I'm a fiend for good BBQ, and I seek it out whenever I'm in the South. Here we go: Let's get this right out of the way: Pork ribs are not served, at least not when I visited. In my book, that's an automatic demerit. I chose the pulled pork sandwich with collards and mac n' cheese as my sides. The pulled pork was a little dry, but the house made BBQ sauces made that an easy fix. The collards were fine, but the mac n' cheese didn't grab me. The service was great. Friendly and on the ball throughout the meal. I have no complaints in this regard. However, the ambience is semi upscale, which in my experience is a red flag for a BBQ joint. It's BYOB, so in theory one could show up with a case of Natty Light, not that I'm recommending this necessarily. The qualifier is necessarily. In the final analysis, one can do better in Athens. I'm sorry to say this, but that's the way I see it. read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - a tray of food - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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They get a 3 only because of the service. I really wanted to like this place and the food looked so good online, but it just was not good. Started with the deviled eggs and they were completely over powered with mustard. It tasted like someone squirted it straight from a bottle into my mouth. Yuck. Ordered the stew they have? Server said it was very peppery and he was not kidding. Yuck again. Tasted like someone just put as much pepper in it as they could and no other flavor. Ribs looked really good and smelled awesome. But they just were not good or tender and there was hardly any meat. The top part of the rib was all fat and cartilage. I needed a knife to cut the meat off. Shouldn't need to do that for ribs. Mac and cheese was pretty good! Overall do not recommend based off of what I had. The service was top notch though and the manager didn't charge us for the food which I very much appreciate. If they can fix the food I would absolutely try there again because it smelled amazing inside. Maybe just an off day on the ribs? They looked like they should have been done but just didn't make it. Ribs should pass the bend test. Cook till you pick the rack up and they bend in the middle without breaking. read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - ribs and sides - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Very affordable bbq. I ordered online and it was ready on time at the cart by the door like they said. I got the brisket chili Mac. It wasn't my favorite - I would have rather had them separate but still good. Also I had the chicken taco which was good and super interesting. Loved that they put collards on it with the pulled chicken. Thanks. read more

I really wanted to like this, but I just didn't. I went on a weekday afternoon around 4:30 and was the only one in the place. The server was absolutely lovely and attentive, but the food did not measure up to the service. The baked beans tasted like straight up molasses with beans in it, almost as if it had been sitting on the stove for too long and the sauce had over reduced. I kept trying them (because I usually love beans) but I just couldn't do it. The pork was tasty and tender but did not have an ounce of smoke flavor. The Mac and cheese had good flavor but the noodles were mush. The cole slaw was fresh but other than lime juice/vinegar there wasn't much else to it. Such a bummer. read more

We just hosted a baby shower/multi family reunion with omnivores/vegetarians/vegans and dairy intolerance attendees. We bought catering portions of pulled pork, smoked tofu, Mac and cheese and baked beans. Service: Chuck made sure everything was packed perfectly, and ready for SUNDAY pickup exactly as requested. Only good things to say. Food: I think the pulled pork was up there with the best I have ever had - all 20 pounds was nice and lean yet juicy. The smoked tofu is awesome as well and one of my daughter's specific requests. We love the yellow sauce which is vinegar based - a very solid sauce. Baked beans and Mac and cheese were well prepared and piping hot. We filled in the gaps with some homemade veggie, cheese, fruit trays and salads. There was something for everyone and everyone seemed to really enjoy the food. Ambiance: a plug for Sandy Creek Park and an A plus beautiful spring day!!! This perfect spring barbecue would not have been possible without the help of Chuck and Pulaski Heights!!! Thank you for the wonderfully prepared food!! We will stop by when we are in Athens again!!! read more

The I have had the Ribs and pulled pork so far and both were great especially the pulled pork. Ask for the Butt rub they keep in a salt shaker. It adds a great taste to the pulled pork even without sauce. I like the mac&cheese and the baked beans read more

