Barbecue Kitchen — Restaurant in College Park

A Southern Symphony at Barbecue Kitchen: Soul Food Reimagined

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Walking into Barbecue Kitchen is like stepping into a warm, inviting Southern home, complete with the delightful aroma of smoky, soul-warming cuisine wafting through the air. A hidden gem tucked away in the heart of the city, this restaurant serves up authentic, comforting Southern soul food that resonates with the heart and satisfies the belly in equal measure.

From the moment you step in, you are greeted by the extremely kind and attentive staff, who exude genuine Southern charm and hospitality. The service here is impeccably attentive, making you feel cherished and valued. Every staff member is committed to ensuring your dining experience is memorable, right from the welcoming hostess to the diligent servers.

But the real magic happens in the kitchen. The chefs at Barbecue Kitchen are culinary wizards, transforming humble, locally sourced ingredients into dishes that are a symphony of flavors, textures, and colors. The menu is loaded with soul food classics, each with a unique twist that only enhances its authenticity.

The slow-cooked barbecue ribs, basted with a secret-recipe sauce and cooked to fall-of-the-bone perfection, are a carnivore's dream. The fried chicken, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, is the epitome of soul food comfort. The shrimp and grits are creamy and flavorful, providing a delectable taste of the sea. Every side dish, from the collard greens to the mac and cheese, is cooked to perfection, complementing the main dishes beautifully.

However, it's not just the food that warms your soul at Barbecue Kitchen. The restaurant’s cozy ambiance, with its rustic decor and soft, warm lighting, creates a relaxing and familiar environment that's perfect for a family dinner, a date night, or a catch-up with friends.

Desserts are another highlight with classics like peach cobbler stealing the show. Each spoonful is a sweet journey through old-school Southern comfort, an ideal way to end a delicious meal.

Barbecue Kitchen is not just a restaurant. It's a warm embrace, a nostalgic journey, and a culinary celebration of Southern soul food. It's a place where every meal is cooked with love and served with a smile. It's a place that warms your heart as much as it delights your palate.

So, if you're looking for authentic Southern soul food served up in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, make your way to Barbecue Kitchen. It's more than a meal. It's an experience. And it's one that you won't...

It was one of those days that I had to have some bbq and I wanted to try somewhere new. After performing my Yelp “Cheap Eats” search, I landed upon Barbecue Kitchen.

As eating on a budget has become a topic of conversation, I was excited to see the “Cheap Eats” search work in real time. As Barbecue Kitchen provides a robust menu with great pricing, it was an easy decision to head on over for date night.

Arriving at Barbecue Kitchen I was excited to see that they have their own parking lot. As Barbecue Kitchen sits right on the main road, it was super easy to find and parking was in abundance.

Walking in, Barbecue Kitchen has a homely feel and the classic interior design of a down home barbecue spot. The staff greeted us with a smile and as we were dining in, they advised us to sit anywhere we would like.

Once at our booth of choice, the waitress arrived and further greeted us. She flashed her smile, provided us menus and went over what the specials for the day were.

I decided to do Sweet Tea for my drink along with the Rib Tips Dinner Plate with Sweet Potato Soufflé, Baked Beans, Dressing and Gravy, and Cornbread.

The Sweet Tea was delivered and it was amazing. Home brewed. Sweetened to perfection. Perfect ice to tea ratio and a robust tea flavor profile. This was that good tea bag. lol.

The food arrived without too long of a wait and everything looked like it was made true cookout style.

Upon saying grace, it was time to eat!

Rib Tips - Meaty. Tender. Bland flavor profile. The sauce brings the flavor. If you aren’t a sauce eater, I suggest you stay away from this option as you must have the sauce to have any flavor. However, the meat was moist and smoked to perfection.

Sweet Potato Souffle - Good portion. Lacked a robust flavor spotlight. The potato’s natural flavor dominated the dish. If you love sweet potatoes, you will love this dish. If you desire the more sweet flavor profile, this isn’t it.

Baked Beans - Made with bacon. Hint of sweetness. Overall good.

Dressing and Gravy - Good portion. No flavor. Dressing was bland. Gravy was bland. As a pair it was double bland.

Cornbread - If you are a lover of hot water cornbread, this is for you as it spotlights the natural corn flavor with no added sweetness.

Overall, the Barbecue Kitchen was a moderate experience. The service was amazing. The food was sub-par. The pricing is...

I've been going to BBQ Kitchen for years. I've had great meals, fair meals and great service and not so great service. For a business to have had a run since 1968 this is to be expected. Even with the original ownership, things were not perfect. Boys and girls...I hate to tell you this, but life is not perfect and no restaurant, no matter the fare...is either.

Be that as it may...this place took a nose dive recently in popularity and in no time at all it lost the loyalty of many of my fellow Historic College Parkers. And here's the thing...I too stopped coming for a while. I didn't want to risk a wait that was too long with one guy working the line in the kitchen and one person at the register. It's not a formula for success in a place with a menu this big on such a busy street with so many customers coming in from Delta, etc.

Months ago, though, I returned for take out...and went to my usual go tos of meatloaf when I could get it, mac and cheese, collards, etc...and their very good unsweetened iced tea. The food was good and I was re-won.

Today I drove up to a packed parking lot...and a large shuttle bus from a very prestigious retirement community in Buckhead. I worried that my lunch meeting might have to move elsewhere because as I walked in I saw that there was only one table in the entire place. But...it happened to be my favorite booth and we made a bee line for it.

In minutes Nicole arrived to take our order with her big beautiful smile and from there the meal continued to get better and better. They had meatloaf (the best I've had in Atlanta) on a Thursday when they normally only have it on Mondays and Wednesdays...and there was no other concern from then on. My lunch and my day was made.

I looked around me and everyone's food looked great. People were smiling and chatting and all was right with the world again. I worry when a restaurant starts taking hit after hit...and this one was really smacked hard by the pandemic. I worried when it changed ownership. But now, I am not worried. A true landmark for our beloved College Park will live to see another day and all who go there will be fed and fed well. And not just with food but more than a few kind words. What...