Two Brothers Bar-B-Que

Been eating here for many years. I love their Brunswick stew, pork sandwiches and fries.

Stopped by Two Brothers Bar-​B-​Que today for a late lunch/​early dinner. We are BBQ junkies and love the stuff. I even smoke meat myself quite often and have even thought about going to a few competitions. Having recently moved to Ball Ground we thought we’d try the nearest BBQ joint and so Two Brothers it was. Upon pulling up to the place, I get out of the car, take a big whiff of the air expecting to smell that yummy smoke smell and nada, nothing, nope. Right there I knew the food I’d be eating wouldn’t be the BBQ I was hoping to sample. My husband and I walked in and the ambiance is pretty darn cool. It’s decorated with all kinds of old antique tools, knick knacks and signs and you feel the authenticity of the place. We loved the big wooden tables. Went to order & my husband and I got a slab of ribs to share. For sides we got the turnip greens, mac-​n-​cheese & fried squash. A slice of pecan pie & 2 drinks. I bit into my ribs and as suspected they were not smoked. They were probably cooked in an oven or slow cooker. There was absolutely no smoke flavor and being that I’m a frequent smoker I know what I’m talking about. The mac & cheese unfortunately was not homemade and fell flat. The turnip greens were ok (this was my first time having them & I prefer them over collards). The best part of the meal was the pecan pie (which was also not homemade). Now having said all of this. The service was very good. A very nice lady continued to refill us and check on us. I really really hate to leave such a not so pleasant review on the food but I have to be honest on my experience at Two Brothers. I think from what I could tell it’s a family run place & I wish them absolutely nothing but the best in their business. I think if they can put a few pits out back, even the bullet smokers (Weber Smoky Mountain, Brinkmann, etc) and smoke their food and use homemade items they would fare far better. However I was telling my husband it would be very hard to run a BBQ restaurant because to give authentic BBQ it’s low and slow and to reserve that for the whole day can dry the meat out, so it’s tough & it’s time consuming. The «Pit BBQ» sign outside and in their advertising don’t match up to the food experience that we had. I doubt we go back, however who knows, maybe we hit them on an off day.

Last time I was here was 28 years ago when the floor was covered with peanut shells, so decided it was time for a follow up.
We thought the pulled pork tasted ok but you only get a splash of your choice of sauce (I chose sweet) over your pork, and if you want more, it’s $ 1 extra. What BBQ joint charges for sauce? Most have several to choose from on the table. For free.
Fries were made fresh, but dense and soggy. I guess they don’t know you have to double fry fries to get them crispy.
The Texas toast was not buttered, but rather smeared with margarine. God, I hate margarine. It’s one molecule away from being plastic, and tastes that way, too.
Slaw was ok, beans were ok, tea was great, but we saw no reason to go back, when you can get authentic, grilled German sausages on fresh-​baked buns right down the street. Wish we had gone there…

Good, old school Georgia barbecue. No frills, just good, basic barbecue. Had the BBQ pork sandwiches, and they were great.

We were in Canton recently and I have had a craving for BBQ so I decided to drive just a little north up to this great restaurant in Ball Ground, GA. This establishment only serves baby back ribs as opposed to spare ribs. In the past, I have criticized places because of this based on my personal preference. I decided recently to get off of my high-​horse since I have tried just about every (non-​chain) place that serves spare ribs that is within easy driving distance of our house, LOL.
Ball Ground is one of those «blink and you’ll miss it» kind of towns. I didn’t see much there but after the constant noise and craziness of the city, it’s a nice change. The scenery in this part of Georgia is very pretty also. The service here was very friendly and they have a good selection of items if you don’t necessarily want ribs. However, I did eat some ribs and they were pretty darn good. I especially liked their sauce. I think I detected a little vinegar in it although it’s not what I consider a vinegar based sauce. The meat had a nice smoky flavor to it and although it didn’t fall right off the bone, it wasn’t far from that standard. I had their beans as a side and they had a little meat mixed in there to give them a nice smoky flavor.
For dessert, I had some of their apple pie and homemade vanilla ice cream. It’s been a long time since I’ve had homemade ice cream, that was really good. I don’t know if this is a Georgia thing, but I don’t agree with the definition of «apple pie» up here, LOL. I would call what they serve here more of an apple tart although it didn’t taste bad. Just don’t come in here with visions of a Sara Lee apple pie dancing in your head:)
The décor here is very rustic and has a lot of antiques lining the wall and unlike some other establishments in the area, these are real antiques.
Overall, this is a nice place to eat and I would recommend stopping in here if your passing through or want a nice place to drive out to on a weekend afternoon.

By far, one of my worst BBQ experiences… I drove out to this place on a beautiful Sunday to expand my views on local BBQ. When I arrived, I was promptly greeted by a waitress and was told to sit anywhere I would like. After taking a seat, I realized that there is no menu for the table, only up on the wall «concession» style. I ordered a Combo plate of pulled pork, ribs, stew and fries, and the food was delivered to me within 3 minutes of ordering. The pork was greyish in color, and swimming in a bowl of sauce. The texture and flavor of the pork had me wondering how old it truly was. I quickly moved onto the ribs. They looked promising and I had high hopes, but once again, to brothers failed to deliver. Not only was the flavor non-​existent, but these had to be some of the driest ribs I have ever tasted.
Next time I will skip the trip and stay local. Heck, even Dickey’s is better than that.. .

I’m a first timer at Two Bros and found the pulled pork sandwich good, as well as the mac n cheese side. I finished off with the chocolate pie, which was also good. I’d be interested in trying the ribs at some point if in the area again. The service was very attentive too.

