Overlook BBQ

I like to consider myself a BBQ connoisseur so naturally I had to try Overlook BBQ.
The fact that you’re sitting on a second story deck overlooking the Tallulah Gorge at however many feet in the sky… Is definitely the selling point for this place. NOT THEIR BBQ.
That being said, the BBQ is actually pretty bad. Bland, fatty, cold, and just like someone else mentioned in a comment, they cook the meat and sides once a week, and store in a refrigerator (or so it seems). Not to mention, the kitchen looks like a college frat house kitchen after a party.
However, the owner and employees were fantastic and made us feel right at home. I’d be willing to try again, on a day where the food is cooked fresh.

B
B
Q
I readily admit I don’t know squat about BBQ, in fact I’m not even sure what BBQ really is. Fortunately my good friend Richard was with me, and he knows everything about BBQ.
Overlook BBQ looked intriguing so we decided to stop here and experience some genuine southern BBQ. The building is rustic and rough to say the least. The restaurant is on the second floor so you climb up some cool and uneven steps to get to a small place with a very primitive kitchen and some tables and chairs in another room.
One guy works the place and we placed our orders from the very small menu and went and sat down to enjoy the view. After a while our food came out. I got some kind of BBQ chicken sandwich and Richard and my wife got ribs.
I started eating the chicken and noticed that it was dry and not very appetizing but since I don’t know anything, figured that’s the way it was suppose to be. But Richard just looked at the ribs and immediately knew that the food was old and dried out and not fresh. He ended up asking the guy that worked there and he did indeed confirm that it was sitting around in the fridge for a while.
I’m sure that Overlook has some good BBQ if you go there at the right time but this obviously wasn’t the right time. I have pretty low standards when it comes to food but even I could tell this wasn’t very good.
Even though Overlook was disappointing and the food wasn’t very good at all I’m still giving it three stars because of the great views and the cool and uneven stairs you have to climb to get into the place.

I often do not take the time out to write reviews even when I should but, this was simply one of my favorite dining experiences. My boyfriend and I happened upon the Tallulah Falls on a road trip. We weren’t extremely hungry but wanted to enjoy the view so we decided to head up to restaurant. We were lucky enough to come at a slow time while it was just us and the owner, Michael. Immediately Michael was one of the nicest people we had ever met. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with slaw and he ordered the Brunswick stew. They were both authentic recipes and delicious. However, our meal didn’t end there. Once Michael found out I was a northerner he had me sampling everything on the menu! My first rib ever and it was literally falling off the bone and delicious! But the best thing I tried had to be the collard greens and chicken… AMAZING!
Overall if you’re looking for a truly authentic and amazing experience come here! I know I’ll be stopping in again every time I’m in the area.

The location was amazing. What a great view! The owner served us and was very nice. He smoked the bbq on wood over night. I had the bbq sandwich plate with slaw and peas. Sounds crazy but mix the slaw and peas… it’s delicious!

Delicious! We had the ribs. The meat fell off the bone. The peas and cabbage were delicious together. Next time we are trying the slaw dogs! Michael was extremely nice!

Poor service. Mediocre portions. Bbq is nothing better than you can make on the grill. Only giving it 2 stars because of the view

Food was good, but very overpriced! We ordered the pulled pork plate and it came with coleslaw, purple hull peas, and a slice of bread for $ 9. Brunswick stew was ok, but far from the best I’ve had. Awesome overlook view of the gorge.

