This week we take a trip back up to Atlanta, Georgia and sample yet another one of it’s many awesome BBQ-joints; the famous Fox Brother’s BBQ of Candler Park.
The Atlanta metro is one of those terrific places we often find ourselves visiting for both work and play. Recently the latter was the case and my wife and I took the opportunity to casually try a few new local independent eateries, the first of which was the apparently famous Fox Brothers BBQ of Candler Park. We arrived at the intriguingly eclectic restaurant just after 9pm on a dark and rainy spring evening, befitting of it’s reputation the place was PACKED. Apparently the copious amounts of rain brought in just ahead of a cold-front currently moving through metro-Atlanta was not enough to deter throngs of locals and tourists a like from making the crosstown pilgrimage to storied Candler Park eatery and devouring generous portions of BBQ, sides, deserts, bartender-crafted-spirits and regional micro-brews.
The building which houses Fox Brothers is…different. It works for a BBQ joint, no question about that but it’s the sort of eclectic hodge-podge you wouldn’t be so amused by if it were playing host to the vast majority of any other food genre. Here the eccentrically dilapidated decor works though, delightfully warn, warm and comforting it creates a dining room that is as casual, comfortable and down-home as it is quirky in it’s colloquial chic. Evocative of a modern day urban-jook-joint, Fox Brothers is just the sort of place you expect to be served fresh, smoked and expertly seasoned and sauced southern BBQ.
The food here was excellent if not classic in composition and presentation. There are to be no new spins on BBQ here, no high-end acoutrements or garnish, just good old southern BBQ at it’s finest. The pork, beef and chicken here are all expertly smoked with the all important smoke-ring clearly made evident and while there is a visually present smoke ring, the meats are neither dry or tough instead you are greeted with smoky fresh, savory and moist BBQ. The sauces are down home good, achieving that all important balance between sweet and savory with vinegar and hot-spiced variants to satisfy every tongue and pallet. The sides here are fresh too, with the excellent house-made potato salad taking a slight Atlanta spin on the classic southern style. The BBQ beans were properly cooked and infused with just enough sauce, pork and molasses as to achieve that sublime complimentary balance only BBQ affords between meat and bean. Desert came in the form of an inspired raspberry-rhubarb crustini complete with fresh cream, cinnamon and vanilla ice-cream…readily mobile excellence in a to-go box.
Well reccomended if not a tad hard to find, Fox Brother’s is a definite must visit for anyone visiting the Atlanta metro…just remember to be patient when hunting for parking, it’s totally worth the wait.
Fox Brothers BBQ
1238 Dekalb Avenue Northeast
Atlanta, Georgia 30307
(404) 577-4030
www.foxbrosbbq.com
Mon-Thurs: 11am-10pm
Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm
Sun: 11am-10pm
