These joints cook up the best barbecue around

Each year when the first of September rolls around, the working class of America has one thing on its mind besides getting a day off: Barbecue. Take the day off for real and let someone else do the cooking — these 'cue joints offer up some of the best in the area.

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
1238 DeKalb Ave., Atlanta. 404-577-4030.
www.foxbrosbbq.com

Some folks end up cooking and studying the craft of barbecue fervently with the sole intent of becoming a chef. Others, like Jonathan Fox of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, fall into the whole thing naturally. He and brother Justin are twins from Fort Worth, Texas, and their brand of brisket, heretofore served at Smith's Olde Bar on Piedmont or as part of the brothers' catering business, has been some of the best in the area. And they've made legends of themselves serving crispy tater tots as sides, the flavor and texture of which are difficult to convey without just yelping "Oh my God these things are good." Two guys from Texas ought to know how to smoke some brisket, and memories at Smith's are of tender, moist meat that literally pulled apart with just a nudge of the fork, full of wood-smoked flavor. The edges always are gently charred with traces of dry rub in the flavor, ringed in pink. The Fox brothers have always been reliable in the sides department — and not just tater tots — an area usually overlooked by many of the smoke set: fresh collards cooked up with lots of spice; green beans that taste like your grandmother's Sunday best; old-fashioned mac 'n' cheese, crusty and cheesy from the oven. Steering away from meat, a plate of what's called the tomminator special is a big mess of tater tots smothered in the brothers' very good (even if it does have potatoes), sweetly spiced Brunswick stew, all of which is blanketed with melted, stringy cheddar cheese — a chaotic carb-and-cheese load that's only appreciated at about 2 a.m. after many, many beers. The pulled pork, on a plate or in a sandwich, is the best the brothers offer — tender chunks of pulled meat, pink and caramelized with char toward the edges. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays; noon-11 p.m. Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays. $

Hickory Pig Barbecue
3605 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville. 770-503-5235.
www.hickorypig.com

Hickory Pig's low-and-slow roasted pork shoulder from owner Phil Beaubien, who left a career in machinery and insurance sales 20 years ago, has a smoky tenderness underneath blessed rings of pink striation. And Beaubien makes some mean collards, too. But one of his best concoctions is something he calls a "no milk" milkshake, which is basically vanilla ice cream mixed with Hershey's syrup and a spot of heavy cream.

Little more than a shack, the Pig's walls are adorned with signs requesting, "Help figure your own tab." Outside, a rolling marquee lets bikers know they are welcome. "We're not changing anybody's religion here," says Beaubien, who has been known to pull out a mic and sing Johnny Cash upon request (and sometimes unprompted).

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays. $

Hometown Barbecue
1173 Lawrenceville Highway, Lawrenceville. 770-963-5383.

Partners George Richbourg and Martha Kelly sold their barbecue from the back of a catering truck until taking up the digs of Gunter's sandwich shop's old space. Pulled pork here is nothing to shake a stick at, but the real reason to come to Hometown is for the ribs, which are full, meaty and fall from the bone after a little preliminary nudge from the fork. Slow cooking flawlessly renders the fat from the meat, leaving the ribs tender and smoky, with a caramelized edge with a bit of char. Lunch: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sundays and Tuesdays-Thursdays. Dinner: 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. $

Maddy's
1479 Scott Blvd., Decatur. 404-377-0301.
www.maddysribs.com

For those in the Fat Matt's rib camp, Maddy's offers some strong competition — the ribs here are big, Fred Flintstonelike renditions with lots of meat, lots of fat and good smoky flavor that doesn't need sauce. Or, opt for the chicken or chopped pork. The usual sides, including Brunswick stew, also are available. They call themselves a blues joint, and live music is a plus, as is a good selection of beer. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays. $$

Pig-N-Chik
4920 Roswell Road N.E., Fair Oaks Shopping Center, Sandy Springs. 404-255-6368.
www.pignchik.net