Sorry, but this is the third time since my original review that I’ve been disappointed by the food here. The ribs I had today were atrocious! DRY, bland, and I could tell they had been refrigerated for days. I get it that BBQ, especially ribs, are not something that can be cooked to order. But the owner used to grill his meats several times a week, so your ribs were probably no older than a day max. When I asked the guy who served us the ribs why they tasted so old his reply was «these are the last of the ribs from the weekend.» Today is Tuesday afternoon, close to closing time.
His unfiltered admittance also explained why the collard greens were outrageously salty and bitter with vinegar. That’s what will happen when greens sit in their own juices for several days. The cole slaw was also laced with vinegar and not sweet (like I prefer) and the black eyed peas, which they call purple hull peas, were only ‘meh’. The sweet tea was so watered down it was like they used the same tea bags long past their usefulness. It didn’t taste like tea at all but instead like colored water. I switched my drink to the lemonade which was much better, but I must note that when I got my styrofoam cup it was dirty around the top rim. So I reached for another one and it was also dirty. It took three tries to get a clean cup.
You’re also out of luck if you want cornbread or a dinner roll with your ribs. They serve you hamburger buns here. I paid $ 13 for a rib plate that included 3 dry disgusting bones, a spoonful of cole slaw and over-​the-​top vinegary collard greens (minus a -$ 3 discount for my complaint about the dryness of the ribs). The only pleasant part of this visit was the view. Sure power lines mess up any great photo opportunities, but still, it’s like being perched in a tree house on the highest cliff overlooking the beautiful rocky gorge.
THE VERDICT
I really liked this place the first time I tried them as you can tell from my original review. The BBQ was fresh and it seemed as though the owner cared. I have a sneaking suspicion he is only cooking his BBQ once a week now, which means several days of the week you are eating BBQ that is 2 days old or better and likely reheated multiple times. Same probably goes for all the sides too. This is all just a guess, but I know ribs! I cook them myself, and I know certain characteristics when it comes to taste.
The worst part for me is that I brought out of town friends here to try Georgia BBQ for the first time and I was totally embarrassed! They didn’t complain and actually seemed to like it, but it was also their first time having BBQ ribs EVER. I may give Overlook on last try in the distant future, but if that experience is anything like today, they will never see my ugly mug again.
Congratulations Overlook BBQ. You managed to get 1 star from one of the few Unilocalers who HATES writing negative reviews. But at least you were honest with me. Maybe you’ll appreciate the fact that I’m also being honest with you.

Simple straightforward bbq attached to the general store at the overlook. Got the rib plate and a slaw dog. I suspect the sandwiches at 5 bucks might be a better deal
Not a bbq pro but didn’t strike me as anything special, pretty much hit expectations. I had better bbq at twin smokers in Atlanta for a lower price.

Nice view of the Gorge. The staff was friendly, and it was a good spot to grab a quick bite after hiking the Gorge. If you are in the mood for a beer they do not sell but have plenty of sweet tea by 3:00 they ran out of ribs, but pulled pork was a good alternative.

We walked in before closing and learned that they didn’t have much left but we were starving so we stayed and ate. They ran out of lots of their choices but what was left was still impressive.
I got ribs (for 1) and it was Delicious. The single serving was enough for my boyfriend and I to share.
Cabbage slaw was pretty good. They have their own recipe, I normally detest slaw but not theirs.
Pulled pork sandwich-​it wasn’t bad at all.
They also offer water which supposedly comes from the mountain. Interesting.
Bottom line come early so they don’t run out of sides and food. Expect the friendliest staff you’ve ever met and an amazing view.

Just had an amazing experience at this place! The owner and cook, Michael, is one of the kindest individuals we’ve had the pleasure of meeting in our travels to this region. Having lunch here is like having lunch at a neighbors house, that happens to live in the mountains. Excellent food with an excellent view! Pictures do not do it justice.

View was amazing but meal definitely lacking. Waiters were very confused. Ribs tasted old. Pork and chicken sandwiches were soggy and didn’t taste very good.

Great food!
We tried the pulled pork and ribs and both were great choices! They use a tangy bbq recipe that isn’t too sweet. Ribs just fell off the bone .
Try their cabbage slaw, not too shabby .
Staff is sweet as honey, loved talking to them. This is the perfect place after a hike on the gorge.

Great place, especially after the hike! Awesome views and awesome guy that owns the place. The ribs were spectacular and I’m a BBQ junkie. The sweet tea was great cause you can taste the brew and the sweet. Hard to fine, but the Unilocal location is the best location, Google and Apple maps aren’t as close. I wished the guy had more side options, but I the same time I love the simple menu selections. You would pay a lot of money in the city to have a view like that and food that good. I’ll for sure be back! He takes cards, but he likes cash :)

