When I came to Atlanta some eighteen years ago, the go-to BBQ places I knew about and tried were Daddy D'z, Harold's, Swallow at the Hollow and Sam & Dave's. Fat Matt's, too. Maybe some others I've forgotten. Fox Bros hadn't hit the scene yet. Good to see Sam still kicking it out. Arriving just after 11 to a completely empty restaurant, I ordered the rib plate with beans and mac n cheese. - Ribs: seven bones, super tender, well sauced. Fall off the bone is taken seriously here, maybe a bit too far. I couldn't separate the bones without all the meat coming off. The bones looked like a pack of piranhas had at them, they were so clean. Still, some tasty ribs. Didn't need extra sauce. - Beans: not my style. Too much molasses? - Mac n cheese: Came out pretty dry, like it had been sitting a while. Also not my style. Super quiet in here. Morgue BBQ. After a while, the guy turned on the TV and a few other customers quietly moseyed in. Tons of parking. read more

Very small sides and everything tasted greasy and old, like it was cooked yesterday and warmed up. Not like it was 2 years ago.

A lack of sauces and relatively benign flavors are the only issue with well cooked meats served in generous portions. Maybe a little more scientific than my usual one liner, but that sums it up. Got a 3 meat plate with a half chicken, pork, sausage, and potato salad and Redneck Lasagna. The "Lasagna", which is Mac and Cheese and Brunswick stew, is hilarious and tasty. It's tasty, and pretty funny. Absolutely no complaints. Also the potato salad is slightly mustardy with large chunks of egg. It's served at room temperature though, which is a bad decision. I do have concerns about that, but if they chilled it it'd be great. As is, it's still good. The chicken was probably the star of the three meats. Tender, juicy, excellently cooked. It's half a damn chicken, what are you going to complain about? The pork as well, is excellently done. It's pulled, but even if it wasn't, you wouldn't bother with a knife to cut that. The sausage is a little more generic, and mine was a little soft, but it's sausage... so it's not a huge deal. The real issue is that the meats are all relatively unseasoned. I assume it's so you can season it your way, but they only offer a tomato based, sweet Kansas City style sauce, and a very thin, vinegary, Carolina based sauce. Neither are very good, and neither really help to add another layer to the meat. Mixing those along with the cajun hot sauce made something vaguely interesting, but it still wasn't ideal. The interior of the place is extremely dingy, with a large hole in the ceiling. It looks like something out of the 1970's. But if you take the well done meat and sides home, then use your own barbecue sauces, then I can absolutely see this as an easy 5 star. As is? It's still good, but it does fall a bit short. I was told to come here as one of the best offerings in Atlanta and while it's tasty, if this is the best Atlanta has to offer... that's a touch disappointing. read more

Good bbq. Pork was a little dry but the original sauce is great with a good tang to it! Baked beans and Mac and cheese are on point!

Doesn't taste at all as good as Dave Poe's. Service was also a lot slower despite the store being practically empty

This is my fav BBQ place between the two I've been to in East Cobb. Good variety. Delicious food. My 15 mo old daughter loves the food - which helps bc sometimes she is super picky. I love they have salads for the health conscious and my fav side is their cucumbers and tomatoes in vinegar. read more

I decided to try out Sam and Dave's BBQ based on Laura and Kathleen's reviews about the place. Not to mention, the fact that Sam and Dave's is about 1/4 of a mile away from my house really helped me make a decision to eat here today. I was very pleased with the barbecue sandwich that I ordered with a side of their vinegar based barbecue sauce. It was not the best that I have ever had; however, these guys were up against some fierce competition considering the variety of BBQ restaurants that I have tried in the south, with some of my favorites being Vandy's BBQ in South Georgia and Spoon's BBQ in Charlotte, N.C. The restaurant itself was fairly small. Inside the dining room area had 4 to five tables in a space no bigger than my bedroom, with a cash register and open kitchen area that extended towards the back of the building. Sam and Dave's do make up for the lack of size on the interior though, by providing a patio seating area in front of the restaurant that allows diners to enjoy a warm Atlanta afternoon while indulging in some tasty BBQ and refreshing sweet tea (for those of us who are truly southern.) Also, the young lady working behind the counter gave me a warm welcome and a friendly smile. She also made sure to ask me if I needed any napkins or utensils before I departed. I could not help but feel special considering my past with some restaurants that treated me like a number instead of a valuable customer and rushed me out the door. My only complaint is the disappointment I felt when I noticed they did not have the giant American flag pig in the parking lot. read more

