I heard this place was the 'place' for barbecue in Atlanta but when I pulled up in the parking lot I thought this place looked like a dump. Once I walked in though the place was clean enough and the staff were very friendly. I ordered a standard pulled pork sandwich, which came quickly (roughly 5 minutes). I was expecting the taste to be exceptional but it was more tending towards mediocrity. Don't get me wrong it tastes good but I can find that taste in loads of other joints. All in all, this place is pretty good for a quick lunch but I think its quite a bit hyped up.
Barbecue- Excellent. Great, classic non-fussy barbecue. Great cornbread. Great Brunswick Stew. Great sweet tea.
Service- Insanely slow, and bare. I've been twice, and the first time, I waited 30 minutes for a BBQ sandwich and was the only other person in there. The second time, it was a little better, by maybe 5 minutes. I think it's met it's hayday, and I hate that. Because this place is part of not just Atlanta, but Georgia barbecue history.
And the last time I went there, it was raining, and the roof was leaking all over the place, even on the table next to us. The place is in sore sorts.
i've always figured that the best barbecue is found in places you wouldn't visit after dark, where they have bars on the windows and just enough grease on the tables to write your initials... if that's the definition, then Harold's ought to be World Class - but it isn't.
This famous Atlanta landmark stands in the shadow of the federal prison and has become a shadow of its former self. All that's left is some still very good Brunswick Stew, excellent sweet tea, and nearly seven decades in one spot.
Used to be they were also known for their cracklin' cornbread - but it's turned dry and the thin slivers of fatback meant to add moisture and flavor are hard to find.
The pork is chopped behind the front counter (was that a pistol in the pocket of the guy doing the chopping?) but is devoid of any fat and the flavor smoke imbues in fat that provides pulled or chopped pork its real flavor. The ribs (baby-backs) were only a tad better.
Many members of the staff seem to have reported for work there on opening day and never left. To be fair, they're great folks, true southerners who deserve to be able to serve better.
You want good Brunswick Stew, give Harold's a try, or take a road trip on I-8u5 to Rogers in Hogansville. Ribs? Give 'Cue in Alpharetta or DaddyZ' in Atlanta a shot. Chopped pork? Virtually any place else will be better.
As Neil Young once penned "a new design, a new design."
No comments:
Post a Comment