The Hickory Pig — Restaurant in Georgia

I love this place. Phil is really friendly. He'll talk to you about making barbecue or probably about anything else. The rest of the help (one woman is the only other person I can remember seeing there) is friendly.

The pulled pork is the best I have tasted in North Georgia, bar none. It's smoky, it's as tender as it could possibly be, and applying sauce is up to the customer. This is how it ought to be done. There are sweeter sauces and hotter ones to choose from, all good. The sides are good too, but really I'm all about the meat when I go here.

This place looks pretty humble from the road, but the great barbecue places often do.

I first tried this place after seeing the Atlanta Magazine write-up online. I thought surely some writer from down in Atlanta wouldn't know squat about good barbecue, but I guess that one did, because this place is tops.

If you're driving far to get here, just make sure they're open before you head out. They have somewhat limited hours.

And oh yeah, in case you haven't read anything else about this place, you add up your own bill from the menu board. If you don't find that old-fashioned and charming, suck it up, because the barbecue here is more...

Don't let first impressions be your guide. Despite the fact that the building looks like the Big Bad Wolf could blow it down and still have breath left for birthday candles, this place is a gem in the rough. The BBQ is done on site. The pulled pork is moist and tasty. The ribs are smoked close to perfection. If you like BBQ, this place is a good choice. My wife and I had pulled pork sandwiches, chips, and cokes and were out a total of $11. THEN Phil gave us two ribs and half of a milkshake. I'm having ribs next time!

But don't go just for the food. Go for the show too. Phil and 'Lil Bit' welcome you into their restaurant like you're a long lost friend. We were there for 5 minutes and engaged in conversations with a retired Marine pilot, a former cop, and some other random local. Phil provided an ongoing stream of conscious output of stories and humor while Lil Bit was his cohort in crime. This is old school hospitality that is hard to find. The only things missing to complete the ambiance were a pot belly stove and a pickle jar.

Good food, good times...going...

1/9/21: Still great, small bbq sandwiches. Full of pulled chunks of smokey, slow cooked pork with just a bit of a mild sauce on the meat. Never any extra fat. Brunswick stew is the old fashioned thin, watery variety but tasty and full of meat. And when you buy a "quart" they actually give you a quart. It's mild, but you can taste the smoke in the meat. A lot of corn. A medium amount of tomatoes. No Iima beans that I notice. A tiny bit too much vinegar today. On the whole it was great as usual. Friendly atmosphere. Nice folks. No masks, no distancing (and 'dining room' is tiny). But, I'll go back (with my mask).

1/2020: Went by last week, about 4 p.m. and door was locked. Hope all is well.

Great bbq. I eat here regularly but always do take out. It has the atmosphere of your utility closet. Sauce is confusing, like they forgot half the ingredients, but good. Mild. I'll bet this is someone's old family recipe....