We had to order ahead online here as we tried to call in yesterday evening and they were out of a significant amount of menu items. I'd encourage others to consider ordering ahead as well. Luckily for me, I was able to try quite a bit of the menu here. I have to say that almost everything I tried was quite good. I tried nearly all of their sides. Smoked cauliflower, mac 'n cheese, baked beans, vinegar slaw, and potato salad. The baked beans were the best of the bunch. Seriously some of the best baked beans I've ever had. The smoked cauliflower was really good as well. Different & quite smoky and flavorful. The potato salad and mac 'n cheese were both above average as well. I didn't love the slaw, but it was still pretty good. Just not as good as the other sides. I also tried the redneck Reuben, brisket sandwich and ribs. The ribs were really fantastic and the brisket was very tasty as well. The carolina gold sauce was fantastic. I also got a small bottle of pepper vinegar and it was on point as well. The redneck reuben is pork belly on grilled bread with pimento cheese, greens, and ranch. It was incredibly flavorful. My only criticism was that the belly was quite fatty. I realize belly is fatty, but it just kind of dominated the dish more than I was expecting. Still good, but not as good as the other proteins. Pricey but not overly so. Overall a very solid BBQ joint. read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - Potato salad, mac n cheese, vinegar slaw, baked beans, smoked cauliflower - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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I've been eating at Pulaski Heights for nearly a decade and it's easily my favorite restaurant in Athens. The staff is incredibly kind, caring, and hardworking. The historic Leathers Building is nestled in on the most "Athens" neighbors. Menu-wise, there are no misses. I've eaten everything on the menu and it's all spectacular. If it's your first time, try some of the pecans, deviled eggs, smoked cauliflower, and pulled pork. Don't sleep on the kool-aid, either. End your meal with some of their banana pudding. Each of Chuck's BBQ sauce brings something different but I'm a steadfast supporter of the vinegar based sauce. My favorite memory is the one time I saw cake on the specials menu. I still dream of that cake. Chuck and his team have built an institution on the tracks in Pulaski that has become the fabric of our community. As more and more chain BBQ restaurants open up, we as Athenians need to support great local businesses like Pulaski Heights. read more

I wanted to say that the food and the service was excellent. I had the Cuban sandwich which was made with pulled pork and it was wonderful. The only thing that prevented me from giving my meal a 5 star rating is my side. I paid $1.00 for a small side of cole slaw. I don't know if it's just me but as you can see from the photo , the size of this side was minuscule. The menu did say 2 oz but I guess I don't have a good grasp of what that really means. This side was definitely not worth a dollar in my opinion. On the other hand , the sandwich was a great value for the money based on the size and the amount of meat so it evens out. Would I come back - yes , most certainly. Would I get cole slaw - no. Would I recommend friends to eat here - definitely yes. read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - a hand holding a plastic container of food - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

One of Athens Georgia best Barbecue Restaurant. It's in Downtown Athens, and you can walk around Downtown after you eat.

No line: +1 star Out of ribs: -1 star Seated promptly: +1 star Clean water: +1 star Brisket, Potato salad, Mac 'n Cheese are average: +1 star Customer service; we got there right as they opened and the employees didn't seem to be happy, and didn't serve us as so: -1 star The price to ratio of food is subpar: -1 star (you're not getting much for what you pay, although I admit that inflation is a factor) I'm giving some grace because I enjoyed myself there: +2 stars 3/6 stars, but 3/5 because Yelp only allows this obtuse rating system. read more

Tucked into a charming corner of Athens, off the beaten path is this BBQ joint described to me as "hipster" in the best possible sense. This is some serious classic BBQ with a newer twist in the side dishes and aesthetic. The burnt ends are to die for, and when they run out, they're out! So consider ordering ahead. Great collards and tangy, light slaw. A+++ Also, MASSIVE KUDOS to Pulaski Heights for having the best, A1 pandemic policies. These guys take your health and safety seriously while not compromising on your favorite dinner. Order ahead and pay online or over the phone, drive up, call them to say you're here, and they bring the order out and leave it for you to pick up. No confusion or concerns, and on whatever schedule you want. Thanks for keeping us full and happy during this time, Pulaski! Can't wait to be a patron in person again. read more