I have been going to Two Brothers for 15 years and have probably been there about 12 times. It is the one place I always want to go when I am visiting GA from PA. Two Brothers is a family-​run place with no frills and friendly service. It ain’t fancy, but it is delicious. You can get a few things done well, barbecue pork, ribs, cole slaw, brunswick stew, baked beans, and french fries. Don’t forget the homemade ice cream and pie. I almost always go for the child’s BBQ plate with fries and cole slaw. I like the mix of these flavors, epecially when the fries soak up the cole slaw and BBQ juices. Yumm!
Years ago the floors were covered with saw dust, but the health department put an end to that. You still get walls covered with old junk and photographs. There are still glass cabinets filled with very dusty knock-​knacks and random items. It’s awesome. This is an authentic southern barbecue place that has been open for decades. It’s out of the way, but so worth the trip.

I first visited two Brothers about a year ago… and was not a fan. Service was very good, but the meal was below par… I reluctantly decided to visit again yesterday… the buliding was the same wonderful place, but the meal was much, much better… Ribs I think are the way to go, but you may wish to ask for the sauce on the side, as they were a touch over sauced for my liking… That being said, the beans and slaw were great… a friend had fries that I tried and they were hot crisp, and delicious… The service for our group was friendly and attentive… and very reasonably priced… We didn’t save room for dessert, but maybe next time… The pies looked really good…
We will be back…
PS — We ask what had changed and heard that one of the two brothers had left the business to go back to work elsewhere… maybe that was the change, maybe not… but it was a surprise to enjoy a little Sunday afternoon «Que» so much

You know how the Cracker Barrel restaurant chain puts all that fake antique stuff on the walls to make it look «authentic» — like Mr. Drucker from the Hooterville General Store or Snuffy Smith himself will suddenly appear and tell you about how great the food is?
Well I ate lunch off-​the-​beaten-​path today at a restaurant that’s the real deal: Two Brothers Bar-​B-​Que, about 45 minutes north of ATL off I-​575 in a tiny speck of a town called Ball Ground.
The stuff on the walls is as authentic as the barbecue and sides served here.
For $ 10 I got a pile of tasty pulled pork BBQ with a spicy hot sauce, two slices of thick Texas toast, a cup of baked beans, fries and a bottomless Diet Coke.
The place is not much more than a small house — very clean — with white siding and blacktop parking in the front and back. Inside, you have a low hardwood board ceiling, traditional wooden chairs and tables. On the walls you’ll see authentic memorabilia gathered from around the Ball Ground area including family photos, farm implements and several rifles.
Hungry? This is a cafeteria-​style set-​up. Patrons line up on the left side of the dining area, near a makeshift dry-​erase white board — which displays the daily menu: BBQ plate, Lunch Special, Ribs Plate. Sides: mac-​n-​cheese, baked beans, cole slaw, fries, and the old BBQ standby — brunswick stew.
The fries were a little greasy for me. But I ate all of ‘em, so I guess they were good enough! The beans were just OK. I should have gotten the mac n cheese.
After you choose your food, grab a tray and move toward the food, where helpful staff will take your order, answer questions and pour your beverage. Grab some silverware, pay your money and have a seat. They take Visa. Dig in. The Q is tasty.
Two Brothers is worth the trip. I enjoyed it.

This is the kind of barbecue joint you *want* to like. Two Brothers is a cool looking place out in the middle of nowhere that’s been in business for decades. I first went here years ago when they had sawdust on the floors and only took cash. Today the sawdust is gone and they take visa. The rest of the charm remains. They’ve got tons of old antique tools everywhere. The décor doesn’t come across as cheezy like it would in metro Atlanta when I see this stuff in a strip mall. This is a real-​deal collection. I fully anticipate seeing an episode of «Pickers» filmed here one day.
Anyhoo… I went back today and was very disappointed in the food. Their menu is chopped pork and ribs. That’s pretty much it, which doesn’t bother me a lot. What does bother me is their pork. It is lean and very dry. There is almost no outside meat and forget about a smoke ring. Smoke flavor was nonexistent. The sauce (which I ordered on the side) is a thin vinegary sauce with some tang in it. The meat needed a lot of it, if for anything to rehydrate.
The rest of the sides were ho hum. They tasted like they might have been sitting for a while. The fries were fresh cut yet a little soggy. The Brunswick stew was decent but lacked smoke flavor of course. The meat tasted like ground beef. Strange.
Yet the best thing here is probably dessert. They offer a homemade soft serve ice cream that I like a lot. I also tried some homemade pie which was decent.
I debated on 2 versus 3 stars. This is a cool looking barbecue restaurant that personifies the term «joint» in a lot of ways. I really do want to like it. But at the end of my lunch today I was disappointed in having driven 45 minutes to try this stuff. If you’re in the area anyway and want to take in the ambiance, go for it. But Two Brothers isn’t worth a drive up from metro Atlanta.

I love this place!
–Meat is good with mild smoked flavor
–Sauce is thin and has some bite to it
–All of the sides are good
–Prices are great around $ 7 per person and that’s for dinner
–They used to have sawdust floors
–Staff treats customers like family
–It is always busy, for a good reason!

Good BBQ, and the décor is nice. The fact that they do not accept credit or debit cards has a tendency to put a damper on coming here, however. It’s been a while since I’ve been however, so I am not completely sure.

This place has been around for roughly 30 years. And, its mailing address must be Nelson — it is without a doubt, in Ballground though. Now, some people consider it to be the best BBQ place in Cherokee county. I don’t. I don’t even particularly like their BBQ. But, I do like their chocolate fudge pie, and their french fries. Those two items have kept me eating here 1 – 2 times per week for over a year.
For good food, with funky decorations, look no further.