Other than the view, not impressed, Let me explain. So, me, the wife and some friends decide to go hiking through Tallulah Gorge this past Saturday morning. We spent quite a bit of our morning having fun and enjoying the views of the place. So naturally, we all got hungry and wanted some food. We stopped below at the shop to get some quick snacks before we went hiking, and noticed the there was a BBQ place, Unilocaled it, of course, and it showed 4 stars, so me and the crew decided to check it out on our way out. So, moving on, we got in around noon, or a little after, maybe 12;10pm max, you know, average lunch time. Went up, grabbed a menu and sat. They are supposedly famous because of the ribs i kept reading, sad to say, didn’t get the chance to try them. As we sat down, they waitress was like well, out of the already limited menu, we don’t have ribs, or chicken (66% percent of the menu) so our only option was pulled pork, poor planning if you ask me in this very popular-​high transit area. Who runs out of food at prime lunch time? I guess this place does. Anyways, back to it. So we decided to order what they had left I guess, we were just committed to trying something here. We all got the Pulled Pork plate. It came with some heavily smoked pork, which even with a ton a BBQ sauce that I personally added did not taste that great, some beans that were dried out, and the cabbage slaw, which I liked, probably the only good thing on that plate.
Sorry to say, I will not hit this place again. Waitress was good though.

My friends and I went hiking Tallulah Falls during Memorial Day weekend and decided to stop by here afterwards for some grub based on the decent Unilocal reviews. I’m always down for good eats at hole-​in-​the-​wall establishments that I can write home about. Unfortunately, I did not find it here. We arrived at 1 PM (starving, mind you). The smell of bbq in the air set the mood, and not many places around there could beat the view! We walked upstairs to find the small dining area to be empty. Their menu is short and sweet, but had almost nothing to offer us. Ribs? Out. Chicken? Out of that, as well. We had the choice between the pulled pork sandwich, the pulled pork plate with sides (only options were peas and slaw), or hot dogs. We all opted for the pork plate and if we weren’t starving by this point, we might not have eaten the food at all. It looked unappetizing and the pork was so «smoked», it tasted like I was eating a cigarette.
They had a couple of beer options, but were pretty much out of any soft drinks. My friend ordered a Coke and couldn’t have gotten another if he asked because they were out after that. Being so close to the Falls, they might think their patrons would be quite parched from hiking, yet I was given the smallest cup of water ever.
Their only saving graces are the view and the sweet hospitality. For food, I would go elsewhere. They should have expected an increase in visitors to the area due to the holiday and planned their food and drink inventory accordingly.

Wow! I was worried that this would be just some crappy food attached to a tourist shop but boy was I (all of my family) pleasantly surprised! Very small room, probably 15×15 with room to seat 10 – 12 altogether. We were pleasantly greeted by the owner who apologized profusely that they had run out of ribs. We are a bit disappointed but went with pulled pork and chicken which were both amazing. Two of us ordered slaw and I was politely corrected when I said «cole slaw»…it’s just simple slaw :-) Simple but delicious. After we visited with the owner while eating, again, a very sweet and friendly person, he offered to give us some slaw on peas. I’m glad I didn’t say, «black-​eyed peas» because they are actually purplehull peas, a much more flavorful cousin to the former. My wife really doesn’t like cabbage and definitely doesn’t care for black-​eye peas, nor their cousins, but this simple combo was absolutely amazing… I barely got my portion I shared with her returned to me.
I would highly, highly recommend this place. In fact, next time instead of going to the falls and stopping here, we’ll go to Overlook and stop by the falls.

We moved down here to Atlanta from Iowa 6 months ago and have been trying to find some good bbq. I didn’t find good bbq here I found GREAT BBQ. We were down the road at Panther creek and found this place on Unilocal.I am glad we did. The owners are amazing as the food. By far this is the best bbq we have ever had. If you are ever on the area or even if your not make the drive to this place. It’s worth it. The ribs just fall off the bone. And the portions are huge. The prices are great also.

The owners are incredibly nice. The view is excellent, and the ribs are INCREDIBLE. The bbq sauce has a slight kick to it and the meat falls off the bone. The price is far lower than I would expect for this kind of meal. I ordered ribs but he gave a couple table spoons of pulled pork just for me to try and that was near perfect as well.
They are enthusiastic about their food and he informed me pretty quickly to mix the peas and coleslaw. It sounds a little weird but I tried it. Man, that was amazing! Best coleslaw I have ever had. Bar none. Literally, the best.
It’s small and they are cash only. The drinks are bought from the store downstairs. He played some really awesome bluegrass while we were there as well. Everything felt right about this place and that is why it gets five stars easily. I only wish I lived close by so I could eat there more often. If you can eat at one restaurant while in the area make this your stop.