601 Burbank Circle
Smyrna, GA 30080
770-435-4215
http://www.oldsouthbbq.com/
This converted house turned BBQ joint has been one of Smyrna's favorite BBQ spots for almost 44 years now. It proudly holds the title as the oldest continually running eating establishment in Smyrna. Old South has character, charm, and regulars who swear by their BBQ and refuse to eat anywhere else. This past week Jamie and I decided to make the journey to this Smyrna staple to pay our respects and see what all the talk was about.
I like the lay out at Old South. There are only enough seats for about 40 people, if that. Many customers come in and are greeted by name as we find our seat. The open pit sits directly behind the counter and reminds me a lot of the kind you see at Williamson Brothers or Dreamland BBQ. I feel that sometimes these get treated as grills rather than smokers leaving the meat not as tender as you'd find in a closed smoker. We were graciously ushered to our seats where we placed our order.
The offerings are few here with chicken, spare ribs, brisket, and pork. I like the smaller menus at BBQ places. I feel like it allows you to focus on a few things and hopefully do those well. I would've liked to see some sausage on the menu, but I've gotten accustomed to not seeing that most places in Georgia. I ordered the three meat plate with pulled pork, pork spare ribs, and brisket. I requested the brisket from the moist end to give them their best shot at not serving dry or tough beef. For our sides we got the Brunswick stew and BBQ beans. I was starving on this day so our food couldn't come fast enough.
2445 Cobb Parkway SE
Smyrna, GA 30080
770-818-9098
http://www.thompsonbbq.com/
After a week on vacation and out of the country, the Georgia Barbecue Hunt is back! We couldn't wait to get back to what we love, and that's good BBQ. For our next stop we headed over to Thompson Brothers in Smyrna. This Oklahoma family has been serving BBQ here in Georgia for the last couple years and have made quite a name for themselves lately, so we decided to give them a visit.
When we first arrived Wednesday night around seven, this place was empty...literally. We were the only people there besides the cashier and cooks in the back. This usually doesn't speak well for any establishment, BBQ or not. The cashier was extremely cordial, not very knowledgeable about any of their BBQ techniques, but very courteous nonetheless. I spoke to him a little while about how all of the brothers were originally from Oklahoma, but now they all reside in Georgia for the sake of Thompson Brothers BBQ. One of the brothers even had a football career at the nearby University of Georgia. After talking to him for a little while, he suggested the "whole nine" since it was my first time visiting. The meal includes chopped beef, a pork spare rib, bologna, beef sausage, and baked beans. I'm not sure what Oklahoma's deal with smoked bologna is, but it was included so I didn't complain. We found an open seat (anywhere) and then eagerly waited...
We actually waited a good ten or fifteen minutes before our food was served. This makes me a little hesitant for the simple fact that there's no preparation involved with fresh BBQ. You slice it or chop it, put it on a plate, and it's done. If there's a long wait then they're either very busy or they're heating up your food. I could only guess which category our plate fell under. When the food finally arrived we were pleasantly surprised by our portions. For ten bucks you get more than your money's worth. The mound of chopped beef is piled on top of a few slices of bologna and placed in between a soft white bun. The chopped beef unfortunately, was old and flavorless. The same could be said about the brisket. None of it was fresh. I'm not saying it was yesterday's food, but it definitely tasted like it was. There's a difference between something that's a couple hours old and then brisket that's been in the refrigerator overnight and reheated. The sausage was decent. The ribs were pretty salty and tasted like they'd also been out for a little while. There was no smoky flavor on anything we had. Instead of being stuffed with fantastic BBQ, I ended up just indulging in the bologna sandwich. We couldn't take anymore of the beef, even doused in any of their sweet sauces.
The folks at Thompson Brothers that we talked to were great. They love BBQ and we wish them the best. Unfortunately, the food was below par this time around. On to the next stop...
