Chub's BBQ

We ride motorcycles and any given saturday we are up to drive  250 miles for a barbecue sandwich just to have somewhere  for the group to ride as far as I know there is no other place that has a pulled pork sandwich as good as Chubs.  I've heard the brisket is very good but have not tried it.  Very casual very country is a very small restaurant.

I have lived in Athens for 20 years and there is nothing I've had in terms of barbecue that is remotely as good as Chub's (although I've never been to Zeb's and I've heard good things). I was introduced to Chub's when my wife brought home leftover chicken that was spectacular - even cold. So I knew I had to try this place.

Chub's is a small place with a clean unassuming dining area. Tea is brought to you in a Tupperware pitcher and the white bread is on the table in its original plastic bag. One of my friends has his own BBQ rig, studies BBQ, and serves a lot of people. If he makes it to Athens, I'll proudly take him to Chub's. My mouth waters when think of this restaurant.

I travel enough to have my share of BBQ and I think the ribs are among the best I've had. This includes having barbeque in Kansas City and Memphis. The ribs fall off the bone, the smokey flavor is excellent and while I love the four sauce flavors (Sweet, Sweet and Hot, Spicy, and Mustard) that they offer at the table, you don't need them.

The guy who makes the ribs understands competition quality cue, but he chooses to prepare the meat  his way that might not hit all the bullet points but is often tastier as a result.  I had the brisket during my second visit and while I was hoping for a juicier meat, it was still something I'd try again and it was better than anything I had in this state, including Fox Bros. in Atlanta, which wasn't bad.  

After two additional opportunities to try the brisket, I have to say it's the best I've ever had and generally juicy and delicious. I recommend the stew and slaw as sides and the beans if you like sides with sweetness factor.  The pulled pork sandwich is is fantastic.

I've even given up eating meat but once every 7-14 days and Chub's has become a must for me at least monthly. It's the best barbeque I've consistently had.  In fact, I could care less about having barbecue anywhere else. It's really this good and  the best kept secret that I'm reluctantly sharing only because if they were to go out of business I'd be heartbroken.

So this review is only for the pulled pork and ribs- but as far as I'm concerned, THAT is how you critique BBQ. This place is located just outside of Athens, GA - a small space that could easily go overlooked if not for the great flaming pig sign. Unlike some of the BBQ around these parts, Chub's pulled pork is as it should be- fresh picked right off of the hog in pieces big and small but all melt-in-your-mouth perfect (not macerated to almost a mush). Juicy meat with a perfect red smoke ring penetrating deep into it. This is BBQ heaven! The ribs were also fall-off-of-the-bone delicious, and Chub makes four sauces none of which are the gloppy mess of commercial BBQ outfits. Sweet, mild, hot and Carolina mustard, and all of them were tasty (all of us were all-over the mustard, I loved the hot, my wife and 2.5yo daughter loved the mild- my mother-in-law loved the sweet), complimenting the meat rather than overpowering it (I mean seriously- you COOKED it for HOURS- why cover it up!?). We took ours 'to-go' but the eat-in experience looked perfect for southern BBQ: sweet tea and white bread on every table waiting for the main to arrive. THIS is real down-home cooking at its finest. Way to go Chub!