Covington, GA 30014
770-786-1140
http://www.bradleysbbq.com/
Allured by the advertising of "Real Pit BBQ" was enough for me to stop at this BBQ joint located just off the square in downtown Covington, GA. I'll go ahead and alleviate any curiosity by explaining that the real pit was a Southern Pride "gasser." Some great things can be done with these contraptions as evident with Fox Brothers, Community Q, Grand Champion, and others. As one reader said though, "Don't ever let your gas bill be more than your wood bill." While somewhat unrealistic, I thought that was some pretty sound advice for any new BBQ venture.
I arrived at 7:30 on a Wednesday night. I double-checked their closing time to make sure I wasn't late (it's 8:30) because staff members were already cleaning and starting to close up. Needless to say it wasn't busy at all. I appreciated the case of Monster Energy Drinks being displayed at the front counter since sometimes those might be the only things that get me through the long drives. Pulled pork, two meaty spare ribs, coleslaw, and "Bradley's Beans" would be paired with a side of smoked chicken wings.
The pork and ribs were both seasoned well. I've found a lot of BBQ joints not seasoning their meat enough. Either they think that the smoke is adequate flavor or they're just scared to over season. Don't be scared to over season large cuts of meat. With that being said, the pork was extremely dry. It reminded me a lot of Cowboy's BBQ which is not far down the road (this isn't a good thing). The ribs were average. My favorite part of the meal were these hickory smoked wings. Strong smoke flavor and nice texture easily made these wings the star of my meal. I ordered six but could've easily eaten ten more, in large part due to how boring the rest of the meal was.
The coleslaw was not anything special, but I should definitely mention something about "Bradley's Beans." Tasting eerily similar to refried beans at your closest Mexican dive, these beans are topped with cheese and somehow have found their way onto this BBQ menu. I'm not sure what the reason is behind it, but they're available if you're into refried beans with smoked wings.
I left Bradley's still wishing for great BBQ off of a nice open pit. I had to settle for some smoked wings instead. My best advice would be to not get your hopes up too high if ever visiting and not straying too far from the hickory smoked wings. Jim 'N Nick's in nearby Conyers is a better alternative at this point.
I have eaten at Bradley's with my wife at the same location in Covington. Somehow they have actually opened another store in Conyers. Good for them, I just don't understand the penchant for bad BBQ. I got the pork plate with baked beans and stew. Dry as the desert pork, had to saturate the meat with sauce just to choke what I could of it down. Bush's baked beans from a can. Stew was not on point, about as blah as Cowboys "Signature Stew". I am a Brunswick Stew snob, to be fair about it. Some may like Bradley's stew, just not my cup of tea so to speak. I actually judge a 'cue joint on their stew (if they even have it). I have found that if the stew is lacking so is the BBQ. Anyhoo, my wife ordered the wings and although way oversmoked, they were better than the BBQ. I liken it to Wendy's, the best thing on the menu is the Spicy Chicken Sandwich! Bradley needs to focus on the 'cue, that's what the sign says on the building, it doesn't say Bradley's Wings. Maybe it should?
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