Sam's BBQ1 - Barbeque Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

I am a bit picky when it comes to bbq; and I have a right to be after owning Phil's bbq down in a Eufaula, Al. Sam's was recommended by a client. I was not impressed by the pork because it had no flavor. It didn't even taste like it had a rub or anything. It really didn't have much of a smoke flavor . The sauces all are sweet. They only have 2 choices. Now the Brunswick stew was spot on. The corn muffin was tasty as well. Oh and the Mac and cheese was good. The place was very clean. The bathrooms were clean. The employees were nice and helpful. I'm going with 3 starts because of the lack of Taste on the meet and lack of choices in sauce. I mean you are in the South; therefore we need a sauce with little to no sugar and a mustard base. read more

This place was great! I had the brisket combo for lunch and cones with 2 sides and bread. I opted for the texas toast. At first, I was disappointed on the size of my plate in but it was full of flavor. I went with the brisket and it was soft and tender. Mac and cheese tasted like your grandma made them. The Okra.... Wow. Best okra ever... seriously not to say that the barbecue was not good but the okra was perfectly fried and it was crispy and every bite. I thought I would be hungry but surprisingly I walked out full. This place is definitely worth coming back to you and I'm definitely looking forward to trying the other menu options and plates. read more

Sam's BBQ1 - Brisket plate with mac n cheese, fried okra, and texas toast. - Barbeque Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

Great brisket sammich. U can top it with brunswick stew instead of bbq sauce. Will definitely have to try their ribs next time. This place does brisket right, something heirloom obviously cant come close to. Spacious and clean interior. Walls are lined with trophies from bbq competitions and they certainly deserve the title of being the best bbq place in the A. read more

Sam's BBQ1 - Brisket lunch plate with mac n cheese and sweet tator tots. Brisket sandwich lunch plate with brunswick.stew. - Barbeque Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

Casual place; order at counter and then they bring it out to you. What a disappointment. After such a write-up in the Atlanta Magazine, and my love for BBQ, I had to check them out. A big eh!!! Brisket was overdone, dry and thinly sliced. One slice had so much fat in it I chewed and then spit it out. However the ribs were very good (not excellent though). Mac n cheese was good, but nothing over the top...I guess I'm not a mac n cheese guy. In fact, when they brought my platter out, the mac n cheese was bone cold. I had to ask them for a reorder, which they brought out two minutes later, and it was piping hot. I'll have to put them on the bottom half of my bbq places in Atlanta. read more

10/10 literally the best BBQ I had in awhile ! Customer service TOP TIER !!! Definitely will be back! Giant beef rib was also exceptional. Oh and the Mac it looks weird but is the BOMBBB !!!!! 10/10 !! read more

Great BBQ Lunch carry out for the UGA game with our family. Ribs, Brisket, Pulled Pork and a big yummy pan of Macaroni with CHEESE!!!!!! They are as great as ever! read more

This place will make you feel proud to be a Georgian. From the personal banter at the check out down to the delicious green bean juice, this place has figured it out. Personal favorite is the brisket sandwich. Anytime I can sneak out for a lunch, this is the go to. read more

