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. Â 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. Â I have yet to find another BBQ establishment that is so generous. Â Only a few of these pork ribs are enough to make me full. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â
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. Â 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. Â 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.) Â 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.
We stopped here for a quick lunch on a Friday drive to St Simons Island. Based on the yelp ratings this seemed like the best bet.
The restaurant did not disappoint. The staff was very friendly and we were addressed and seated right away. There was a list of fresh vegetables the waitress told us about in addition to the usual sides on the menu.
I ordered the BBQ pork plate with the fresh tomatoes and okra and fried squash. The tomatoes were really stewed but still good. The squash was excellent (but then again what isn't delicious when fried?). The pork was more chopped than shredded or pulled. The sauce was a traditional sweet with a slight spicy taste.
The food came out extremely fast so I would recommend this over any of the fast food restaurants nearby if you are just passing through.
I came across Jomax as I was scanning yelp on my way to Savannah. Â It's been a week since I tried Jomax, but I still think about the food. Â The restaurant is spacious and clean and the food fast and good. Â I tried the quarter chicken dish which came with two sides. Â The chicken was smoked with crispy skin and served with a tangy/peppery BBQ sauce. Â I don't normally like BBQ sauce because I find it too sweet but I kept adding more to my dish. Â The string beans were fresh and simmered with spare rib meat so it was flavorful without being salty. Â My favorite was the fried okra which were sliced, battered in cornmeal and fried until very crispy. Â It was a great meal, and I wish I lived closer.
Review Source:RACIST PLACE!!! Went here this weekend, the waitress acted if she never saw black ppl in her life!!! Â No customer service just flat out rude & on top of that food was horrid no taste just bland!! Â Shouldve listened to my family and went to BBQ place acriss the road!! Â Never again and if you're not WHITE stay away!!!
Review Source:We were traveling to Jekyll Island from Atlanta for a long weekend and were in need of fuel and sustenance at about the halfway point. Jomax BBQ hit the spot! Â
Upon writing this, I had forgotten exactly where it was located, but another yelper (thanks Maria S.) pointed the way: Just north of I-16 at exit 104 in Metter. The restaurant is in a rather charming stand alone farmhouse style building on a small pond (though all seating is inside and I do not recall tables having a view, but no matter, this was just a quick stop on the way).
The plates were very generously sized. Some standout menu items were the Brunswick stew, according to my bf, and the pulled pork and beef brisket which we shared. Onion rings were extremely hot and crispy, but really oversized! Ask for the toasted garlic bread vs just Texas toast which was not cooked, just soft white bread.
Very friendly and genuinely helpful service, food served fresh and hot and quickly plus clean restrooms = great lunch stop.
First time yelp let me down. We stopped at this place because of the great reviews. The service is excellent, the ribs were ok, and the bbq was over cooked and dry. However, the main thing you need to know is that their sauce is based on vinegar. If you like this, you may like the place (may have just been a off day) but if you like sweet sauce, your out of luck.
Review Source:As hometown as a bbq joint can get, their sweet tea is suh-weet and their food is downright tasty. They served me one of the best bowls of Brunswick stew I've ever had (secret ingridient: potatoes!), and I've had lots to compare to. They had a long list of veggies to choose from, and quite a few meat combinations, too. I had a bite of everyone else's food, and it was all very pleasing. I'd feel comfortable ordering anything on the menu on my next visit.
Perhaps one of the most charming aspects of this restaurant is the friendliness of the staff. My husband's family lives in Metter, and just about everyone working that day stopped by our table to say "hey" and see how the fam was doing. Just like the billboard says, Everything's Better in Metter!
Eating at this place necessitated me writing my first ever review. I had been on a eight day binge across the lower part of these beautiful United States so I had a very solid reference from which to relate my bbq experience here. The service? Unparalleled. Our waitress was a nice young lady that did not take exception from us being from out of town, and not familiar with some of the fare.
I am not sure how this has two dollar signs because they had a full meal pulled pork sandwich option for under six dollars and a rib plate dinner for a few more. Both included two sides. Absolutely unheard of from my perspective.
The peach cobbler - delicious with home made ice cream. Under three bucks for that.
If this place was in my city, I would eat here multiple times per week. Amazing food, amazing prices, amazing people and service. Went to bbq joints throughout Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Memphis, Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama and this is at or tied at the top given price and quality.
Driving from Atlanta to Savannah and don't want to dine at any of the usual fast food chains? Make JoMax BBQ your next stop. Delicious, crave-worthy road food awaits!
Just north of I-16 at exit 104 in Metter, JoMax serves up excellent ribs, burgers, onion rings, and southern-style veggies. Friendly service, comfortable booths, and sparkling clean restrooms round out the experience. I find it's always a good sign when the local PD frequents a restaurant, and JoMax is no exception.
We were blazing down the interstate on the way home from a trip. We needed to stop for gas. It was 10:30 in the morning and we didn't eat breakfast so we were hungry and needing something to eat. Behind the gas station a little down the street was this BBQ joint. It's early but a couple cars in the lot so we checked it out.
Quite possibly the best BBQ ribs I have ever eaten. Perfect smoke ring, great smoky flavor but not overwhelming, the meat pulled away from the bone but didn't quite fall off, perfect. The sauce was a nice tangy vinegar based one.
The owners were great and very talkative and chatted for quite a while. The restaurant is featured in the bonus material on Alton Brown's Feasting on Asphalt. Â
Would have missed this if I didn't stop for gas.
BTW: Big Georgia Bull Dogs fans. Uga is rumored to eat there. This made eating the meal tough for Tiger fans. But managed to choke it down anyhow.
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