D.B.A. Barbecue

My only complaint… they didn’t have apple cobbler on the new dessert menu. what’s that about DBA? The ice cream there is still pretty solid but a side of apple cobbler is my fave!
Other than that disappointment– they are awesome at DBA. The service is always great and I love the environment. The burgers are a force to reckon with! My favorite is the DBA burger– the bacon, pimento cheese, fried onion straws and coleslaw is a crazy amazing combo (with the house sauce of course). My brother loves the Bleu Burger and tags it as the best he’s had.
I also really like the smoked fried chicken– great value and good chicken! Another positive is that there is actually psrking, across the street and behind the restaurant.

«Damn. I hate how it smells like good barbecue.» — Gotham: Season 2 | Episode 6
I’m a lover of the pig — pretty much all of it and then you throw it on the smoker and I love it even more. My conversations with coworkers often turn into discussions about who does this best — who has the best ribs, brisket, pulled pork — these are heated arguments, I tell you. For ages I have been told that DBA is a must and so I finally took the time to get my butt (pun intended) down here to check it out.
I was told to get wings — flavor didn’t matter and ribs. So Angela S and I did just that, and then some. We decided to divide and conquer and get as much as we could on two plates and just share everything — we were pretty full by the time we left. But let me start at the beginning, and frankly the highlight of the meal. Smoked wings.
Look, everyone tries and before now I didn’t realize how really everyone else has been failing. DBA is the king of the wing. I really don’t care what else you eat when you come here, you have to start with a plate of wings. They have a variety of sauces you can get, and probably getting them plain (which is just smoked) is a thing of beauty. But for me, I cannot pass up a lemon pepper wing anywhere I go. I’m a sucker for a lemon pepper anything and a lemon pepper wing will be devoured in my presence — people, it does not stand a chance. So when I saw it on the menu, the decision was made. For the record, the other options are: Sweet BBQ, Bryan’s Tangy, Buffalo, Hotlanta Hot Sauce, Sweet-​and-​spicy, or Habanero-​Mustard. With the base of the smoked wing being so succulent and delightful, I cannot imagine that you can go wrong here. So do what you will, just go get some damn wings.
Let’s talk about the rest. Did I mention that I love my coworkers? I do, they are awesome, but we need to talk about ribs. But again, I’m spoiled because I’m not sure what they experienced here versus what I did. We tried both the baby back and the St. Louis and they were good, but not the best I have ever eaten. They were not falling off the bone, and they were a bit on the dry side. I’ll say it, the ribs I smoke on my own grill are better. But, if I am going to buy ribs out, these are not a bad way to go. The Brisket is okay — it’s on par with other guys in town. That’s something I haven’t mastered, so I will come here and eat it and be very happy. The pulled pork — was only ok. I wouldn’t order it again. The sauces were great — but most were pretty runny — I prefer a good stick-​to-​your-​ribs sauce.
As for sides — we tried the corn — oh lord help me this is amazing corn — and the mac and cheese which was pretty cheesy and rich, but I would order it again.
So in summary, come here for the wings and get some BBQ if you are still hungry. Wings people, I may never go anywhere else for smoked wings again. In fact, can I have some right now, please?

I came here for brunch and I wasn’t impressed with the food. I ordered the chicken and waffles and I’ve had way better other places. The service was just ok as well. Eh.

