Heirloom Market BBQ

Like pizza, the search for great BBQ is an ever lasting quest in Atlanta... We all know about Fox Bros, Community Q, Jim & Nick's, Sam's BBQ #1, yada yada yadda... But quietly and under the radar from the Yelp herd and local rag critics, comes a new playa in town (just barely ITP but ITP nonetheless).

Heirloom Market BBQ is truly a mom & pop shop that finally opened last weekend after getting the run around by the man. A local shop that occupies a space under 800 sq ft. is pumping out some mad smoked Que. The place is centered around the 2 custom built smokers, Pitmaster, from Texas. These are the only two known to exist in Atlanta let alone Georgia, while everyone else are using Smokers Pride (not that there's anything wrong with that) to cook everything on their menu. The beauty of having two smokers is that you can use different woods at different temps for different types of meat. I know they use at least 4 different types of wood. Unlike a corporate operation, Heirloom cooks what they want and when they want. Truly a boutique Que shop.

I'm not gonna go into all the details because they're still adjusting their menu here and there (which is pretty damn good already because it seems like they can actually boil water without burning it), so take a gander at the pics before someone takes the credit for this delicious discovery like a Napoletana 'Za joint I know.

(Dude, got Que? Sign is not big enough.)

(Cozy joint that is more catering oriented than meat for the masses but they do have a communal table for eating in.)

(Ginormous hunk of fresh out of the smoker brisket with sick bark and ring. That's my giant beef short rib on the right corner.)

(Hello, Big Blue... You are hot.)
Texas BBQ Vault- Pecan, Red Oak

(Hello, Big Red... You're even hotter.)
Georgia BBQ Vault- Hickory, Fruitwood

(Brisket, beauty and da beast.)

(Taking a nap, resting... Before I inhale that beast.)

(Meat tray #1- Short, spare, baby back, cole slaw, hand cut fwies and Kitchen spicy Texas sauce)

(Ginormous short rib.)

(Meat/sides tray #2- Mac n cheez, baked beanz, pulled pork and brisket.)
In meat coma.

(Patak's wieners all up in this piece)

All the meat is from Riverview Farms. There's no bait and switch or up charge passed down to customers or in your face marketing gimmick plastered all over the menu about where it came from. When you use quality product, it shows in the taste of the end product. Other restaurants in Atlanta uses Riverview Farms as well but they cook the hell of it. Who the fuck can tell the difference except in your wallet. I have tried almost everything on the menu or what was available at the times I've been but everything is made in house... From the sides, the 3 different sauces (Table sweet Tennessee sauce, Kitchen spicy Texas sauce, Settler's Carolina sauce made with sherry vinegar), to the meat that's always smoked and never poached/boiled prior.

For all you burger trend following freaks, they have a cast iron grilled grass fed burger that is cooked to temp! Yay, no more over cooked thin patties that taste like they were ass fed. Potato buns they are using for now kicks ass, too. And later on, they will introduce some Korean (yeah, I said Corean) items as well... Holy shit, don't fucking fuck with my emotions or pouch, I can't wait for some smoked KFC!

Listen, this shit is G U U D already when they opened the doors, imagine what it will be like in a couple months. Look at the menu online and write down what you want before you get there or else you'll end up like me and ordered the entire menu. Food porn at it's best.

Pump.

Pump.

Squirt.

4.5 Stars.

More to come... Keep your eyeball on this one boys and girls.

BTW- There's a bodega next door to get your BYOB.

2243 Akers Mill Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30339
770-612-2502
www.heirloommarketbbq.com

Billy Jack's BBQ And Shrimp Co.

This space is truly cursed... I lost count on how many restaurants have come and gone. Now, enters a badly needed BBQ joint intown but is it worth it? On first impressions, not really... But let's judge them on their product.

Seeing the giant steel box when you walk in is kinda weird... It's not exactly the best spot to put it because you expect to smell the smoking meats but none were smelt, I don't think it was even on. It's a standard Southern Pride, a smoker that is used mostly throughout Georgia's modern Que shops. The menu is pretty straight forward with the generic BBQ staples and a couple surprises like a Po'boy, fried shrimp and an apple and pork salad. The owner is soft spoken and easy to talk to... Just a sweetheart of a guy. The prices were spot on but portion control and quality were my main concerns. So, I ordered a bunch of shit like the usual fat slob that I am.

(Southern Pride smoker, not too shabby)

Beef Rib - Look at that shit! It was straight from the Flintstone's, it was ginormous. It was decent but woulda been a helluva lot better if it had been smoked lower and slower. It was kinda chewy and had a lot of gristle around the edges. Seemed rushed but still pretty impressive. Who said size doesn't matter? My dog liked the bone in his mouth... Still hungover from Pride, I guess.

Brisket Plate w/ Beans and Mac & Cheez - Texas, we have a problem... Brisket was hacked up and dry, almost beef jerky dry. Obviously, there's no smoke ring or bark to appreciate. Had to drown it in sauce which was unmemorable. The beans tasted canned and the mac was awfully dry. The cheez has left the building. For $9, I suspected as much.

