my personal favorites.

DBA BBQ

4441 Roswell Rd NE (Chastain Park)

The Place

DBA BBQ was a great neighborhood BBQ spot in Virginia-Highland. They no longer have their location there and only have a location in Chastain Park. I haven’t had a chance to try this location yet. My review is based on my experience in VaHi.

They serve a wide selection of meats in platters and as sandwiches. While the prices are on point with other Atlanta BBQ places, I found the portion size to be slightly smaller. Maybe I was just super hungry when I visited, but this was one of the first times I ordered a combo plate and was able to finish all my food in one sitting.

The Meats & Sauces

I really liked both my pulled pork and brisket, but felt like they didn’t have that wow factor as some other places do. With the sauces they were quite tasty though. The sauces may have been the highlight of the meal for me.

First of all the sauces were on the table and labeled. I’m always overwhelmed when I need to choose my sauce when ordering. I want to try them all! I loved being able to go back and forth between the sauces as much as I liked. I hate mustard so the Spicy Honey Mustard made me a little apprehensive. I faced my fears and tried it anyway. It wasn’t my favorite, but lucky for me it didn’t taste like mustard at all.

Carolina sauce is typically mustard base so I was also a little skeptical about the Spicy Carolina too. It was fairly runny, but ended up being my favorite! There is also a sweet sauce and a tangy sauce. They both accompanied the meats nicely as well.

The Sides

Is it a surprise that I ordered green beans and corn bread muffins here? DBA’s garlic green beans were quite different from the varieties I have had at the other BBQ places. If you don’t like garlic stay away because they are swimming in it! I’m a big fan of garlic so I quite enjoyed them! The cornbread muffin on the other hand was a bit disappointing. The baked beans had a nice sweet taste to them and the fries were good as well.

DAS BBQ

350 Memorial Drive SE (Grant Park) & 1203 Collier Rd NW (Underwood Hills) 

The Place

DAS BBQ has two locations, one in Underwood Hills in NW Atlanta and one in Grant Park in SE Atlanta. The Grant Park location was brand new spring 2021 and has great outdoor seating around the restaurant. I don’t know if this is still the case, but when I dined here we ordered our food and received it immediately at the counter. 

There were not any combination plates available when I visited. I’m happy to report they have jumped on the 2 meat and 2 side combo platter BBQ bandwagon! Now that you don’t need to purchase the meats and sides a la carte, the prices are in line with other barbecue restaurants in Atlanta.

It’s one of the Atlanta BBQ spots that I think deserves another visit and review as it was good, but wasn’t in my personal running for the best BBQ in Atlanta.

The Meats & Sauces

The meats are definitely the best part of DAS BBQ. Both the pork and brisket had a great flavor. The brisket was so tender that I didn’t need a knife to cut it. 

I didn’t care for the sauces though. It is rare that I don’t like a BBQ sauce at all, but I really didn’t like the High Octane sauce which is infused with espresso coffee. Maybe it is because I am not a coffee drinker, but I wanted nothing to do with it after my first taste. They also have a mustard based sauce with a hint of Georgia peaches. It was ok, but also low on my list of all time favorite BBQ sauces. 

The Sides

The menu was originally on the smaller side with six side options.  They include the more classic choices of mac and cheese, potato salad, Brunswick stew, coleslaw, and collard greens. They also serve das cream corn which is a spicy, cheesy, corn dish. A lot of people rave about it, but we weren’t too nuts about it. I was disappointed that there was no cornbread option. Overall the sides didn’t seem like anything to write home about, but they do have a few more choices now. 

I don’t know about you but after writing this post I am definitely craving these smoked meats and savory sides. If you weren’t already I bet you are now too! Give them all a try and let me know what you think is the best Atlanta BBQ spot. 

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