"Hunger is the best seasoning" according to Socrates, yet even in our extremely famished state the meat was weak on flavor. We had been running errands after work and hunger pangs assaulted sharply on this Friday night at the worst possible moment. We had driven to two other restaurants that had popped up on the iPad's Yelp radar only to find long lines out into the parking lots. So by the time we found this joint, the dinner rush had died down and we were ravenous. They have two stores here, with one dedicated to take-out and the other for dine-in, and also a decent sized patio for outdoor dining. On this cool October evening we headed inside for a table and were assaulted visually and audibly. Not in a negative way as much as in a strong way. By that, I mean the interior was bright, clean, fresh and antiseptic. An atypical venue compared to the rustic motif I'm accustomed to for this cuisine. All the hard surfaces reflected the harsh sounds of the blues guitarist in one corner belting out his repertoire. He was quite good if you like that style of music, so my complaint is directed to the excessive volume inappropriate for the acoustic attributes of this small enclosure. We had to yell our orders to the cashier and it took multiple attempts to be understood. We strategically grabbed a spot out of the direct line of fire from the loudspeakers in order to avoid migraines. It's no wonder the cashier provides a number card to display at your table since visual identification is the only method possible for delivering the orders. The delivery was quick and the servers were friendly. I had a half-slab with fries and mac-n-cheese while my wife had a pulled pork sandwich with a side of coleslaw. With soft drinks that set up back $27, not terribly bad. The meals come without sauce so you'll have a fetch some in condiment cups from the pumps next to the utensil dispensers. They have some NC styles and a KC BBQ sauce. Due to the weak flavor of my wife's pulled BBQ it took three servings of sauce to wake up the sandwich. My ribs were lean and I couldn't quite decide if they were a tad bit dry, but they definitely lacked a good smoky flavor and the delicious fatty decadence I expect. Not bad on the whole, but also not good enough to make this long of the trip again. The mac-n-cheese was decent, but the large tortiglioni (spiral tubes of pasta) dominated the dish a bit too much. The toast was toast and unextraordinary while still a good compliment. The fries were equally pedestrian with a dash of the usual paprika seasoning that is more visual than flavorful. The slaw my wife ordered was good, and had a nice sweetness that was distinctive enough without being sugary. It's a mayo style slaw that is on the crunchy rather than the creamy side, and was enjoyable. Overall, it's not a place to be avoided, but I'd only return if I were already nearby with a BBQ craving. read more

Been eating here for 12 years or so and I've never had anything I didn't enjoy. Menu is diverse and reasonably priced. The redneck lasagna (Mac plus Brunswick stew is absolutely phenomenal). The best thing for dinner is to get a rack of ribs platter with two sides to go and split it with someone which is more than enough! Don't change a thing BBQ1 read more

We probably eat her once or twice a month and have noticed that the quality of food has gone down significantly. I did an order for Father's Day- 2lbs pork, which was so dry there is no way you could eat with without sauce, 1/2 pound of chicken, we got 6oz. When I opened the container it looked like small so I weighed it. All of the pints of sides were at best 2/3 filled up. In the past they were filled to the rim and you could tell the lids were practically smashed on. Slowly the quality and quantity have gone down hill the past several months. Hopefully, things improve. Doubt we will go back soon. read more

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I've been here twice and both times food here it's been very underwhelming. If you want gas station bbq this is your spot.

Hit BBQ1 for dinner last night - about the 30th time I've been there. I had the pulled pork plate, brisket, sweet potato tots and the new Texas Brisket Chili. While I really enjoyed the pork, brisket & tots, the Chili did not have the flavor I was hoping for. The chili definitely had some sweet heat but overall I definitely prefer Heirloom Market's Texas Brisket Chili instead. The pork was outstanding as always, very moist and freshly pulled. I really like BBq1's Kansas City style sauce. read more

Sam's BBQ1 - Pork, Brisket, Texas Brisket Chili, Sweet Potato Tots - Barbeque Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

I said I would never go back to sams bbq 1 again.but I said I will give it one more try, What a mistake I ordered the brisket sandwich with cole slaw. You. Needed a knife to cut the tough brisket, and the warm cole claw was terrible. The ketchup bottle was half empty and the bbq sauce Bottles were half empty and greasy this was at 11:10 am. Never again read more