My first trip to Pulaski Heights was wonderful. The brisket sandwich and the Mac & Cheese were excellent but the squash casserole was out-of-this-world. If I didn't know better, I would have sworn my dear sainted mother was in the kitchen. The wait staff was attentive and efficient plus the restaurant was clean and inviting. Definitely not my last visit to Pulaski Heights BBQ. read more

Pulled pork was great but the sauce selections were weird tasting... each had a very different sauce that was not good. Collards were super bitter, ribs were stuck to bone, squash casserole was super mushy in a bad way, and the banana pudding was literally hard nilla wafers vanilla pudding and sliced bananas- not indulgent at all. A 3rd grader could have made it. Will never come back! Sorry read more

Got the brisket again and it was too salty (again). The whole place is just slightly disappointing but it's not bad at all. Solid 3.5/5 stars read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - Brisket sandwich with mac and cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The ribs were ok. The Stew was not worthy of put in the trash. Horrible! Squash casserole was over cooked. Service was ok. Ambiance was ok. read more

Some really solid BBQ in Athens. I am a huge fan of their squash casserole. It's to die for! It's a cute place right by the railroad tracks. It's nice because it is out of the way of downtown. read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - pulled pork, squash casserole, and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

In response to the owner: First, and our main complaint, the brisket was absolutely bone dry. We ate half of one slice and left the other untouched. Second, whatever your definition may be for a deviled egg, I guess a mouth full of mustard is not appetizing to me, but others may disagree. Third, the sauces were not bad, just not our cup of tea. Lastly, we did enjoy the burnt ends and ribs just as stated in the original review. We were thinking of returning to try other things on the menu to update this review, but if this is how the owner treats customers and handles honest criticism then yes, the food is not for me. I hope other reviewers have better experiences. The food is not amazing. Deviled eggs taste completely of mustard, pork green Chile was NOT spicy and a complete disappointment, ribs were ok but not great or anything to write home about, brisket was dry and tough with zero marbled fat, burnt ends were by far the best tasting meat on our plate... sides were underwhelming: baked beans were good, but Mac and cheese was gritty and just tasted like bulk style catering. The sauce options were not appetizing unless you enjoy straight vinegar, ketchup, or something that's supposed to be spicy but tastes like straight up chemicals. Although we weren't impressed with the food, the service was great as well as the location. Unfortunately, I do not believe we will be returning customers. read more

Great bbq spot in a hole in the wall area. Tucked away in a small industrial area this bbq place is great. Service and staff were hospitable and friendly. I got the combo platter and was worth it. The portions are great size for the cost. I had the wings, brisket and ribs. The meats were amazing and wish I had more room in my stomach. It also came with 2 sides which I got were the potato salad and mac n cheese. Definitely worth checking out read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

OMAGerd. This place is the bomb. Keeping us safe during a pandemic. Operating as a grocer when the country is in a swirl of Covid mess. We loved this place before the pandemic and we will love it forever more. Great BBQ that is elevated and relevant. Currently on a vegan kick and they offer plenty of options there. Any sandwich or taco can be made with smoked tofu. Oh my ... our all time fave is the smoked cauliflower. Stew is great. Pork is great. Reuben is great. You can't go wrong with Pulaski Heights BBQ. Try it; you'll like it. read more

We frequent a lot of BBQ restaurants and this is one of the best I have been to in a while and certainly the best I have been to in Georgia! We ordered two platters so we could try everything. The ribs weren't ready yet so we had pulled ribs but every meat was great. The brisket was the star in my eyes but the pork was the best to him. The sides were ok. Not the best I've had but the brisket made up for it! EAT HERE! read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - 3 meat! - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Really good barbecue. This is the second time we have eaten here and it was much better this time. I had a Cuban sandwich with burnt ends, suggested by waitress instead of pulled pork. Rest of sandwich was like a traditional Cuban sandwich. My wife had the burnt ends, which is brisket. My son had the pulled pork tacos. Everyone enjoyed their entree. The sides are what made the meal. I had potato salad and collard greens. My wife had squash casserole and smoked cauliflower. My son had the mac n cheese and beans. Everyone really was impressed with the sides. Glad we decided to go for lunch. read more

