Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q

Good 'cue can be a religious experience. You will travel far and wide to find the perfect 'altar' of smoke, meat, sauce, and spice. You pray the experience is what you've read about. Or maybe heard from your friends. And, especially down here in the South, the hype is taken pretty seriously. Although not born or raised in the South, it is my hope that in the past 12 years, I've been able to sniff out a genuine 'cue restaurant from a half-butt attempt at an overly-sauced slab of meat on a plate. So far, we consider Swallow in The Hollow in Roswell to be at the top of our list.

So, while Eric & friends were at Decatur's Beer Festival, Mary and I took in a great little hidden gem - Fox Bros. BBQ.

Story is that these guys used to cook up 'cue for Smith's Olde Bar, however, I can't recall a concert that Eric and I went to at Smith's and had a hankerin' to order a messy order of ribs. Maybe that's why the Fox brothers finally opened up their own joint near L5P.

We sat outside, under the shadow of the large smoker, to peruse the offerings. The menu consists of pulled pork, beef ribs, brisket, and half-chicken, each prepared and smoked dry, just spices. Sides include onion rings, veggies, cole slaw, tater tots, and the like.

I decided on the pulled pork plate, with 2 sides consisting of green beans and collards. The pulled pork offered just wonderful, crispy, tasty bits. Bits with just the right smoky char, that crunch, paired with their tender, moist cousins. One piece, with a crunch. The next melts in your mouth. Add a dollop of their tangy signature sauce (or more) to bring out the dry rub. I favored the collards over the beans. They were simple, wilted, a touch of smoke and(surprisingly) without bacon chunks.

Mary decided on the rib sandwich, with onion rings. She said these rings are some of the best she's ever had.

My only complaint: a stronger iced tea. Because if you are truly in 'cue heaven, the iced tea should be fresh and carry a bit of tannic black-tea bite to cut through the fats. But who cares with meat like this?

So, go. Take it all in. Pray at the altar of smoked meat. You won't forget the experience.
http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/