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For a city of its size, 5.43 million last I saw on the Atlanta’s Population Now sign on Peachtree-it lacks in a few key areas. Public transportation being the main one. The city boasts an average commute time of 127 minutes! One thing Atlanta doesn’t lack is a choice of barbecue restaurants. I wish I could say I’ve tried them all but there are too many. My most recent experience took me to the up and coming west-side of Atlanta to Bone Lick Barbecue.
[blockquote align=”center”]Bone Lick BBQ started as a pop-up restaurant concept by Executive Chef Mike LaSage at P’cheen, on Monday Nights, in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. For one night a week, P’cheen transformed into a BBQ restaurant that quickly gained popularity in and out of the city.The owners of Bone Lick, Mike LaSage, Keiran Neely and Alex Friedman, felt that West Midtown would be a great place to open a BBQ place with a Heightened experience, all the while, maintaining a budget-friendly menu.-BoneLickBBQ.com[/blockquote]
If I had to choose one word to describe my experience it would be EPIC! Everyone judges their favorite barbecue differently. Some say it’s the meat, some say it’s the sides. Until I visited Bone Lick Barbecue my closest experience to having perfect meat paired with perfect sides was at Fox Brothers. I will catch some slack for this because Fox Brothers is gospel in Atlanta but in my opinion Bone Lick blew away anything I’ve had at Fox Brothers.
Bam! I said it. Let the flame wars begin….
When you walk into Bone Lick you can tell the owners put a lot of thought and detail into the vibe of the place. A selection of 80’s arcade games including skeeball with a sign stating “Bone Lick Bar-B-Cade” adorn one side of the restaurant while a collection of barbecue inspired posters made by co-owner Mike Lasage hang on the other wall. The selections of cocktails, whisky and craft beers are immense and I must return to try them but I spent this trip focusing on the food!
We started with a bag of spicy hot boiled peanuts which came to the table as any hot boiled peanuts should, in a brown paper bag. I can speak with great authority on the quality of these boiled peanuts. Raised in South Carolina and Georgia, boiled peanut stands are a dime a dozen on any country road. These by far were the best I’ve had in 36 years.
For my main course I decided on the pulled pork plate with a side of jalapeno mac n cheese and pork braised collard greens. It was a toss up between the pulled pork and the brisket plate. Luckily a friend chose the brisket so we could share. The pork was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of smoky flavor and the brisket was tender and moist and broke apart with the slightest touch. Just the way it should! Bone Lick pays as much attention to the sides as they do the perfectly smoked meats. The jalapeno mac n cheese was creamy and rich with just the right amount of heat and the pork braised collard greens were smooth, not bitter, with a hint of smoke.
In a city where barbecue joints are as common as streets named Peachtree; Bone Lick Barbecue offers a new and exciting twist on a southern classic!
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Bone Lick Barbecue
New South Grade: A+
Connect:
http://www.bonelickbarbecue.com/
Kids eat free with adult meal purchase on Wednesday nights
Hours:
Kitchen:
Mon-Sun: 11am -11pm
Bar:
Always open til late
Contact:
1133 Huff Road
Atlanta, GA 30318
[gmap address=”1133 Huff Road Atlanta, GA 30318″ zoom=”10″]
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package of elbow pasta (or other small pasta shells)
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2½ cups 2% reduced fat milk (or cream)
- 6 slices white American cheese, chopped
- 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar
- 3 jalapenos, seeded and finely minced (save a few slices for garnish if desired)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare pasta according to package directions
- Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly
- Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles. Remove from heat.
- Add cheeses, mustard, salt, and jalapeño peppers, stirring until cheese melts and sauce is smooth.
- Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated).
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I have relatives in Atlanta and although it’s been a few years since I’ve visited, I definitely remember the traffic–and not fondly. This mac & cheese looks so good. Cheesy and spicy is the best combination!
Luckily I work 5 miles from my house. My wife however has a daily roundtrip commute of 3 1/2 hours!