This is our third time back here and it has yet to disappoint. Our one friend got here a little before ya and had already ordered the pimiento cheese appetizer with crackers. It was pretty good pimiento cheese! Not the best I've had, but a solid appetizer. I should have ordered something different than I normally do (like the chili I've been eyeballing since the first time I came here) but I ended up with the burnt ends again with two sides. It's too tasty to skip over and there isn't anywhere in Augusta (Augusta folks, please correct me if I'm wrong) to order burnt ends! I also kept with the smoked cauliflower (because it's fantastic) and went with the mac & cheese this time which was also very delicious! I wish there was something like this in Augusta, even with the BYOB. It's a fun place to sit, chat and eat great BBQ. I hope we make it back before we leave the area! read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - Burnt ends, smoked cauliflower and mac & cheese. - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

This place was just kinda meh for me as far as the food. I mean nothing was bad, but nothing was really good either with maybe the exception of the pepper stew but that is also my first time ever having pepper stew so who am I to say. The atmosphere inside was very nice and the staff very friendly and willing to help you navigate the menu as this is not your typical barbecue. In total this would be a neat place to take friends or guest and have some beers and some food, but if I had to judge on cost and food alone I'd probably just put this towards the bottom of my list. read more

Rude staff. Would not recommend. I walked in and was meet with a rude host. I am assuming she owned the place with her attitude.

The ribs were decent along with MAC and cheese along with squash casserole which they only had one serving left with was a bummer. Avoid the smoked wings!!! Under cooked and ruined the entire meal, unless you enjoy spending the rest of the evening in the bathroom. read more

WOW! After successfully ending my Athens BBQ adventure, I can now say that Pulaski Heights BBQ took the prize. The owners clear sense of passion and dedication, referring to his Yelp responses, is what initially grabbed my attention. Anyways on to my visit.. I went for the weekday lunch, and my first impression of the place was that of a unique, yet comfortable appeal. It was nothing like the average, run of the mill BBQ joints, much more appeal, soul and defiantly has a strong modern feel. The music choice was great, and the owner was exceptionally nice and passionate about his awesome restaurant. The daily specials are worth while, and I will be coming back to take advantage of those! Now for the food, I ordered the deviled eggs as an appetizer (pictured below), and they were amazing, I could tell they had used high quality ingredients, and the mustard seeds and homemade pickles made it all so good. For the entrée (also pictured below) I chose to get the weekday, lunch special, of which I got the rib sandwich, mac and cheese and a sweet tea. The rib meet was outstanding, after learning this I can't even imagine how good the racks of ribs must be, however, I know I'll be back for them! The BBQ sauces were great, and so was the mac and cheese. Lastly, the pickles for the BBQ, are usually overlooked by most restaurants, but not here. They make them fresh in house, and it truly shows, sweet and perfect! I have found my go to BBQ for sure, and not to mention, the prices are great for students! Well Done PHBBQ!!!! read more

Pulaski Heights BBQ - Deviled eggs - Barbeque Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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The mac and chesse hits the spot. The Ribs are ok. The baked beans are excelsior. The smoked coliflower is worse than I expected it is still good though . The best thing there was the mac and chesse. The worse thing there was the potato salad but It was still good. read more

This is one of the best hidden gems in athens. It's a fresh take on BBQ with flavorful sides. The meats run out occasionally because how much business these guys do. That alone speaks for itself. Try the Cuban and cauliflower. Definitely our favorite! read more

Found it by accident because my first choice was closed on Mondays. If you are using Google maps and it's dark, don't be scared. No, you aren't going to drive into the unknown and yes there is a restaurant where the road dead ends. Even though I got to the restaurant 15 minutes before the posted closing time, the hostess happily showed me to a table. I got the brisket with mac & cheese and the squash casserole. It also came with a bun and a couple of housemade bread-n-butter pickles. Everything was super yummy, the mac & cheese just a smidge less yummy than everything else. The regular BBQ sauce was good but I like heat and was disappointed there wasn't another tomato-based spicier option. The "spicy vinegar" was a huge disappointment to me because it was literally vinegar and ... something ... (maybe peppers); more like pickled peppers than what I would consider a sauce. They had banana pudding on the menu but if you don't order it, you're not missing much. It pretty much tasted like vanilla pudding with cut up bananas in it garnished with 4 Nilla wafers. But overall I was more than satisfied with the food and the service. read more