Ribs here are good — but what Pig-n-Chik does best is a classic sandwich of pulled pork, the meat smoky and tender, served on two thick slices of white Texas-sliced bread (ask to have it toasted for a crispy kick). The sauces are worth a snort, too — especially the Carolina mustard sauce that smacks of vinegar. Dipping the sandwich is the best way to get the most of the meat and sauce together, rather than dousing the sandwich with it. The sports bar digs are fun, and there are lots of bottled beers to accompany the meat. 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays. $$

Rolling Bones Premium Pit BBQ
377 Edgewood Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-222-2324.
www.rollingbonesbbq.com

The days are fading when barbecue joints were, well ... joints. Rolling Bones' Edward Hopper-ish setting is the perfect mix of chrome and cute, with an outdoor patio surrounded by overgrown rosemary shrubs. But inside is the real thing: Watch at the counter as the cooks chop up a beef brisket, with plenty of spicy, black surface meat and well-rendered fat, or the meaty spareribs rubbed with a lip-tingling mixture of red and black pepper. The BBQ chicken seems downright preternatural — super moist meat and crispy skin. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 12:30-8 p.m. Sundays. $$

Sam & Dave's BBQ1
4944 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta. 770-977-3005.
www.lostmountainbbq.com

Beef is what to relish here: The brisket, even on an off day, is exceptionally good. (And I have relatives in Texas. Close relatives.) It has that crosshatched pattern across its grain that happens when muscle and fat meld, slow-cooked for hours until finally the edge is crowned with a dark, caramelized crust lined on the inside with a characteristic pink ring. Ditto the pulled pork — more literally giant shreds of pork that are smoky, tender and rimmed in pink that gives way to brown. Add three-cheese macaroni and some beans and a meal is made. 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. $$

Sam & Dave's BBQ2
660 Whitlock Ave., Marietta. 770-792-2272.
www.lostmountainbbq.com

Well, mop me with Carolina sauce and color me crazy. This second location of the Pork University crowd's first, BBQ1, is just as good, if not better, with some of the best pulled pork and brisket in the area. The beans are smokier and sexier, with a sweet, brown sugary darkness, and the cole slaw still has that peppy, poppyseed-and-pineapple zip. The three-cheese macaroni 'n' cheese should be illegal. But it's the pork and beef barbecue that has that slow-smoked, striated, pink-ringed madness that turns men, women and children from polite, napkin-using, elbows-off-the-table types into crazed maniacs ready to kill for the closest wet nap. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays. $$

Spiced Right Smokehouse Barbecue
5364 Lawrenceville Highway N.W., Lilburn. 770-564-0355.
www.spicedright.com

The best part of Spiced Right's barbecue offerings are the "mini-Q's," itty-bitty, "Wimpy"-style bites of pulled pork. But where this joint hits its stride is with the Waffle House repertoire of sides such as corn souffle (a naughty mix of creamed corn and condensed milk) and hash brown casserole that's like a big mess of potatoes au gratin. Fried okra ain't half bad, either. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. $

The Swallow at the Hollow
1072 Green St., Roswell. 678-352-1975.
www.theswallowatthehollow.com

The funky setting, in a knotty pine barn, evokes images of Li'l Abner and Daisy Mae (actually, it feels a little like the Okefenokee Swamp ride that used to be at Six Flags). There's a boat up front filled with ice and beer. Barbecue and lots of other dishes, including a mighty fine portobello mushroom sandwich and some house-made sausage, are cooking behind the line. But honestly, the biscuits here are worth their fluffy weight in gold — 2 inches high and slit in half, then grilled with butter. Little plastic cups of honey come on the side. Lunch: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays. Dinner: 5-9 p.m. Wednesdays-Thursdays; 5-10 p.m. Fridays; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays. $$

Pricing code: $$$$$ means more than $75; $$$$ means $75 and less; $$$ means $50 and less; $$ means $25 and less; $ means $15 and less. (The price code represents a meal for one that includes appetizer, entree and dessert without including tax, tip and cocktails.)