Jomax Barbeque Restaurant

Although Los Angeles is not the prime capital of Barbeque, we do have some good BBQ eateries such as Bludso's Texas style BBQ & Phillip's BBQ in Leimert Park.   However, Jomax still haunts my craving for truly excellent barbeque for what seems to be over 15 years.

I visited Savannah after reading "Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil"  & had to get to Atlanta's Hartsfield in order to fly back to Los Angeles.  About 40 miles out of Savannah on Interstate 16, I spied this large signboard  touting the virtues of Jomax BBQ, instructing me on which off-ramp I should exit.  I am a fan of BBQ and have eaten in Kansas City & Saint Louis, Missouri; Raleigh & Charlotte, North Carolina; near Little Rock, Arkansas; Amarillo, Texas; Memphis, Tennesee, etc.  But for me to remember the taste of the BBQ at Jomax after so many years makes me realize that I had eaten at a very special BBQ specialist.

I ordered the pork ribs, but there was so much meat and relatively low amount of fat on the bone, it reminded me of a thick cut, premium porkchop.  I have yet to find another BBQ establishment that is so generous.  Only a few of these pork ribs are enough to make me full.  The pork rib BBQ was not heavily sauced like St. Louis or Memphis style, but it seemed more like a herb/spice rub with a slight bit of acidity from vinegar.  My guess is that the rib meat may have been brined in the rub & vinegar since the slow cooked meat was still very moist & flavourfull.  The smoking process must also have been for hours since there was a pronounced smoke ring as well as a mellow, deeply infused smokiness in the rib meat itself.  

The BBQ at Jomax seems more delicate & finely nuanced compared to the other heavily sauced BBQ varieties which have such rich, strong, cloying flavours that mask the complex interplay between the intrinsically good flavours & textures of the meat and of the spicing, type & quality of the smoke.  The subtle vinegar also acted as a gastrique to the relative heaviness of the meat & slight bit of fat so that the BBQ retained a savory richness that did become too leaden & dull.

If the exemplary pork ribs at Jomax could be paired with a wine, I would try a Nero d'Avola, Barbera d'Asti, or a Chateauneuf du Pape which is peppery, fruity with dried cherries, blackberries, leather, smoke.  Or a heavier beer such as Bock or a citrusy Hefeweizen would be a good palate cleanser to the porky, smokiness of the luxurious meat.

I'm sorry to see that there is no Jomax as yet in Los Angeles, but Georgians are lucky to have this culinary jewel within the borders of their Peach State (Which I must say are better than our peaches especially when sold by a country road from a farmer's truck.)   Instead of the melon in Prosciutto e Melone, try it with a ripe, juicy Georgia yellow peach.

Judging from what I had, Jomax offers what in my mind is the specialty of Georgia barbecue: completely underwhelming pulled pork on an equally boring hamburger bun, with sauce as the only flavor present.

Which is not to say it's not good, just dull. The meat is only there to support the sauce, which to me defeats the purpose of barbecue, which should always be thus: Through the application of low heat and copious time (and maybe a dry rub) you will make me happy and earn my everlasting patronage.

And aside from not having a net effect on my disposition, my sandwich was ridiculously small. They offer a medium and a jumbo (defying logic, which requires there to be at least three options for one of them to be "medium".) Not generally considering myself a "jumbo" sort of guy, I went medium and went hungry. My side of baked beans was fine, but with a sweet tea this meal cost about $8. Usually 8 bucks in a BBQ joint leaves me beyond satisfied.

Bonus for them and me: my lack of satiety caused me to purchase a lemon bar at the register made by Cotton Patch Bakery. It was amazing.

The service was friendly and it's very convenient to the interstate.

Why I keep ordering pulled pork sandwiches is a mystery for another day. Next time I'll get the ribs, and then we'll really see what Jomax is made of.

Can't go wrong here. BBQ, sweet potato fries, and coleslaw are all great. Onion rings are a must have. Desserts look awesome -- 15 layer cake is a must try. Service w a smile.