Maddy’s

They had the best barbecue in town, and the best potato salad I’ve ever tasted. But now they’re closed. If anyone knows the recipe for their potato salad and sees this, PLEASE post the recipe!

I have passed by this place on a weekly basis for YEARS! Then a friend of mine recommended it and I have been hooked every since. The BEST BBQ in the CITY! The ribs are SLAMMIN! and I DON’T EVEN LIKE RIBS! The sides are great as well… HOWEVER…
This IS a BBQ joint! Do not wear your Sunday best! It is casual as you can get. Last time I was there, the A/​C was out and the beer license was «being renewed».(they said that a year ago) It almost seems as if the there is some mismangement of funds in this place and it needs a rescue, but that is not my concern. It could be really nice with the live music and all but a bit hard to swallow with out A/​C and BEER!
Soooo… TO GO ONLY for me at this point! It is my guilty pleasure.

Man I thought I’d be writing a follow up review to this place because I was sure that I’ve written one before but it seems I have not. So I’ve never had a «good time» at Maddy’s my first trip got into a argument with my girl at the time & went here last night stopped by with the new girl for some chicken and ribs & was not impressed. Went we first pulled up there was trash all in front of the garbage can & on a 90 degree day you can imagine the smell. Walk in & the place is a hole in the wall [which I don’t mind, but the lady isn’t impressed with] got our food & sat outside to have a talk with drinks and food but couldn’t enjoy ourselves with the flies that kept buzzing us the entire time. Don’t know if this was due to the garbage in the parking lot or if this is a daily occurrence but this combined with the food left us saying «we should have gone to Fat Matt’s»

So what does a cali boy know about «real southern BBQ»? Apparently nothing… I wish we had a place like this back in cali.
I stopped eating BBQ cause those corporate food chains serve dry tough BBQ.
The ambiance is laid back. Nothing fancy. Live blues band playing. I had the ¼ white chkn (moist and just the right amount of charred flava) and ¼ rack of ribs (pork spare ribs were huge) w/​baked BBQ beans (a lil too sweet for me, but I still finished em, weird right?) potato salad (besides my wifey makes, this is the best I’ve ever had).
I went with my pops and bro, total came out to $ 50, which I think was reasonable given all the food and extra sides we had.
P. s. I didn’t see beer on the menu??? But they’re sweet ice tea is killer. Oh yeah, and the service is great. Down to earth.

Sigh, I might not miss the South so much, but I sure do miss some good Southern bbq. They just don’t make it right out on the West Coast. Maddy’s was my favorite when I was still in the ATL. It had slowly crept it’s way up past the more famous Fat Matt’s b/​c Maddy’s seemed more consistent. I think too much fame and publicity can ruin a good thing sometimes.
Maddy’s ribs are always cooked perfectly, moist and tender, cooked for hours so that the smokiness seeps into the meat. Every bite is just juicy and delicious. The bbq sauce is awesome with the right amount of spices and tanginess and complements the meat so well.
The restaurant has got that great blues feel and has live blues bands when you want someone to sing for your supper. It’s that perfect setting for when all you want to do is roll up your sleeves and get down and dirty with that rack of ribs. No fork and knives here, please!

No fries on the menu knocks them to 4 stars. Awesome ribs. Cool open jam with the band on thurs night we were there. Lots of budding musicians came and did a nice job. Get there ahead of the band starting in enough time to eat or you may not find a seat!

Went to Maddy’s on Thursday with my nephews wife who goes to Emory. I had a pulled pork sandwich and nabbed some ribs from my GF. We also had collards and corn bread. The ribs and pulled pork were really good and the prices are affordable.
We happened to be there for Chicago Joe and his band (they were very good) and it was also a jam night (or whatever you call it). There were probably six teenagers who played in the jam with Chicago Joe singing on one song (we only stayed for 2 or 3 songs in the jam). It was nice that Joe was helping the teenagers out with notes and tempo initially. It seemed like they came weekly. Unless the Atlanta area is different from Chicago, I bet there aren’t many places that blues loving teens can get up on stage and play a song with a blues band or even get in to a club to hear a band.
I definitely recommend the place.