"Can you get drunk on Grape Nehi?" -- M*A*S*H: Season 5 | Episode 1 We just had finished spending 3 hours kayaking down the Broad River and were starving (and I was injured) and the crew was craving BBQ. The place we had originally decided to go was closed, so thanks to Tanya C's Yelping skills, she found Pulaski's. We drove the 30 minutes from Danielsville and walked in and Dylan seated us right away. She brought water and refilled it almost immediately as we were dehydrated from our morning activities. We started looking thru the menu and the specials board. After much hemming and hawing (they have a great assortment of que to choose from), I decided on the sliced salt and pepper brisket, squash casserole and smoked cauliflower. Turned out - they only had one order left of the cauliflower, so I switched to the potato salad. I also ordered an unsweet iced tea - I needed the caffeine for my headache. It turns out, they also have grape (and orange) Nehi on drink menu - this is a rarity. Had I not had such a splitting headache, I would have ordered it. I love nehi and it is SO hard to find. This is a definite find!! Our food came out pretty quickly - and we like to share. So I had a little brisket - Brisket is flavorful - a bit dry so it needs the sauce. Squash casserole is the tops! Cheesy and delicious without the summer squash being mushy. The potato salad had a good flavor, but the potatoes were a bit under cooked and over all it needed a bit of salt. The smoked cauliflower was definitely different and spot on. I would recommend this to anyone- if you like cauliflower or don't. The flavor is rich and meaty and rivals any other preparation I've eaten. They have two sauces available to grab - a dark sweet sauce or a thinner spicy sauce. Apparently they have a Carolina gold sauce you can ask for, but we didn't try that. Overall, everything was tasty, but I did not each much. Dylan (our server) noticed and came over to check that my food was okay. I had only eaten a few bites of everything while my friends had been devouring their plates. I felt horrible and was unable to eat - she was worried my food was not okay and asked if she could get me something different. Now that's service. I explained the food was fine, but I wasn't feeling well. I asked if I could get a box and she offered to box everything up for me and get me a thing of sauce - she brought it all out for me packaged up nicely and brought me more to drink. She let me know it would heat up nicely and she was right! I look forward to heading back and trying more items on the menu, for sure. read more

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So after a super terrible dining experience, one where I wrote a bad tip and posted a photo of my disgusting meal, I was contacted by the owner where I was giving multiple excuses on why our food and service were bad. He offered to buy our next meal if we'd give him a second chance, which I thought was nice. But then I started thinking he'd pull out all the stops to guarantee the meal was first class. I love a good meal and I love a free meal, but that didn't seem like it would lead to a honest representation to their food. So I bypassed the free grub and went unannounced to try again. Worse than the first time. Once again service was atrocious. Waited forever for my order to be taken, then waited forever and a day for my food. Yet the server was grabbing my money before I could even push the chair back in when it was time to leave. If you were as good of a server as you were when it comes to taking my money you could really be something. On to the food...still garbage. Flavorless, over salted, and chewy meat. Sides that sound good on paper but don't deliver on the plate(that is if they have the side that day, even at 7pm they were already out of certain ones). And having sauces laid out on the tables that are marked and dated from weeks back, all with open squirt tops, didn't make me want to give them a whirl. With as bad as the service is I highly doubt each and every sauce bottle is being sealed nightly. So what's in there now? Sweet Heat Gnat sauce? I didn't care to find out. There is far better BBQ available in Athens...White Tiger, Dawg Gone Good, BBQ Shack, Butt Hutt, I could go on and on. Just because this place is in a nice and hip area doesn't make it good. The point is don't come here to pay more to eat something that is subpar to what else Athens offers. read more

This places ribs and brisket is great. the sides are great especially the smoked coliflower . the mac and chesse is pretty good . the cole slaw is okay . the potato salad was not bad. It has not to bad of a price. the food is very heavy. the baked beans were the best baked beans i have ever tried. read more

Came on a Wednesday, not crowded at all, servers were really nice! But the star of the show was the Ramen omg it was SO GOOD, who knew collard greens, brisket and traditional ramen flavors would taste this good but it was! I'm for sure coming back JUST for this! Seriously it's REALLY good read more