Ayyaiyai!
Who knows if DBA is any good? I had dinner there and I’m still not sure.
Let me say we were eating early and at no time was the place full. The table behind us was never seated. Additionally, the prices were reasonable. The restaurant was clean and orderly. (Note to DBA-​check those ceiling fans for wobble!)
We ordered drinks while deciding. The whiskey sour was SOUR-​maybe it’s too old-​fashioned for bartenders to know how to make. There was only a hint of sweetness, just like there was only a hint of whiskey.
We started with the guacamole/​cheese dip. The guacamole was very fresh with onion and garlic, no tomatoes. The cheese dip had no seasoning at all and very little flavour. It was served slightly cooler than room-​temperature.
Less than two minutes after the appetizers arrived the entrees arrived. I had ordered the brisket salad which was served with no meat. The food runner didn’t notice until the plate was on the table. He promptly returned with a soup cup filled with brisket bits.
Just as he returned, the waiter arrived to check if everything was alright. She’s looking at a table crowded with almost untouched appetizers and just delivered entrees. I thought she’d ask the runner to take back the food but it would seem nothing looked amiss. I finally asked if she intended the food to arrive almost at the same time and she said, «Well, I put the appetizer order in, did some things, then put the order in.» With great reluctance she offered to return the food to the kitchen. We accepted after pointing out the food would be cold before we got to it.
The time it took to resolve this had done wonders for the cheese dip. What was once a cool, thick sauce was now a semi-​solid welded to the side of the cup. Was it ever really hot? Warm? Tepid? Chips broke against it’s hardened surface which could only be breached by a knife and a strong grip. We won but what we won was still flavourless.
The entrees were served moments after the appetizers were swept away. The brisket salad now had the brisket included. Both were cold.
My expectation was a brisket salad similar to a steak salad with strips of brisket across the top. Instead the brisket seemed to be the leftover shavings from other brisket offerings. I applaud the chef for limiting waste-​it just wasn’t what I expected. The egg and bacon in the description were almost incidental (much like the whiskey in the whiskey sour). The spinach was fresh and well cleaned and there were large bits of blue cheese and an ample amount of fried onions.
The oddest thing about the salad was the blue cheese dressing. It was a thin, watery substance with a very mild taste and NO CHEESE. None. I remain mystified.
The baby back ribs were cold, too. The fat had congealed and any hope of that delicious meld of meat/​fat/​sauce was lost in those ten lonely minutes it sat cooling further in the kitchen. Was it ever hot? Warm? Tepid? At best unmemorable, at the very least disappointing.
My friend ordered a second margarita. He had to point out that it arrived without salt. Both times it was served with a light-​handed pour. Kudos to consistency!
While we were still eating our entrees the waiter approached and asked if we wanted dessert. We were still eating so we really didn’t know. She cleared the plates as soon as they were finished and tried to take my friend’s plate while he was still eating and with food on the plate. The bum’s rush! Did they need the table? Was a large party expected? Why not ask us to move instead of hastily grabbing everything off the table?
The manager had stopped by twice. First to make sure we had service, the second time to ascertain satisfaction. I didn’t want to make my friend uncomfortable so I said it was fine; however, before we left I took her aside and told her about our experience. She listened and thanked me for my feedback.
I shouldn’t have been so squeamish. My friend told the waiter about the cold food. The waiter said nothing, dropped the check, and walked away. She didn’t return so we paid cash and left a 20+ percent tip-​in part because she didn’t come back to make change.
This is not the only barbecue in town. Even served at the proper temperature it may not be the best.
Most people drive to get here and deal with the very limited, tight parking. There are two restaurants next door so you have options. Why make this your first choice? Or your second?
If you’re considering catering let me point out that the food as described was not the food served. More importantly, the kitchen is twenty feet away yet the food is still cold. What do you think you’ll get off-​site?
You can do better DBA!

Usually really good corn muffins. But take out can be shafted I see. Thanks for the burnt ones D.B.A. I would be ashamed had I been the manager for what passed through their kitchen.

Hipster Barbecue place. It doesn’t rate the term «joint.» I got the idea it’s a lot more about craft beer than barbecue. I wanted my appetizer, I really did. It never came, and it was hard to get the attention of the waitress. «Oh I will bring it now.» No thanks, we’re basically done with our meal. But very nice of you to offer. Oh my god, TEXAS TOAST is on the menu! How I love a big thick slab of buttery, warm Texas Toast to go with my barbecue. Well, it doesn’t actually come with the meal, it’s extra (maybe fifty cents, or a dollar?) Though it would surely be included at a «joint» it’s an add-​on here. Throw caution to the wind baby, I’m having TEXAS TOAST! I can already feel the greasy butter sauce dribbling down my double chin.
Oh, look at that meat. mmm! Well that stew doesn’t look too bad. But wait, where’s my T-​Toast?
Oh dear god, there is piece of bread here; it took me a second to realize that this must be their take on TEXAS TOAST. It was basically one slice of sunbeam bread. No butter, not toasted. Dear god in heaven, all I asked, and paid for was a slice of TEXAS TOAST, not a ghostly pale, slightly stale crust of three day old Sunbeam with not even one side of grease. This must be what hipsters eat with their barbecue as they sip craft beers and talk about Bernie Sanders.
The meat was pretty good. That’s why I’ll give it the three stars. I could find the meat much closer to home, in three or four locations. I drove sixty-​five miles into the heart of the city, and for god’s sake, an appetizer and a piece of proper Texas Toast would have made my little heart happy and my chin greasy. I suppose it’s worth something to say that the place was not even half-​full, so «we’re so busy» will not cover this one. We just don’t want you here is more like it, we have enough business without you. The mark-​up on this beer is huuuuge!