A M A Z I N G !!!
Truly delicious barbecue. Best I have ever eaten, bar none. Thursday nights we go for the jazz/​blues — CHICAGO JOE brings students, has open gig sets, Joe is on vocals & is plugged in as well. Occasionally a really great improv artist on the Hammond B3 Organ sits in as well.
Since Thursdays are geared towards family, no alcohol is served, but you can bring in your own.

There’s a saying that includes the words ‘cat’ and ‘curiosity’.
I wanted to see what everyone was Unilocaling about, so I made a special trip out to this place today. For carry out, I ordered the «chopped» chicken sandwich and a side of potato salad. It’s rare that ANY restaurant will get a thumb’s up for its potato salad, but seeing as how so many Unilocalers enjoyed it, I HAD to give it a go.
The «chopped» chicken sandwich, as a Unilocaler already correctly pointed out, is actually NOT a chopped chicken sandwich. It is a Sloppy Joe (heavy emphasis on the word ‘sloppy’). Shivers! The meat was NOT chopped, it was instead **shredded**. For the edification of the masses, ‘chopped’ is to shredded as Dr. Pepper is to Coke.
Furthermore, the meat was drowning in sauce which leeched into the fish wrapper paper in which it was covered. Shivers! I definitely had to wait until I got to a table before opening the exploded package. Despite the mess, the sandwich surprisingly had good flavor. It was a nice balance of sweet and smokey.
Do I dare comment on the potato salad that so many have raved about? Perhaps my expectations were a little high. You know how it is when everyone raves about a movie and then you finally go see it, but you end up walking away disappointed? Yep. Except with this, I wasn’t disappointed– I was grossed out.
There’s really not much to potato salad. Really. Some cooked potatoes and a little salad dressing, and you’re more than half the way home. Now, what this place used, I have NO idea ’cause it was SO gross that I had only 1.5 fork fulls of it before I had to call it quits. I’m going to venture to guess that the flavor conjured up a sensation of Lay’s Sour Cream and Chives dip. PLEASE tell me I’m wrong and that Maddy didn’t actually grab a jar of potato chip dip and drown the potatoes in it.
Wait! There’s more. I’d read about bacon being in the potato salad. Now folks, we fellow Unilocalers need full disclosure. When you mention ‘bacon’ in regards to a salad, 99.9% of us salad eaters are going to assume that you mean **bacon bits**. Well, didn’t I get the surprise of my life when I chomped down on a rubbery piece of WTF in my salad! I pulled the thing out of my mouth and was struck to see that it was a SLICE of bacon. Shivers 3 times over!!!
Oh well. At least my **curiosity** has been satisfied.

One of Atlanta’s best. The meat is always tender, smoked right, sweet and with a little kick. I’m a fan of the Brunswick Stew and the beef. If you get the ribs, bring a bib, because the meat will fall right off the bone. (For the uninformed: Yes, that’s a good thing.)
The blues scene is outstanding, if perhaps sometimes a little loud, but there are some who say I’m getting too old. Whatever. Maddy’s remains one of my top three favorite barbecue places in Atlanta. Call me if you go and want some company.

Wow, I’m a native and it’s pretty pathetic that I’ve passed this place a million times and have never stopped to eat here. It’s SO hard to find good bbq in Atlanta, but THIS my friend is GOOD bbq! It’s smoked to perfection and falls off the bone which to me says GOOD bbq. Ditch the sauce that comes with it, unless you’re a sauce person. Good bbq doesn’t need sauce and this bbq was seasoned to the bone.
Our Order:
* BBQ Sandwich — came w/​5 bones & bread. More than enough for me.
* Collard greens & Brunswick stew — Greens were prepared w/​turkey & had a spicy kick. They were okay, but mine are better. Brunswick stew was average. I wouldn’t order it again.
*½ Slab Ribs & ¼ Chicken — Husband’s meal and he left nothing for the dogs.
*Cole slaw — Hubby says he wouldn’t order again.
Interesting Observation:
We saw people bring their own beer. I didn’t see anything on their website to to support this, but the patrons weren’t hiding it. I don’t think it was non-​alcoholic beer either.
All in all, we’re so happy we found a good rib joint. People rave about Daddy Dz’s, Fatt Matt’s, Dreamland, and I don’t like any of those spots.

