Where To Eat › Barbecue › Where To Eat Barbecue
Short answer: 16 Georgia barbecue places, grouped Middle and East Georgia, metro Atlanta, the mountains, the coast and South Georgia, each linked to its own website with the days and hours it printed on November 4, 2026. Five more places on the state tourism office’s list are named without hours until we read their own sites.
- 16Places listedopen, per their own sites
- 8On the state listExplore Georgia’s barbecue list
- 15With hours readas of
- 1Closedon our closed tracker
How we checked: each place’s own website for its address, hours and style words, Explore Georgia’s barbecue list, and news reports for closures. All read on November 4, 2026. Hours, prices and dates change, so confirm with the place or organizer before you drive. Anything we could not read is marked Not Confirmed where it appears. Coordinates on the map come from OpenStreetMap searches of each printed address. We rank nothing: no source we used ranks these places, and we did not taste, rate or compare them. Nobody paid to be listed.
This page replaces our earlier list of 13 places: one of them has closed, and every row was read again on its own site. Use it with the styles page. We have not been to these places and we rank nothing.
The State Tourism List
Georgia has no official barbecue trail. The nearest thing is Explore Georgia’s barbecue list, an editorial list by the state tourism office with no year printed on it. It names 13 places; 8 of them are in the lists below, each read on its own site. List last checked . No barbecue restaurant is among Georgia’s James Beard “America’s Classics” honorees on the list we could read.
On The State List, Not Yet Read by Us
These are probably open. We list hours only from a place’s own site, and we have not read theirs yet. Check before you drive.
- Jomax BBQMetter. On Explore Georgia’s list. We have not read its own site for this page, so no hours or address Not Confirmed
- Miller Brothers Rib ShackDalton. On Explore Georgia’s list. We have not read its own site for this page, so no hours or address Not Confirmed
- Fincher’s BarbecueMacon. On Explore Georgia’s list. We have not read its own site for this page, so no hours or address Not Confirmed
- Jim’s Smokin’ QueBlairsville. On Explore Georgia’s list. We have not read its own site for this page, so no hours or address Not Confirmed
- Dawg Gone Good BBQAthens. On Explore Georgia’s list. We have not read its own site for this page, so no hours or address Not Confirmed
Middle and East Georgia: Pit Houses and Brunswick Stew
Long-running pit houses around Macon, Jackson, Gray and Augusta. Where a place describes its own style, its words are quoted.
- Sconyers Bar-B-QueAugusta2250 Sconyers Way, Augusta, Georgia 30906. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Thursday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; no other days are listed. Confirm before you drive. Augusta is in east Georgia; grouping it here is ours. In its own words: “Old Fashion Pit Cooked Bar-B-Que”. Opened 1956, per the place. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
- Old Clinton Bar-B-QGray4214 Gray Hwy, Gray, GA 31032. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Confirm before you drive. Its site calls it a fixture in Gray for decades but gives no opening year. In its own words: “Authentic Southern BBQ in Gray, GA”.
- Fresh Air Bar-B-Que (Jackson)Jackson1164 Highway 42 South, Jackson, GA 30233. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on its Jackson page; its home page prints 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Not Confirmed. Confirm before you drive. Its history page calls it the oldest pit-cooked barbecue restaurant in Georgia still in its original location. In its own words: “a tangy tomato and vinegar style”. Opened 1929, per the place. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
- Fresh Air Bar-B-Que (Macon)Macon3076 Riverside Drive, Macon, GA 31210. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on its Macon page; its home page prints 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily Not Confirmed. Confirm before you drive. The second location of the Jackson original. In its own words: “Old-Fashioned Pit-Cooked Barbecue”.
Metro Atlanta
City smokehouses, from Texas-style brisket to Korean-Southern, plus a Newnan stew house. Where a place describes its own style, its words are quoted.
- Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (DeKalb Avenue)Atlanta1238 DeKalb Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Confirm before you drive. Its site lists two more locations with their own hours: The Works (204 Chattahoochee Row NW) and Brookhaven (4058 Peachtree St. NE). In its own words: “Texas-style barbecue”. Opened 2007, per the place. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
- Heirloom Market BBQAtlanta2243 Akers Mill Road, Atlanta, GA 30339. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sunday and Monday. Confirm before you drive. Its menu crosses Southern barbecue with Korean flavors, such as spicy Korean pork and kimchi slaw. In its own words: “paying respect to iconic BBQ food ways with the touch of our personal flavor”. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
- Community Q BBQDecatur1361 Clairmont Rd., Decatur, GA 30033. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday; holiday hours go in a banner on its site. Confirm before you drive. Its site says it cooks fresh every day and occasionally runs out of meat; Brunswick stew is on the sides list. Style grouping is ours, not the place’s Not Confirmed
- Sprayberry’s Bar-B-QNewnan229 Jackson Street, Newnan, GA 30263. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: open until 8 p.m., per its site; days not stated Not Confirmed. Confirm before you drive. Its Highway 34 location has closed, per its site; this is the Jackson Street original. Its menu pairs barbecue with Brunswick stew. In its own words: “Fast Family Dining in Newnan, Ga since 1926”. Opened 1926, per the place. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list. Style grouping is ours, not the place’s Not Confirmed
North Georgia Mountains
Smokehouses in Jasper, Ellijay and Dahlonega, good on a mountains day.
- North Georgia BBQ (Dahlonega)Dahlonega59 East Main Street, Suite 2, Dahlonega, GA 30533. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Wednesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Monday and Tuesday. Confirm before you drive. A second location in Cleveland (897 S. Main St.) lists the same hours. Its sauce list includes a mustard sauce. In its own words: “Real Southern BBQ, Rooted in North Georgia”.
- Col. Poole’s Bar-B-QEast Ellijay164 Craig Street, East Ellijay, GA 30540. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: not printed on its own site Not Confirmed On Wednesday, November 4, its online-ordering page listed hours until 2:30 p.m.; call (706) 635-4100. Confirm before you drive. Its story page notes new ownership. In its own words: “Ellijay’s Hometown Bar-B-Q”. Opened 1989, per the place.
- BBQ-1 (Sam’s BBQ-1, Jasper)Jasper3958 Refuge Road, Jasper, GA 30143. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Tuesday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Monday. Confirm before you drive. The original is in Marietta (East Cobb), 4958 Lower Roswell Rd., where the site says the dining room closes at 3 p.m. In its own words: “The finest in Authentic Southern Award-Winning Wood Pit Barbecue”. Opened 2004 (the original, in East Cobb), per the place.
Savannah and The Coast
Coastal smokehouses, some with mustard sauce on the table, in their own words.
- Sandfly BBQSavannah8413 Ferguson Ave, Savannah, GA 31406. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sunday. Confirm before you drive. It lists three sauces, one a mustard-based “Savannah sauce” in its own words. Its downtown Streamliner location has closed, per its site. In its own words: “We call what we do Savannah-style barbecue.”.
- Wiley’s Championship BBQSavannah4700 Highway 80 East, Savannah, GA 31410. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Every day 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Confirm before you drive. Its site says it takes no reservations. In its own words: “World-Class BBQ In Your Own Back Yard!”. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
- Southern Soul BarbequeSt. Simons Island2020 Demere Road, St. Simons Island, GA 31522. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on its location page; a home-page banner still shows summer hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Confirm before you drive. In its own words: “A Southeast Coastal Georgia Smoke Joint”. Opened 2006, per the place. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
South Georgia
Albany and Valdosta, on the I-75 corridor.
- Blackbeard’s B & B Bar-B-QueAlbany2209 N Slappey Blvd, Albany, GA 31701. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Confirm before you drive. Its site says its history dates back to 1980; it also serves seafood and steaks. In its own words: “Smoked all day, right here using genuine Georgia hardwood.”. On the Explore Georgia barbecue list.
