Anybody here familiar with Brunswick, GA BBQ?

RRP

My wife and I vacationed for MANY years on Jekyll Island, GA. We used to love BBQ from what I'm sure is now is long gone, burnt down very old wooden farm house BBQ joint South of Brunswick on I-95. I believe that place was called Georgia Pig, but maybe not...Now in reading this month's issue of Southern Living I see on page 138 a short write up promoting Gary Lee's Market near, if not the same location as a pit stop. Iffin a guy got down that way is it worth a stop? And any connection to the GA Pig?

Buckwoody Egger

If this is the place you used to go...

https://m.yelp.com/biz/the-georgia-pig-brunswick

...Then Gary Lee’s is nearby but different. Thanks for sharing the scoop on this place we will certainly try it. 

Southern Soul BBQ on nearby St Simons Island has been doing very well the last several years and deservedly so.  SSI can be too busy on weekends.  We are usually chasing seafood instead of bbq when in Jekyll but this is the must-visit place for lunch then hit the Harris Teeter to stock up. 

Jekyll Island has a free quarterly print publication (very well done) and emails that you can sign up for which I recommend.  It is a special place as I am sure you are well aware.  A return trip would not disappoint. 

outrageous

John madden on the madden nfl bus said it was best bbq he had ever had....

PeteSliver

I love John Madden!  His six legg turducken was the best!

nolan8v

Here's a link for the 31.81 Magazine:
https://www.jekyllisland.com/visiting/31-81-magazine/

Tim (Watkinsville)

I find Gary Lee's to be very hit and miss. The last time we got BBQ there it was not very smoky and had a good bit of fat and gristle. 
Southern Soul on the other hand is consistently excellent. Thats my favorite in the area. 

AB1234

Thumbs up for Gary Lee's.  Try the half chickens.

Carolina Q

A bit off topic, but I see a couple of mentions of Southern Soul so I'll throw this out there. I've never been to SS, but I found a recipe for their Brunswick stew (courtesy of the Washington Post) that was quite good. Here's my post on it, with a link to the recipe if anyone's interested...

https://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1196282/brunswick-stew

RRP

Thanks all!!! I have signed up for the qtrly news publication which will we fun to read and reminisce our many years vacationing there! 

As for Southern Soul, our next door neighbor's son lives on St Simon so when they visit they always bring me a bottle of something from Southern Soul. Now, however their son has his home up for sale so my source will be drying up!

JohnEggGio

30 years ago I was a junior banker in Palm Beach.  My family was here in Maryland.  I was on the low end of the pay scale so trips back home were in the car on I-95.  Some of the senior guys raved about The Georgia Pig, so of course I had to go.  A stop at THP became a must, any time it fit the schedule.  This was my introduction to pulled pork.

RRP

JohnEggGio said:

30 years ago I was a junior banker in Palm Beach.  My family was here in Maryland.  I was on the low end of the pay scale so trips back home were in the car on I-95.  Some of the senior guys raved about The Georgia Pig, so of course I had to go.  A stop at THP became a must, any time it fit the schedule.  This was my introduction to pulled pork.

Funny you mentioned Palm Beach. For years before we found Jekyll Island we vacationed on Singer Island in West Palm Beach. Being clear up here in IL that distance vs. Jekyll subtracted 2 days off our already short vacation time. But Jekyll beat West Palm hundred times over so it was a win win when we "stumbled" across Jekyll Island by accident one year.

JohnEggGio

RRP said:

JohnEggGio said:

30 years ago I was a junior banker in Palm Beach.  My family was here in Maryland.  I was on the low end of the pay scale so trips back home were in the car on I-95.  Some of the senior guys raved about The Georgia Pig, so of course I had to go.  A stop at THP became a must, any time it fit the schedule.  This was my introduction to pulled pork.

Funny you mentioned Palm Beach. For years before we found Jekyll Island we vacationed on Singer Island in West Palm Beach. Being clear up here in IL that distance vs. Jekyll subtracted 2 days off our already short vacation time. But Jekyll beat West Palm hundred times over so it was a win win when we "stumbled" across Jekyll Island by accident one year.

Don't blame you one bit.  Once you hit the Georgia-Florida line, it's still a looong way to Palm Beach County.  We spent most of a week on Singer Island, January 2020.  I left Florida in 1992 and hadn't been back to the Palm Beaches since 1996 - I forgot how beautiful it is.

I'll have to checkout Jekyll Island.  I want a place I can drive to, but Florida might be too far.   10.5 hours to JI; 14.5 to SI.

buzzvol

It’s not bbq, but if you are in the vicinity of the south Georgia coast, you owe it to yourself to stop at B&J’s in Darien.  Best damn fried shrimp I have ever had.

RRP

buzzvol said:

It’s not bbq, but if you are in the vicinity of the south Georgia coast, you owe it to yourself to stop at B&J’s in Darien.  Best damn fried shrimp I have ever had.

Thanks! Put it on our driving itinerary!

BTW years ago when we vacationed on Jekyll Island before some type of law went into place we used to meet shrimp boats by the docks and buy those delicious, freshly caught and cooked shrimp! OH, WOW!!! WHAT MEMORIES!!!

beteez

Mack’s North of Brunswick is good. Gary Lees has killer sausage. SSBBQ is good, lines and crowds can be bad in peak season. Twin Oaks has been in downtown Brunswick for 60-70 years. It & Mack’s are similar, both have battered fries. SSBBQ tried to take over the Ga Pig location, but it could not be brought up to code.

RRP

beteez said:

Mack’s North of Brunswick is good. Gary Lees has killer sausage. SSBBQ is good, lines and crowds can be bad in peak season. Twin Oaks has been in downtown Brunswick for 60-70 years. It & Mack’s are similar, both have battered fries. SSBBQ tried to take over the Ga Pig location, but it could not be brought up to code.

Thanks for SO much local info! 

beteez

Mack’s is north of Brunswick on 341 next exit north from Ga Pig & Gary Lees

frazzdaddy

RRP said:

My wife and I vacationed for MANY years on Jekyll Island, GA. We used to love BBQ from what I'm sure is now is long gone, burnt down very old wooden farm house BBQ joint South of Brunswick on I-95. I believe that place was called Georgia Pig, but maybe not...Now in reading this month's issue of Southern Living I see on page 138 a short write up promoting Gary Lee's Market near, if not the same location as a pit stop. Iffin a guy got down that way is it worth a stop? And any connection to the GA Pig?

Yepp. I used to stop there every time I went to Jax for a MB meeting. Not a clean or attractive place but damn that q was awesome. They cooked on a large flat rock over an open wood fired hearth, bathroom door opened to the dinning room and would not shut all the way but there were at least five former presidents with framed autographed picture and testimonials on the walls.