I’m a fan because this place supports the local music scene by employing musicians nightly.
The cornbread and collards are a great snack or mini meal, pretty much can’t beat it for $ 2.50. Dip that bread in and soak up the juice! Mmm…
Restaurant BBQ is never as good as it will be fresh off the grill in my backyard, but I ate a sloppy joe pulled pork tonight because I didn’t want to cook, I was starving and it was fine.
Cheers~

I ate here last week for the first time in years and had a pretty solid lunch. The menu is short and to the point and they don’t have as many choices — or sauces — as Shane’s or other spots. But for $ 6 I had the pulled chicken BBQ sandwich and something called Fire Rocket or Flamethrower green beans, which were nice and hot and had a great kick to them. Can’t go wrong for that price.
From my perspective the food nets three stars, but they get another one from me because of the music. I think I went in on a Tuesday or Wednesday and had settled down to watch the Braves game and eat when three, really young guys who looked like middle schoolers, started belting out the blues. I first smirked when I heard the lead singer talking about how his «woman done left him so hard,» but realized they were actually good. Hats off to Maddy’s for not only providing good food at a good price, but also encouraging young blues bands who may not have a place to play anywhere else.

Short of Paying taxes, death, and Dan Snyder trying to buy a Superbowl for my Redskins there just aren’t many guarantees in life. All in all I think we’d all agree the list is rather short. However Maddys should most defiantly be on that list.
I’ve been a regular here for a more than few years now. The bbq never disappoints. I can always rely on the food being
consistently tasty. The waitress is friendly, entertaining, and always rocks a cool shirt! On most evenings they have a blues band playing.

I picked up fellow Unilocaler Uncle Randy for an impromptu lunch for the unemployed. Since my unemployed days were/​are numbered, I had to get as many random lunches out of the way as I could. Therefore the drive to Maddy’s, a BBQ joint nowhere near where either of us lived.
I actually used to drive out here back when Maddy’s was Greg’s, Greg’s being one of the few intown ‘cue shacks at the time that served brisket. But Greg’s closed and took its brisket with it; in the meantime, the cult of the brisket has been thankfully taken on by others. So it’s been a while since I’ve stepped foot in this building.
It’s changed quite a bit. They’ve opened up the space and added a stage. A large calendar listing the dates for various blues bands sits near the door. The menu also changed, focusing mostly on ribs and pork, with some chicken thrown in. I’m sure both the restaurant’s and menu’s resemblance to Fat Matt’s is purely coincidental.
So what to order? (Get the ribs.) I eyed the menu. (Get the ribs.) Hmm… pulled pork? BBQ chicken? (Get the ribs.) Randy, what are you going to get? The pork sandwich? (I’m telling you, ribs is in the name of the restaurant. Get the ribs.) I dunno. I think I’m going to order (the ribs) the pork sandwich too.
(Idiot.)
We both got a pork sandwich. Neither comes with a side so I ordered the «firecracker green beans» on the side. In fact, the prices seemed a little steeper than other ‘cue joints. It’s not back breaking by any means, but considering the 2 meat combos didn’t come with sides either, well, you notice these things.
First, the good. They’ve got good sweet tea. Not too cloyingly sweet, but not bitter either. Unfortunately, that’s about how far the good got me. The «firecracker green beans» were disappointing. They had some heat, but not enough to rate a «firecracker.» It reminded me of when my mom would buy me a box of sparklers and call them «fireworks.» I appreciated that Mom at least recognized my prepubescent pyro tendencies, but SPARKLERS? WTF, Mom?! These only count as fireworks in Momsylvania and Wusstown. Oh, you want me to show them to the neighborhood kids? How about I just cut out the middleman and beat my OWN ass?
Anyway, very little heat on the beans. Also, they were mushy in the way canned beans are so either 1) they WERE canned or 2) they were overcooked.
The pork sandwich was equally disappointing. The pulled pork, while smokey, came pre-​sauced. I hate when ‘cue comes pre-​sauced. When pitmasters do this, it seems like they’re not confident in the quality of their meat. So I sat there and ate my pre-​sauced pulled pork and noticing that it tasted kind of like something you’d find in a cafeteria and not in a ‘cue shack. I knew I should’ve listened to that nagging voice in my head and ordered the ribs.
So really, based on the pork and prices, I can’t rate Maddy’s more than 2 stars. But in the interest of fairness, I’ll grant 3 stars until I try the ribs. And maybe I’ll just stick with the fries.

