LMAO

Georgia does not really have a style they can call their own. Most common is the Alabama style, which is pulled pork with a sweet tomato based sauce very similar to the common variety found on any grocery store shelf. Think Kraft thinned out with a little spice.

Around here the most common meats are pulled pork, short ribs or chicken. Some places carry baby back and turkey. Sliced brisket is available most places, but very few know how to get it tender and moist. Few places use a rub so usually the only flavor is directly from the meat is the hickory smoke and it tends to be dry.

It takes some getting used to.

Don't get your hopes up. Very expensive and average quality. The most KC like I have found is in Marietta called BBQ1. My favorite so far is Spiced Right Rib Shack.
http://www.lostmountainbbq.com/

Yes, I went there a couple years back. It is a great atmosphere especially walking around old town at night. My expectations were still too high at the time so while I enjoyed it I wasn't overly impressed. Now that I have adjusted to the local BBQ I need to try it again.

I do like the local fried pickles, cheesy hash, and fried sweet potatoe sticks.

I'm going to have to drive up to Marysville today. You guys have me craving some genuine Q.

OK, I went there tonight. The place has stores all over 'bama. I went to one in Tuscoloosa. I was following the GPS on my iPhone and thought I was an a wild goose chase, because I was in a sub-division. But then I caught the unmistakable odor of pork fat and hickory. Turned out I had taken a wrong turn and was about a quarter mile away. I pulled up to in the gravel lot and it's basically a shack with no windows. A real authentic BBQ joint. I go in and there are about 10 tables, about half full. I'm by myself so I pull up a stool at the bar. A plate of white bread and a cup of BBQ saucer are placed in front of me. The menu is posted on the wall: rib sandwich, rib plate, and full slab of ribs. I order the rib plate and a side of beans. It is served 3 minutes later: Ribs are in a basket individually cut and drenched in sauce. They are full ribs with the cartridge that runs perpendicular to the ribs still attached. OK, so my reaction to the ribs was just the opposite of SR's the sauce was very tasty: a spicy vinegar red sauce. It lingered nicely on the pallet for a couple hours after. The meat was just so-so. Despite the great aroma in the neighborhood, the meat lacked smokiness. I thought they might have been boiled (horrors). As I was eating they took about 10 racks off the fire and put about another 15 racks on -- and they were definitely raw so my fears about boiling were unfounded. The pit was an open brick unit with a wood fire below. I'm not sure how long they keep them on the fire but I'm guessing it was a pretty fast cooking process. Beans were nothing special, probably right out of the can. Given that one of their slogans was "Bread, Ribs & Beer" I wouldn't expect great sides.

Overall it was a positive experience. This was an authentic southern rib joint of national acclaim with a distinctive flavorful sauce. It wouldn't compete with the KC palaces, but few places would.

This or that or whatever is the new saying.

I only ate at 4 bbq places when I was in Tuscaloosa last weekend but Dreamland was 3rd or 4th amongst them.

Do you have one that you recommend? I might be able to find another time to sample before I leave.

Mike & Ed's and Archibald's were miles ahead of Dreamland for me.