- Smok’n Pig B-B-QValdosta4228 N Valdosta Rd, Valdosta, GA 31602. Days and hours, as of November 4, 2026: Every day 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thanksgiving 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Christmas Eve 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Christmas Day. Confirm before you drive. Its site says it slow cooks over pecan wood every day. In its own words: “B-B-Q slow cooked daily with pecan wood”.
Closed Places We Left Off
These are not in the list above. Each is on the closed, renamed and moved tracker with its source: Daddy D’z BBQ Joynt (Atlanta), closed at the end of 2025 after its building was sold, per Atlanta News First (December 8, 2025); Axios Atlanta reported the building torn down in July 2026. Its website still shows hours, so do not go by it.
Map of Barbecue Places
Before You Go: Check These
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a ranking?
No. We list places whose own websites we could read, grouped by region. No source we used ranks them, and nobody paid to be listed.
Why is a famous place missing?
Either we could not read its own website, or it has closed. Closed places are on our closed, renamed and moved list. Know a place’s official site? Tell us.
Where can I get Brunswick stew with barbecue?
Community Q, Heirloom Market and Sprayberry’s list it on their own menus; the Middle Georgia pit houses on our pit-and-stew road trip are the classic stops. The styles page explains the stew.
Which places are open on Monday?
From the sites we read: Fox Bros., both Fresh Air locations, Old Clinton, Southern Soul, Sandfly, Smok’n Pig, Wiley’s and Blackbeard’s list Monday hours. Community Q, Heirloom Market, North Georgia BBQ and BBQ-1 Jasper are closed Monday.
More Barbecue Pages
How we checked this guide: Dates, hours, admission and parking prices, and access details were verified against the official sources listed below on . Operators change schedules and raise prices without notice, so confirm anything time-sensitive before you drive. The figures in this guide also feed our Georgia Attraction Transparency Index and Family Day-Out Cost Index.
Sources
- Explore Georgia (state tourism office), barbecue restaurants list, read November 4, 2026 (editorial list, no year printed)
- Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q (DeKalb Avenue), read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Community Q BBQ, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Heirloom Market BBQ, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Col. Poole’s Bar-B-Q, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- North Georgia BBQ (Dahlonega), read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- BBQ-1 (Sam’s BBQ-1, Jasper), read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Fresh Air Bar-B-Que (Jackson), read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Fresh Air Bar-B-Que (Macon), read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Old Clinton Bar-B-Q, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Southern Soul Barbeque, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Sandfly BBQ, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Smok’n Pig B-B-Q, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Wiley’s Championship BBQ, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Blackbeard’s B & B Bar-B-Que, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Sconyers Bar-B-Que, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Sprayberry’s Bar-B-Q, read November 4, 2026 (address, hours, style)
- Atlanta News First, Daddy D’z closing (December 8, 2025), read November 4, 2026 (closure)
- Axios Atlanta, Daddy D’z building torn down (July 20, 2026), read November 4, 2026 (closure)
- Rough Draft Atlanta, Pihakis restaurant closures (May 4, 2026), read November 4, 2026 (Rodney Scott’s Atlanta)
- Wikipedia, List of James Beard America’s Classics, read November 4, 2026 (Georgia honorees; jamesbeard.org not read)
How we check: editorial standards. Spot a mistake or a closure? Tell us.
The It's Georgia Editorial Team writes every answer on this site around the questions a busy family actually asks before a trip: how long is the drive, what does parking cost, can the stroller make it, are dogs allowed. Details are checked against official park, city, and venue sources, and each answer shows the date it was last updated.
More From Things to Do
Map of The Places in This Guide
Cite this page: It's Georgia, “Where to Eat Barbecue in Georgia: 16 Places by Region”, itsgeorgia.com/things-to-do/food-dining/best-bbq-in-georgia/ (updated ). Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page.