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VanHoose: Happy as a clam - There's a new pork joint in town
For weeks, I drove by the tiny brick building next to Gig Worn on Hancock, hoping for two pieces of paper to be missing from the window.
Week after week, I read over and over again that Dawg Gone Good BBQ was "Opening Soon." As a barbecue lover and an impatient man, I learned that the unknown owner and I had different definitions for "soon."
But Friday night, the two "Opening Soon" papers had disappeared from the window, replaced by a glowing red and blue "Open" sign.
And after meeting the owner - he goes by B.J. - and tasting every meat and side he offers, I must say this little barbecue joint was worth the wait.
B.J. breaks a lot of rules for barbecue in these parts. For now, he's only open for dinner and late night - he's also only open from Thursday to Saturday.
A barbecue restaurant that doesn't do lunch? Unheard of.
Dawg Gone Good BBQ's hours aren't the only thing that's unconventional. Like this writer, B.J. is a native Floridian and thus knows how to make a great red sauce. He actually makes two: one that's kind of sweet and another with a spice that is so nice.
What he doesn't have - at least that I saw - is a vinegar-based sauce that is standard for the area.
Sweet tomato instead of vinegar on a barbecue table in Northeast Georgia? Illegal.
Never mind B.J.'s different approach. Those differences are what will make Dawg Gone Good BBQ a star. He's only been open a week, and already he has outclassed the likes of Fresh Air, Jot 'Em Down and, dare I say, even Hollis' Famous Ribs.
B.J. serves up smoked sausage, pulled pork, chicken and ribs.
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