Barbeque has always been a favorite of mine — perhaps because I am a Southerner born and bred. Ever since Benny’s BBQ on Ashford — Dunwoody Rd closed up shop, I have been searching far and wide for something as good. Benny’s was both excellent yet inexpensive — which is difficult for a BBQ joint to pull off since you are taking good cuts of meat and smoking them and transforming them into something else — hopefully making them even tastier.
Maddies does a good job, although I found some room for improvement. I had heard mixed reviews both online and in person from credible sources. I drive by the place everyday on the way to work and I was curious to see how it measured up.
Like most independent BBQ joints, you order at the counter and the food is brought to your table. The menu is printed on the wall and I was disappointed to see that everything is ala carte; I like to see luncheon and dinner combo plates. Either the menu is poorly designed, and I just failed to see them, or Maddies does not do combo plates.
I finally went the other day and tried the half slab of ribs with a side of Brunswick stew. The ribs were very good. The meat was, for the most part, fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and very tasty if not altogether succulent. The sauce was very good too, but not plentiful enough of a serving for a half slab.
The first batch of sauce came in a white paper parfait /​dressing cup and tasted as if it came from a hot pot off the stove and seemed to have bits of meat a gravy /​juice in it. The second serving of sauce, when I ran out of the first batch, seemed like it came from a bottle and was served in a plastic cup and was noticeably different and not as good as the first serving.
As far as the ambience goes, the music (live band) was good (again not great) but the chairs were uncomfortable. They appeared to be metal /​wire outdoor patio chairs and did not mesh well with the height /​shape of the little tables throughout the restaurant.
Another disappointment was the Brunswick stew; it was served in a cup not much larger than the first sauce cup. Not great considering the $ 2 price tag. The stew was okay but not great. I also ordered a Sweetwater Blue bottle — which cost $ 2 — a nice accompaniment to the ‘cue and for the price was not a bad deal.
Bottom line. Good but not great. In my opinion, better ribs can be had at either Fat Matt’s or Daddy D’s.

Maddy’s was one of the first BBQ joints I went to since coming to ATL 5 years ago. The fact that it was so close to Emory gave me reason to come semi-​regularly. I like the ribs, but I never know exactly what I’m going to get each time around. There’s always a bit of charredness (no better way to put it) on the ribs, which I actually do appreciate, though it’s probably not cool for everyone. Sometimes the ribs come out perfectly tender– and sometimes some of the ribs come out a bit tough. I do like how they don’t smother the ribs with sauce (like at Fat Matt’s), though I’d like it if they provided more than just a small paper cup of sauce. But in regards to the ribs, I’ll never complain about the portions– I always leave there beyond full. ‘Tis a good thing for a glutton such as I. :-p
The thing I rave about when I tell others about this place is… the POTATO SALAD. Jeepers… whoever came up with the idea of throwing bacon into their rendition of potato salad is a GENIUS! I ALWAYS get a side of this whenever I go to Maddy’s.
It’s cool to have the live blues playing– but sometimes it gets too loud and I can’t hear what my friends are saying from the other side of the table– try to take a table outside, especially when the weather’s nice.

This is my *favorite* style of bbq — very shredded pork with sauce already mixed in — and the sides are delicious too.
Whenever I drive down Scott I offer to bring Maddy’s home to the family, and it always makes me the hero of the day! The only thing though if you do this is to be sure to double check your bag to see that you have everything. I think they can get overwhelmed in the kitchen with big orders. But they’re always very sweet and happy to fix a mix up.
They surprisingly have some of the cheapest beers in Atlanta and great selection heavy on the local favs & microbrews.
I generally avoid it when the bands play because it gets pretty loud, but one man’s deterrence is another man’s dream ;)

My 2 cents?
4 stars.
Good atmosphere, with live music (blues) on many-​an-​evening. Solid beer selection and delicious ribs. What more can you ask for?

In the land of Atlanta barbecue, Maddy’s would be a bit like Jan from the Brady Bunch — it flies a bit under the radar in comparison to giants like Fat Matt’s and Daddy Dz. But to those who know it, they like to keep the secret sauce close to the chest. Maddy’s has the endearing ‘hole in the wall’ vibe, decent prices and of course, good barbecue.
They take their ribs and blues pretty seriously — check out their schedule online for all their performances — and come hungry!