Went here after touring UGA with high expectations. As mains, we got the brisket and the BBQ chicken which were decent, not terrible but not great. The same was true for the sides of Mac n cheese and the collard greens. Not bad, just not great. read more

KEEP GOING! Don't be swayed by the fact that you seem to be driving into residential nothingness. Just trust the map and get to this AWESOME BBQ place. We went here on the advice of the GA welcome center representative, an adorable southern lady who couldn't stop talking about how good it was. This was also our first stop in GA, besides the welcome center. The restaurant is the first store located in a large, renovated factory made from red bricks. We walked in and the interior matched the outside: old brick walls, black steel stair-railings, and chalkboards describing the specials. The menu was a simple piece of tri-fold paper, and all the listings on the menu are indicated if they are vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free. We were treated very nicely by our waitress, who was really enthusiastic about the food and eagerly answered our questions and allowed us to sample things. We wanted to try all the apps: we were recommended to try the roasted pecans and pimiento cheese, but unfortunately we missed out and just ordered lunch: I had the burnt ends with kimchi and squash casserole, my dad having the pulled pork with collard greens and roasted cauliflower. Our waitress told us before that they had run out of things already (30 min after opening) because of catering orders and the fact that the food was still being cooked on the pit. I was not turned off by that at all- to me, that means the food is treated correctly and obviously good if they had catering orders. Well, the food WAS good. Better then good. Excellent. My dad's pork was so tender and juicy, and we tried all 5 sauces they offered: mustard, spicy vinegar, sweet tomato, ssam (Korean chili sauce), and the pepper vinegar. The burnt ends were FABULOUS- smokey and juicy, and they paired well with every sauce they had. I was excited to try the kimchi, because I never had it Before; I was told it wasn't traditional kimchi, but it still had a potent smell and spicy/vinegary taste- very good. I wasn't a fan of the creamy squash casserole, but my dad liked it. The cauliflower were smokey and crunchy, the the greens were pretty typical. We had the opportunity to talk to the owner, who gave us the new GA BBQ trail map and gladly stamped ours for us, because the Pulaski Heights BBQ is the first one on it. He also gave us recommendations for other BBQ in the area. Overall, it gave us a very good first impression of Georgia, and Athens in particular! read more

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I met a friend here for dinner after a Georgia River Network board meeting. It's a comfortable space, and the smoker smells delicious. I had the ribs. I must say the ribs were not that great. They were okay. But they did not blow my socks off. They were tough, and somehow just didn't satisfy. Of course, it was the end of the day... The Mac was really good. Rich and savory. But the baked beans were not that great. They seemed somehow undone. I want to say "chewy," but that's not quite the right adjective. Maybe "underdone" is a better descriptor. I also think it's possible that they're trying to dress up their beans too much. Service was right-on. My glass was never empty. My root-beer was tasty. Folks were friendly. Next time I go I will try the brisket. And I won't show up at the end of the day. read more

Best BBQ in Athens. Hands down! Hope their dining room opens back up soon. Redneck Reuben is my favorite sandwich. Burnt Ends are great, too. read more

Great BBQ! Definitely not your typical bbq joint but the food is really good. Definitely a go to spot when in Athens.

I'll be honest, I'm a BBQ douche. I'm a fool for smoked meats whether is Georgia, Texas, or Carolina style. Pulaski Heights does not disappoint. It's always comforting when you go to bbq place, order fatty-side brisket, and are not looked at with a befuddled head tilt, rather you're greeted with a wink and a "oh I got you pal". There are few things more genuine in this world than perfecting a craft. They're doing it. So, here's a quick rundown of the place: Service: A+ staff is very friendly and certainly helps out with everything you need. Food: A; I mean the food is great. Brisket is always on point. Collards are maybe better than my moms. Atmosphere: A; I love that they're not trying to be what they're not. They do BBQ and they do it really well. Of course it would be nice to have more seating when it's crazy busy, but I get it. Overall, definitely worth your time. I love how the owner cares so well for his staff. Keep up the good work. read more