Harold's Barbecue

171 McDonough Blvd, SE, Atlanta, GA - (404) 627-9268

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Posted By Matthew Metcalfe on 9/7/2009 5:28:00 PM

Like the other reviewers have commented, Harold's is an "establishment." Immediately upon pulling into the parking lot you realize you are in for something special. The building is decrepit. Heavy bars cover the windows to keep the window units from disappearing overnight. Inside, the place can get downright smoky at times from the pit. Several rooms are all cobbled together; photos of famous visitors adorn the walls. Georgia politicans favor this place as do workers from the Atlanta federal pen down the road.

The only thing, I think, that has changed since they opened is that they had to replace their wooden chopping block with a plastic one. The wooden one had been used for so long it had a pit in the center of it. I suspect it was replaced to comply with health code regulations but I don't go to Harold's for a pristine environment. Bring it back!

The service is quick and polite, the menu is simple, and the food comes out fast. They make an excellent pork that you can get pulled or sliced; beef is served the same way. Their Brunswick stew is outstanding. With fresh corn bread and a sweet tea on the side you have the perfect Southern barbeque plate. For the non-barbecue crowd they have hamburgers and hot dogs.

Harold has passed on but the family still operates the restaurant and they don't appear to have changed anything. Well... except for the chopping block.

Scorecard

Overall: One of the Best - Worth a Trip

chopped pork	Brunswick stew
sliced pork	cornbread
ribs

Rate this place

"Harold's is more famous for its chopped and sliced pork, but these ribs demand attention! In the background: cole slaw and a bowl of Brunswick stew."
Michael Stern

"No Georgia barbecue meal is complete without some Brunswick stew. At Harold's, it is a fine-textured soup/stew of pork, corn kernels, and tomato shreds."
Michael Stern

"Delicious all by itself, Harold's cornbread is essential for mopping and sopping sauce off one's plate. It's also good for crumbling into bowls of Brunswick stew."
Michael Stern

"The bread for this sandwich is lightly toasted on a grill above the wood fire behind Harold's counter. It is ordinary bread, but the smoke taste it inhales makes it special."
Michael Stern

"Harold's has been an Atlanta destination for more than half a century."
Michael Stern

"In the South, a happy pig almost always signals good barbecue."
Michael Stern

"Apparently, this photo is now history. We have been told (but have not personally tasted) that Harold's has gone to gas cooking and no longer burns wood. We were assured that the BBQ remains excellent."
Michael Stern