Brunswick Stew - Looks ok, right? Tasted pretty much like at most mediocre Q joints. Nothing fancy, nothing amazing, it was what it was... Plus, not enough Lima beans. Why is it so hard for BBQ joints to make a decent Stew? Fox Bros can do it, what's the problem here, people?

BBQ Shrimp Po'Boy - BBQ sauce on the side, please! I hate soggy fried shrimp... But not even super crispy skrimps can save this boy. I mean, just look at that unfortunate specimen. Wilty iceberg lettuce, torn up roll and a few scrappy sea cockroaches. It was more like a Ho'Bo sammie. Pass.

Other sides that I sampled were the green beans and cole slaw, both acceptable but nothing crave worthy. The green beans were made to order and sauteed... You heard that right, sauteed, as if I was at a Fwanch restowant serving haricot vert. Slaw was not the creamy and sweet kind, more like the wet and damp kind.

They threw in some banana pudding... And I threw it in the rubbish. Why even bother having it on the menu when it shoulda never been on there in the first place. I rather have 10 incredible items than 50 incredibly crappy items, just to fill out the menu. The owner is so nice that you can't be too harsh on them, even though, I was (I'm a firm believer that if you sell something, it better be your best or else you're gonna get smoked)... But I'm willing to give them another shot just because of their attitude, unlike that white trash redneck P. Red's B.B. Que down over yonder in them there parts on Chattahoochee.

I just want to go back to handle another one of their John Holmes beef rib... I like man meat, I'll admit it.

Squeal like a pig, bitches.

2 Stars.

857 Collier Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-351-7979

P. Red's B.B. Que

Most of you probably don't remember when Atlanta was a happening town with after hour parties that lasted til noon the next day... There was the infamous Red's that was located right behind this run down crack shack about a decade ago. It must be coincidence because now, that crack shack is the location of a new BBQ joint named Red's. Fuck, how I miss those insane parties.

This area has been kinda reborn and a couple new BBQ joints have popped up (first, Billy Jack's and now, PR's BBQ). From the outside, it looked very promising with all the hickory wood in front, neon signs on the windows and a plane crashing into the roof. On the inside, it had all the makings of a cute and cozy hillbilly Q joint way out in bumblefuck. But we all know that looks can be deceiving.

I walked in, some creastures on my left yell out something in the effect of a salutation, I nod my head and proceeded to ordered a bunch of shit since I already checked out the menu online. Waited for my grub and decided to take some pics of the inside. Not one minute has passed and one of the fat rednecks from Deliverance sneaks up behind me and starts mumbling some fucked up noises in the most creepy way like I'm gonna tie you to a tree and fuck you in the ass. I'm like WTF... I left my gun in the car. Chet from Weird Science then tells me that I can't take pictures because I might steal their idea. I said to him, but this is a franchise. He tells me, we don't do franchise. I tell him, that's not what your website says, there's a franchise button. I just ignored him and waited for my food to go... And snuck a couple more pics in. Fuck him. Take a gander...

(Doesn't look too bad, right?)

(Cute fake hog on the wall behind the counter)

(Dining area w/ crap all over the wall, cool)

Smoked Wings - Not bad but they seemed flash fried and then smoked to give it the illusion that it's been smoked completely. There's no hot sauce except for the hot BBQ sauce which wasn't all that... Kinda crappy to tell the truth. Fox Bro's still has the best real smoked wings, it's obvious.

Combo Plate (3 meats) - Ribs, pulled pork and sliced brisket. This is the make it or break it for this joint. Let's just say this isn't gonna win any contests. It's very generic in the BBQ chain sorta way. Seems like all the meats were boiled/poached ahead of time before going into the smoker. Just like Fat Matt's. It wasn't bad just not great BBQ. Brisket was so moist and had no smoke ring and/or bark. Pulled pork was shredded up meat that coulda came from anywhere. Ribs were chewy and tasted like Liquid Smoke. Ate a few bites of each and into the garbage it went.

Sides - Mac N Cheese, pretty much plain tasting. Kids will love it, though. Collards, cooked down well but pretty much bland and not a hint of pork in it. Brunswick stew, good consistency but nothing you can't find from a can.

I wished this was a hit because it's a good intown location but the owners' attitude really killed it before I even tasted the food. And after I tasted the food, I know I probably won't be heading back. Billy Jack's might be middling in the food department but they are so nice that you feel comfortable going back there without being fucking yelled at. I hate that shit because I'm the type to yell back and that wouldn't be a good thing. Be nice and I'll be nice... I'm paying you not the other way around, fuckers.

But as for now, this place is right down there with Shane's... Because it's a fucking franchise. I had better BBQ in Manhattan last week. But families with screaming spoiled brats will love it.

1 Star.

999 Chattahoochee Ave., NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
404-350-0008
Fax 404-350-8005
www.prsbbq.com