Nice people, great food. Being able to put order in online would be nice and I miss the old green bean recipe as well. I love that their menu has GF things noted and I appreciate the curbside / covid safe options. They will bring the food to your trunk if you call and ask! Thanks. read more

Food was cold and not good at all. Bar b q sauce tasted like it was from a bottle not homemade. Restaurant was very dirty. Service was poor as well. Very rude and put out that we were even there. read more

The food is good. The price was a little steep for what I received. I ordered two slabs of ribs, 1 pound of chicken (which I thought I was getting chicken pieces and not sliced chicken, and three sides. Actually ordered two additional sides. Total cost: $138 plus tip = $157. Can't say I'll be rushing back any time soon. read more

Meh. I'm admittedly spoiled by my frequenting of Fox Bros., Community BBQ (Decatur), and Bubba Q in Woodstock. The brisket here was cooked too quickly and lacked any interesting seasoning. Same for the short ribs. The sauce is mediocre, but to its credit, and thankfully, not too sweet. Very friendly staff, so I feel bad about giving a two - star review. But it's an honest one. read more

// I tried but I can't like this BBQ // Chicken: Dry Brisket: Dry Pulled pork: semi-dry. Sauce saved it Ribs: Dry on one side and pretty good on the other. Interesting rub. Not full of flavor but a lingering hint of spice. Brunswick Stew: off the chain good!! I don't think this BBQ joint takes its time or does real low and slow. You can tell by the dried out meat and the old school sides. This place needs to update their methods or wait for the new competition to put them out of business. I've lived in East Cobb for 15 years and have given this place more than a few chances. It caters to a certain crowd that's for sure. It used to be the only game in town but I'm afraid their competition has a wider appeal ( not just their food but their atmosphere). Two stars for the Brunswick Stew. Hard to find a good Stew these days. read more

Place has taken a huge step the wrong direction. Was my favorite place for bbq at one time and then Sam retired. Was in at 11 for an early lunch ordered brisket with greens and macaroni. Brisket was cold, sides were ok and corn muffin was also cold. Brisket was greasy and tasted old. Cutting corners puts bbq places out of business. What a let down. This is the second time in six months they have let me down. Get it together. read more

It's not every day that you go eat at a BBQ restaurant where even Wilbur the Pig himself would be more disappointed in his afterlife than what he endured to get on the plate in the first place. BBQ lovers will scorn this pig's last resting place. And Dear Sam I Am, green eggs and ham would be better than macaroni and cheese squirming around in a butter bath accompanied by a bun so stale even a fish in a pond would choose the hook to get away. What was once a good BBQ place many years ago is now a forgotten wasteland of dirty tables, plastic cutlery, flat Diet Coke and a score of 87. read more

Definitely award winning BBQ Choice of Carolin or Kansas City sauce The North Carolina is an excellent example of the vinegar based sauce. The Brunswick Stew taste just like my mother's. Great pork meat I will have to try the ribs next time. read more

Sam's BBQ1 - Numerous awards Sam has won for his smoked BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Marietta, Georgia

Incredible food. Extremely nice staff. Spicy wings may be the best I have ever had, bbq is great, vinegar bbq sauce, collards, Mac and cheese. Always consistent whether eating in or getting to go. Well done! read more

I've been looking for Sam's and I just didn't know it. You probably are too. I'm super picky with my greens and potato salad and they've got the best I've had in a while. Everything is well-seasoned and delicious. The staff are super warm and friendly as well which is as 5 stars as 5 stars gets. Can't wait to go back! read more

The brisket is OFF THE CHARTS AMAZING!! Also, the creamed spinach is delicious! Love the sliders pork and brisket. The green beans are AWESOME!! I like everything I have gotten here. What a great find in East Cobb. The brisket chili that Junior Bottoms made was yummy! Highly recommend this place. read more