After seeing this restaurant featured on Über Eats for months, my friend and I decided to give it a try.
LOVE the vibe of this place. Small. Indoor and outdoor seating. TV’s on patio for viewing as well as inside. Has a very «chicken wings and beer» style restaurant vibe, but BBQ restaurant style food (if that makes sense) ;)
Delicious food and great service. Wish I would’ve remembered to take better photos, but I only have one that I took for my Snapchat unfortunately.
Can’t wait to come back in the next few weeks and bring even more friends and family :)

Great food, great service! Baked beans were awesome, pimento cheese was great. I didn’t have the meat but everyone else raved about it. And my 3 year old nephew, who is the pickiest eater on earth, at his meal. Our waiter was very attentive and accommodating to our special requests for said picky child. The only reason I give them four stars instead of five was that it was a bit warm in the restaurant and uncomfortably hot in the restroom (on a warm April day, ymmv)

Food was delicious I enjoyed the drinks and the service.
#yummyfood

This place is amazing. Driving-​from-​Marietta levels of amazing, in a city full of great BBQ spots. The food is consistently great, the atmosphere is casual without the rushed feeling of a lot of other busy places in the area, and they take great care of my kids. Example: they always bring wet wipes when they drop off my kids’ food. I don’t know if they do that for every table, but it’s a little touch parents really appreciate. Bonuses: RIDICULOUS brunch (get the chicken & waffles), pastrami brisket (A must-​have), and Creature Comforts Tropicalia among other great selections.
It’s not cheap if you go full out on a combo plate, but they have some very budget friendly sandwiches and burgers to balance the menu pricing.
Recently they started doing a house-​cured maple ham, and my husband and I are already trying to figure out how to fit a whole one in this week’s grocery budget. But seriously, get the pastrami brisket.

Good food but awful service; I am torn writing this review. If the review were based on the food it’d be higher but the service wasn’t okay. I love smoked chicken and this was the best smoked chicken I’ve ever had. I also fell in love with the tangy bbq sauce as it had a nice kick to it and wasn’t too sweet. I usually drink Unsweet tea but get half/​half with bbq meals and their tea was well made. Also, those cheese corn bread muffins with honey butter; best $ 1 you could spend.
Now on to the bad. The side dishes. The baked beans were mediocre but too sweet. Mac and cheese was terrible; completely bland. I passed most of mine to my boyfriend who said his pulled pork was great but the mashed potatoes same thing no flavor not good. I’d rather have great bbq chicken than great side dishes so maybe next time I’ll skip them since you buy them separate or I’ll try different ones.
Our service was one star and I hate that but our waitress was awful. She started off okay. Got our food out quickly but then disappeared. I was slurping on an empty drink looking around for her and my boyfriend needed a refill on water. Finally she shows up and completely doesn’t see the empty drinks and asks if we are done when she saw me take another bite of chicken (I’m a slow eater.) We got our drinks and check and then she set the WRONG check down in front of us. I don’t know what was going on but I’d like her to be more careful with credit cards etc in the future. I will definitely come back as I saw the other waiters and waitresses working hard. I think we just had an off day on service but really the actual bbq is excellent!

Yeehaw!
Date of Visit: 11÷11÷15
I was lucky enough to visit some friends at the end of a work trip to ATL, and was offered the choice of their favorite BBQ joint or yadda yadda yadda for dinner. As you can see, my ears stopped working after «BBQ». DBA is a short walk from their neighborhood, and they had nothing but great things to say about it. After trying it myself, I can see why.
DBA is everything you want in a BBQ joint, and nothing you don’t. You won’t find hand-​crafted cocktails, 13 word menu descriptions, or crystal place settings. What you will find is a solid beer list, the heavy aroma of various meats smoking in-​house, and a laid back atmosphere with just the right amount of sports memorabilia and jokey décor.
My pals had the Smoked Pastrami Reuben and local favorite «Archie Bunker» (Smoked pulled pork on Texas Toast, topped with mac & cheese, sweet BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese). Being the glutton that I am, I went with the 3 meat platter of Brisket, Pulled Pork, and St. Louis Ribs with sides of Coleslaw and Potato Salad. My favorite by far was the pulled pork, which was some of the best I’ve had since growing up in North Carolina. That said, the rest was all very good as well, and their selection of sauces made for a nice little sample-​fest.
If Atlanta is going to continue on the path to BBQ greatness, D.B.A. is a heck of a start.

