A Trailheads Skeletal Crew Marches On As Illness Takes Down Two, Then The Hikers Feast At Dixie Q. In Solidarity.

The hiking day started with Brad calling in sick, complaining of a fever, aches, chills, and “a touch of bubonic plague.” Our first thoughts were of Elvis—we hoped our Trailhead pal wouldn’t get his dog sick. That would be awful.

Next, Steve texted that he couldn’t hike because he’d been up since 4 a.m. with “dysentery.” Bad diseases were flying around Trailheads’ world. Of course, Roy was out because he hates hiking almost as much as he hates being with us – so half our adventurous team was missing before we began.

But when the chips are down, you can count on brave heroes to rise to the occasion, and that’s exactly what Trail Master Guy, Patrick, and George did—they rallied to hike the Murphy-Candler Park Trail in Brookhaven, followed by lunching at Dixie Q. This was a repeat of the itinerary Trailheads followed in March 2025, when we almost caused an international incident. Read all about it here.

The beautiful lake was low, thirsty for water. Guy, serving as the acting lake engineer, explained that for weeks the lake had been drained by huge pumps while new equipment or something was being installed. Patrick and George offered their Herculean strength if the construction workers needed extra muscle and engineering know-how. 

Guy and Fio quickened their pace to add a comfortable distance between them and the babbling idiots, tripping down the path.

When the men caught up with their Trail Master, Guy transformed, acting in his ornithologist mode, and explained that a byproduct of the lake’s draining was that the exposed marshlands now attracted new bird species.

He pointed to a goose that we surmised was visiting from Canada. It seems only two-legged Canadians are boycotting travel to the U.S. We assumed this feathered fellow had the appropriate visa. Elbows up, eh!

We continued hiking, talking about our lackluster athletic careers growing up, and Guy, here assuming his acting facilities manager role, introduced us to the new wooden walking paths awaiting across the street by the ballfields. We highly recommend you check out these babies because they walk like a dream.

Fio insisted on going for a refreshing dip, and we told her to hurry up because we were getting hungry.

In an instant, Trailheads went from hiking to eating mode. It’s a gift and a curse. We headed to Dixie Q. in Brookhaven, where they smoke their meats over oak and hickory.

We grabbed a table on the patio, read the menus, and formed an attack plan. Our friendly server, Julissa, tolerated us throughout lunch.

George ordered a half rack of St. Louis ribs, and they were hearty slabs. The meat was delicious and filling, and he needed a to-go box for his leftovers. 

He and Guy enjoyed their Creole Coleslaw. It is crisp and flavorful, with a little bite, but nothing so extreme that a voodoo spell would be required to ease the spice.

Guy enjoyed the Brisket Grilled Cheese sandwich– smoked brisket paired with sautéed peppers and onions, a cheese blend, and smoked tomato aioli on Texas Toast. He grinned like a goon as he ate.

The Texas Toast is authentic. It earns a Lone Star. And remember, Trailheads are harsh critics of the Texas Toast. An overly large slab of barely griddled white bread just does not cut it for our gastronomical palates. But since it’s food, we made an exception.

Patrick ordered a dozen of the honey-smoked wings (crispy) to share with his tablemates. The wings were very good, especially after a generous squirt of Dixie Q.’s original recipe barbecue sauce.

He had the crispy Brussels sprouts as his side. In Patrick's opinion, this is an all-star dish.

The little green nuggets are brought to life with a savory Asian sauce. These flavor bombs are highlights here. We suggest you start with the junior cabbages.

We finished our meals, asked Julissa to snap our ugly mugs, and then we spent a little time solving world problems. But there were too damn many of them, so we punted and called it a day. 

Before we left, each of us had a quick visit to the restroom, where we were confronted by some staring faces that looked judgmental and angry. Did we feel guilty? Not one bit. We departed since it was time for Fio’s tanning session.

Rating: Four Ribs*

Dixie Q

2524 Caldwell Rd NE

Atlanta, GA 30319

(404) 228-1502

dixie-q.com

*About Our Barbecue Rating System

Trailheads do not claim to be food experts, epicureans, or sophisticated palates. We are hungry hikers who attack a selected barbecue venue and ravage our way through whatever smoked fare and fixings they're dishing out. nj Ounr reviews feature what we believe are the highlights of the menu we sampled. So our intent is not to trash talk the saintly folks who tend to smoldering smokers on hot, humid summer days. They are sacrificing themselves in the noble art of smoking meats and feeding the drooling masses. Many are independent entrepreneurs who are the backbone of this humming American economy. Now that you know our standards, you may wonder why every barbecue place gets a four-ribs rating. The answer is easy: our group has acclaimed designers, and they think the ribs graphic looks cool. Who are we to argue? Enjoy.

• barbecue

• AtlantaBarbecue

• bbq sauce

• brisket

• Brisket

• ChattahoocheeChallenge

• Chiggers

• Elvis Loves Fio

• hikingforfood

• HikingGeorgia

• hiking

• North Georgia BBQ

• Pierre de Coubertin Medal

• Pulled Pork

• quicksand

• Ribs

• Trailheads

• Trailheads Approved

• White sauce

• TrailheadsHike

• City BBQ

• Summit Coffee

• Okra

• AJC

• Olivia

• Glacier National Park

• Island Ford Trail

• Pulitzer

• Chattahoochee National Park Conservancy

• Atlanta Journal-Constitution