"Do you know of any placed to eat around here? I was looking for like a really good "B.B.Q." place. Oh, well I don't know of a lot of good "B.B.Q." places around here but there's a great "Barbecue" place that's not so far away." -- Peter and Vandy (2009) I love a great BBQ joint and let's face it, BBQ is subjective. We all have our opinions and no one agrees with anyone else. So after living so close to this place for years, and hearing (and reading) mixed reviews, I had a craving and went to grab food for lunch. Now they have 2 places - one is dine-in and two doors down is take-out. Brilliant. No waiting in line during a lunch rush for your take out order amongst all the diners (and vice-versa). So knowing I wanted to bring it back to my desk, I walked into the take-out door. The menu is nicely displayed and quite clear on the wall above the counter with all the options - both lunch and dinner specials, meats, sides, drinks, etc. I opted for the Lunch plates - one pulled pork and one brisket. Mine was the brisket and I decided on the baked beans and the fried okra for my sides with Texas Toast for my bread option. It came with a side of sauce (no drink). Since I would be waiting, I decided to get a tea (half and half) while I waited. They have a couple of chairs for you as you wait, but truly I waited maybe 5 minutes. The lunch plate was a hefty amount of meat and what you would expect for portions for sides. The brisket was super moist and tender - pulling apart with a fork and had a serious amount of smoke to it...bordering on artificial tasting. Add a little sauce and it was perfect. The beans were really very sweet until they hit the back of the throat and then that bit of heat kicked in - very nice. As for the okra - pretty sure this is a frozen product versus a freshly made okra, battered and fried. Too perfect and no crunch to the okra. It was good, but I can buy that at the grocery in the frozen section. I'd rather have it be fresh. The Texas toast was a nice item to have on there to help cut the sweet of the sauce and the beans. I'll come back again and and try the other items as well. It's a definite keeper. read more

Love Sam's. Just don't order via Grub Hub as they mark up items 20-30% above actual cost.

As this BBQ joint is a mere half-mile from my parent's house, we like it.... A LOT. The pulled pork is divine as well as the brisket and everyone who works there is really friendly. They're open really weird hours, so be sure to call in advance. I think they just decide to open/close whenever they feel like it. We always get a couple lbs. of pork when my grandparents come to visit, they love it so. It almost makes their visit something to look forward to.... almost. read more

So on my quest to find the best barbecue spots in the Metro area, Sam and Daves came as a high recommendation from a number of yelpers. I took the short trek to Lower Roswell Road, hungry as hell and ready to dig into some ribs.... Dig I did. Arriving at Sam and Daves, it was a bit smaller than I expected, and I was a little taken aback by a sign on the door that said "Beef Ribs Only". Disappointed and looking to confirm, I walked in, and luckily, the owner said he did in fact have pork ribs (mmmm...pork, the other white meat). The slab was chopped up and ready to go pretty quickly. $20 bucks later, I walked out with a discreet brown paper bag and a to go menu and was on my way to dig in. The ribs were decent. I ate every single one of them while watching football. They have a sweet/spicy type of sauce, you can taste the vinegar base, which I always enjoy. But they werent outstanding. Nor were they underwhelming....they were "cool", but not great. Would I go back....hmmm, probably not. Too many GREAT rib spots to settle for "decent". Nonetheless, Id encourage folks to give it a try.... I mean who am i? Actually, I am the king of all Ribs....you should probably listen to me:) read more

Why you showin' off all them there BBQ championship trophies? Got somethin' to prove? For all the hype, trophies, articles, yelp stars, and did I mention trophies....you would think this place was the shizznit. F'''n average at best. Sides....above average Brisket...below average BBQ Sauce...f''n decently average Pulled Pork...Above Average Baby Back Ribs.....a little above average Decor...fugaly average Girl @ Register...Above Average Cleanliness..way above average-probably why the que' taste...um did I mention average. Come back to think about the trophies again--who the f'''k can't come in 3rd Place Pork at The Lower Thomsonville BBQ Wal-Mart Parkin' Lot Extravaganza? There was probably 5 contestants...half of which were cousins...and your scary uncle "let" you come in 3rd. Maybe this spot was a little better when it was Sam AND Dave.... I guess Sam kicked Dave out because he wanted to be #1. Atleast finish the job by taking Dave's name off the wood bench from the front of the store. Best bet would be to stay/go intown to Fox Brother's, Community Q, or my bbq place. 3.3 stars Out read more

