The Barn Smokehouse - Lawrenceville Highway - Lilburn Atlanta Georgia

You can find The Barn Smokehouse at 5364 Lawrenceville Hwy, Lilburn, GA 30047. Those of you paying attention will recognize the address as the location of the original Spiced Right BBQ, which changed owners and eventually became this new business, The Barn. Parking is in the lot next to the building which is hard to miss, as the main covered deck is painted red like a barn (makes sense, no?).

 The interior of The Barn Smokehouse is much as it was previously as Spiced Right so maybe now is the time to talk about that previous business. Spiced Right was one of my favorite BBQ places due to the all-you-can-eat pulled-pork buffet - I used to visit several times a month and while some of the other items on the buffet (like the hot dogs?) weren't worthwhile, the pulled-park was awesome, especially with a bit of the Lilburner sauce (hot, vinegary). At some point the buffet went away but I would still visit occasionally to have the ribs - which have been pretty much retained in the Roswell location (still open). I believe the family just got tired of having the Lilburn business and sold it where it remained Spice Right until The Barn took over.

The menu for The Barn is exactly what I like to see on a BBQ menu, mostly meats by the pound, as plates or sandwiches with just a few sides. I think to make good Que the business should stay focused and this menu indeed accomplishes this. You'll see options for Pulled Pork, Ribs, Brisket, Smoked Turkey & Chicken, Combos, a Quick Lunch (sandwich, chips and drink), Family Style (combos of meats and sides), Side Items, Kids Meal, Desserts and Beverages including beer by the bottle - I thought all the prices were very reasonable. You order at the counter from a very helpful guy who can answer some fairly detailed questions. Go for a combo platter - there's a ton of food, you'll be able to sample a lot and still have a bit to take home for later and lets face it, BBQ is too good to go to waste so just accept that you'll want to take some home.

I order the two-meat combo with ribs, pulled pork and two sides including collard greens and Brunswick stew - all for $14.95 ($2 up charge for the ribs). The ribs were super-tender with just a bit of caramelized sauce, meaty and about 1/8 inch of rind. Personally I like a bit more rind (which is where the smoky-flavor comes in) but these were very satisfying and I think most would like them. The pulled pork was also juicy with just a bit of rub and a little more rind. As with the ribs, not as smoking as I like but still very good and I know that most of my friends wouldn't complain. The Collards were good (made with smoked turkey I believe). I liked the flavors of the Brunswick stew but the corn was a bit under-cooked otherwise good. In all it was a ton of food and I left stuffed.

For sauces, there's a whole array on one of the counters, plus their basic sweet sauce on the table - I liked the "The Bite" which is hot but not blazing, and the "Hot n/ Spicy" which I believe is "The Bite" mixed with one of their other sauces. Really my favorite are the vinegary sauces that are hot-and-spicy and I didn't see that offered (but may have missed it as some people dining had taken bottles to their tables).

In all I thought the food very good and the people working there very nice. I'll be returning to sample the other items. I think that while The Barn doesn't have the history of Spiced Right, it's a good replacement for that venerable establishment.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)



 

Kabab Hut - Lilburn Atlanta Georgia

You can find Kabab Hut at 880 Indian Trail Rd NW, Lilburn Georgia 30057 between the intersections of Dickens Rd and Burns Rd. This restaurant is in a small shopping center that also features Murray's In a Hurry. It's a bit hard to see as the "L" shaped shopping center mostly faces Burns Rd - you'll probably turn there and then into the lower part of the parking lot.

I don't remember who told me about this place - I believe it was one of my Indian friends, but having some time and being in the area, I decided to drop in one sleepy weekend afternoon. Kabab Hut is a small restaurant where you order at the counter and after some time (pretty much everything is cooked to order) the food is delivered to your table. I looked over the menu, which features mostly foods cooked over open flame or curries. Most of the items I've tried at other Pakastani restaurants so I have some familiarity with the cuisine (which is very similar to Indian if a bit oilier and of course the Muslim culture allows beef).

I was looking for something that would provide the most variety so I choose the Kabab Platter (at $10.99) and also ordered a Bullet Naan (the flat bread is usually mixed with green chilies and baked in a tandoor oven). I then found a table and waited for about 15 minutes. In the meanwhile I was delivered a disposable plate with fork/spoon, a small plate of lettuce and onions, a couple of chutney/masala containers and a pitcher of cold water with a cup. This strangely reminded me quite a bit of eating in the canteens in India (sort of the building's cafeteria which usually has some super inexpensive food available served on disposable plates)

When the food hit the table my eyes bugged - tons of food on this plate. I believe there was Green Boti, Seek Kabob and Tika Boti. Also was this beautiful naan. There was so much food I was only able to eat about half of it - the rest came home with me and became my lunch the following day. All the food was just delicious and I would recommend this dish to anyone coming here for the first time - it can easily feed two people.

This is the best Pakistani food I've found in Atlanta - but then again I didn't try the curries so if you're going to come here I can only vouch for the kabobs which are fantastic. I hope to make it hear again soon with a larger group so we can sample more - stay tuned.

-- John

(also posted to Yelp)