Pretty good!
My sauced ribs were damn delicious, as was my side of collards. Our server came by pretty promptly and refilled our drinks once throughout our quick lunch, so not bad service like some other reviewers have had. We also went for a late lunch on a Thursday, so that could be why. The server seemed a little confused when my friend asked for condiment cups so he could taste each bbq sauce before selecting which one to drench his food in, but maybe she was new. He ended up just putting a small amount in his plate after removing his sides.
All in all our meal was pretty decent. For 3 of us, our bill came to about $ 55, which isn’t bad. Will return if their parking lot isn’t crazy full!

Really great! I went in only looking to try the chicken wings, which are smoked and then deep fried. They look and smell so great the table next to me asked what I ordered and ordered some themselves.
My only knock on the place is I think the wings could have afforded to be deep fried just a bit longer, to crisp them up more; smoking chicken on the bone can end up in almost «soggy» chicken, so a couple minutes more probably would have been perfect. They are a bit pricier as far as chicken wings go, $ 27 for 24 wings, but I also understand they aren’t just taking raw chicken and deep frying so it’s justified. All in all, fantastic wings.

Okay. They have done it again. Who thinks of BBQ for brunch (ok — the rest of you BBQ fans can put their hands down). Not only do they have BBQ for brunch they also serve the «normal» stuff like eggs and bacon and hash browns. And they do brunch Saturday AND Sunday!!!
That means two days of the week that you can get the house specialty — smoked fried chicken. Yes. You read that correctly. Smoked. Fried. Chicken. It’s mouth explodingly flavorful and so moist!
The rest of the week (AKA non brunch days) they still serve some great BBQ and some amazingly great sandwiches. Try the Archie Bunker — you won’t be called meathead.
The staff is top shelf too. They could work at Disney. That’s a compliment. They make sure your glass is full, your food is prepared the way you like it, and they offer real suggestions based on what you’re looking for (not what the kitchen wants to get rid of). Speaking of Disney — DBA is family friendly.
Only downside. Not TVs. Ha! They’ve got more TVs then Best Buy on Black Friday.

Matt and staff have honed their skills and rank as one of the top BBQ spots in the state. The brisket is on point. The smoked wings are the best — I’ve been addicted going on five years now! Cold beer, friendly service and lots of TVs for sports and you’ve got a winning combination.
Don’t miss the banana pudding.
Always a list of Atlanta’s finest craft beers.

This is a great neighborhood spot. I love the food, and the staff has always been great. Try the smoked fried chicken for ultimate yumminess.
Also — definitely hit up one of their monthly sauce making classes. So much fun, and you’ll get more food than you can possible eat!

I’ve been here on many occasions, sometimes with friends and sometimes by myself for lunch. I’ve never had a bad experience here. The food is good, the sides are great (especially the creamed corn) and the craft beer selection is hard to beat and features TONS of local offerings. The owner and his team do a great job of supporting other local farmers and businesses, and that’s cool. They also host really fun barbecue sauce making classes that I recommend to all. Overall, it’s a great little neighborhood spot for some good barbecue and beers with friends.

The Archie Bunker is a MUST try! I will def have to go back to try others. Although i may want that every time hahaha

I’ve been to DBA over the past few months and I must say that the quality of this place has diminished so much. The staff doesn’t care. The good quality has decreased. They have definitely changed their grade of meat — likely to cut cost and attempt to increase profit. The prices have increased too and now charge extra for what was a standard side. It’s basically al a carte. Recently, I had ribs and pulled pork. Both were fatty and dry. Their homemade sauce use to be flavorful — now it’s watered down. The staff there doesn’t come around to check up on you. They take your order and leave until your food is ready and then they disappear til you’re ready to go. I once complained about the service and food and got a half assed sorry and no results. I came back about a week later and the hostess/​manager? says «Oh you’re here again». Talk about rude and unprofessional. Unfortunately I had to stay because I had friends with me. Don’t eat here unless you want food that is now worse then Dickeys (fast food bbq). Best place for bbq is Fox Brothers.