Alas, my journey for proper Pulled Pork BBQ continues .... This place had so much promise, with all of the high praise on yelp and the numerous trophies decorating their walls. They have all of the right stuff on their menu, and the place looked good walking in. They even have NC-style sauce for your pork! Unfortunately, their pulled pork lived up only to average expectations. I should probably start by saying that I'm from NC and am a bit of a pulled pork snob. We ordered (each got the pulled pork plate) and the food arrived quickly. We dug right in without any sauce and was hit with the taste of .... bland. The meat tasted like it hadn't been seasoned at all. I also thought the meat was a bit dry when it came out (though my wife said hers was juicier). We immediately had to dump all of the sauce over it to give it at least some flavor. It was definitely much improved, but it still tasted quite average. The best pulled pork I've had doesn't need a lick of sauce added to it -- it tastes heavenly without anything extra. The fact that we had to add so much sauce just isn't a good sign. On top of that, despite advertising wood smoking, neither of us got even the slightest hint of smoke flavor in the meat. It tasted as though cooked in an oven. None of this is to say that the pork was bad (I've had bad pulled pork, and this wasn't bad), it was just very bland. On top of that, their sweet tea was among the worst I've had in the area, or anywhere. The sides, however, were good -- my wife enjoyed the mac 'n cheese and cole slaw, and I quite enjoyed the potato salad. I missed the hushpuppies, but the bread that came with the meal was a nice accompaniment. The final thing I'll say is that I also think their food is a bit too pricey -- it's like $11 or $12 for a pulled pork plate for dinner. It's a bit outrageous for what you're getting. All in all, I had high hopes that this place would end my search for mouth-watering pulled pork. Oh well, the search continues ... read more

It's a rare find to discover competition bbq sold retail. This is, and it's not made by any ole competitor either, a champion. Devine ribs perfectly cooked with a slight tug away from the bone and marvelous glaze on top of a savory rib. Pulled pork so tender you can hear the opening bars to honkey tonk women on the first bite. The second bite had me visualizing the bone being twisted and pulled out clean. The Mac n cheese is better than the pork. Stew is hardy, meaty and well seasoned as are the beans. Pickles are cold. Service is agreeable, joint is clean and prices fair for such high quality. Tea is Van Morrison sweet as Tupelo honey took all the tea in Chinnee. You come back out the door here still hungry there's something wrong with you. Go!!! Take your friends, great take out. The old pitmaster has still got it going on. read more

Food: I have been to Sams bbq1 several times, and have had the mainstays: ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, Brunswick stew, chicken and most of the sides. The place really has good bbq! Real wood smoked meat, and it is smoked to perfection. Their Mac and cheese is some of the best I've ever had. Service: order at a counter, and the food came out in typical speed. Very much self-service, including self-serve drinks. Atmosphere: strange layout and kind of small, but clean. Has a few TVs to catch a game. They have a separate store front (and door) for their take-out. read more

I tried Sam's back in late May? I think? I went for my mainstay dish that i always get at BBQ joints -- the pulled pork! For sides, I opted for the mac & cheese and the coleslaw. We initially went into the restaurant and tried to order to-go at the register only to be told that to-go orders are placed next door. Who knew? So we headed over to the to-go store and placed our orders there. Pulled pork? Smoky and tender. Mac & cheese? Cheesy goodness. Coleslaw? Extremely bland. I couldn't believe how tasteless it was. We ended up modifying it ourselves with vinegar and a bit of sugar and black pepper, which made it 10 times better. Sam's is technically not THAT far from us but unfortunately we are hardly ever on that side of town. Would definitely come back for the pulled pork and mac & cheese, but maybe skip the coleslaw next time. read more