Not only is there better BBQ in this amazing city but there are better establishments period!
We couldn’t sit at a table until our entire party arrived and then the Nazi hostess sat us at a table that had a dirty rag just sitting on it. The first thing I did when the waiter arrived was ask him to please remove the dirty rag. He removed it but was sure to say «oh it’s not dirty.» Like it was no big deal we got sat at a table that had a disgusting wet rag sitting on it!
Simply am not impressed with the way this restaurant handles situations as simple as being sat and cleaning tables.

This restaurant is overpriced with bad quality BBQ food and horrendous service. I ordered the Archie Bunker and ended up sending it back because the Mac and cheese was missing the cheese. The sandwich was very dry and the meat was fatty! Trying to get a refill is nearly impossible.
There’s so many amazing BBQ restaurants all over. If you want real BBQ, try Fox Bros! (They seriously have the best BBQ food on the planet). Heirloom BBQ is also a good alternative. I’m certainly not coming back here and don’t recommend it.

I wish I could give more stars but this place was extremely blah to me.
We were seated right away, parking limited and the waitress did approach us right away.
The menu is pricey and everything is sold separately. I spent $ 18 for 2 meats, 1 side and Texas toast. The mac and cheese was dry … bbq sauce extra watery but the meat was seasoned well and not dried out.
This is not the type of bbq joint im use to or interested in visiting again. I was kind of bummed that it wasn’t better.

* Review based on DBA samplings at Taste of Atlanta event.
My boyfriend and I weathered the rain and cold to try the very best food that Atlanta had to offer at the Taste of Atlanta event. We found ourself on a hunt for the best BBQ in Atlanta and both agreed that DBA might just take crown.
The DBA tent offered samplings of BBQ ribs, brisket or coleslaw. We tried the ribs and coleslaw. I took one bite of the ribs and it fell right off of the bone. It was so juicy, very tender and had great flavor. The coleslaw was pretty average but the ribs are definitely worth making a trip to the restaurant. Judging by the long line, I would assume that their brisket was tasty as well.

3.5 stars
Pretty good BBQ. Stopped in on a Monday evening on our way to the ATL airport. Loved the location and the fact we came in on an evening with pint specials. They are all about the local beer here!
The sauces were really tasty, and made it hard to decide which was a favorite. The Archie Bunker was delish– with pulled pork and mac n cheese on Texas toast. With the sweet potato tots and baked beans, this was a filling meal. The others in my group enjoyed their platters, and also raved over the selection of the sauces.
Oh and don’t miss out on the corn muffins with honey butter. Yumz!

Had the pulled pork sandwich, great flavor. Mac & Cheese was creamy.
Smoked Turkey was also very good.
Enjoyed the White Cheese Corn Muffin with honey butter, perfect dessert!

After hearing about D.B.A. from a friend for years and reading the Unilocal reviews, I was beyond excited when I finally dined there.
I love, love, love the location. Perfect BBQ restaurant theme inside with a nice patio outside.
The BBQ is simple but oh so tasty. The greens taste like the real deal that southern ladies cooked for hours.
Fried bacon is a must! I am not a friend food fan, but I do love bacon. I must admit, I couldn’t think of leaving once piece of bacon on the plate.
I heard great things about the pimento cheese burger… I am adding this to my list of items to try when I return to DBA.

I really want to love this place as the location is so close to my house and it is a fun place.
Positives: Awesome large screen TVs, good service, typically a good selection of beer (but they do also run out — example Terrapin IPA on tap), local neighborhood bar
Negatives: I want to love the food, but the best thing there are the sweet potato tater tots. I’ve tried the ribs (which are OK), the wings, the brisket — it’s as hard and dry as a rock — I had half a piece and brought it back for the puppies to eat, chicken. This is probably the 5^th time I’ve been here and always want to try something different and give it a chance.
There are about 10 better places in ATL for BBQ so I just don’t know if people are addicted to boiled peanuts or what and just have to come here for it.
It’s a bummer!