The Trail Mother Joins The Trailheads To Hike The Beltline, Explore Zombie Tunnels And Eat At Fox Bros Que-osk.

We recently told the fascinating origin story of the Trailheads. We found it riveting, and we’re sure you did as well. There are several contending legends for how we began. However, the one with actual photographic evidence is provided by BA Albert Loving, a dear, longtime friend of this group. Anyone you meet connected to advertising knows and adores her.

When she would throw a big party at her ad agency, she’d invite most of us. In fact, at one shindig, she brought us all together except for Steve—she didn’t know him at the time.

So, Trailheads are together as a group because of her. Like Mama Cass bringing together David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash. And that turned out pretty well. (Apologies to Henry Diltz for the photo manipulation.)

We were down two people for today’s hike. Steve and his wife, Edith, were on some beach drinking Mai Tais.

Patrick and his wife, Donna, were in France getting decorating ideas at Versailles and sampling the wines while chateau hunting in the Loire Valley––swanky. Fine, they prefer travel and booze, so they just abandoned us.

So, we asked BA to join us on a gentle, flat hike/stroll. Roy’s pesky foot is still acting up, and Guy tweaked his back, so our Trail Master said, “Let’s do a little Beltline, urban adventure walk!” We understood the Beltline part. The “adventure” part, we were a little leery of.

He told us to park by the bank, located between Publix and Kroger, on Monroe Street at Ansley Mall. While that didn’t sound like a trailhead, it did seem like a good way to get our cars booted or towed. In case you were wondering, the whole idea of booting began with Frank P. Marugg in Denver back in the ‘50s. Thanks a lot, Frank.

But BA used to live nearby, and she knew a hidden gate behind the bank that led directly to the Beltline (unfortunately, she didn’t know a secret way into the bank vault). For those of you not in Atlanta and unfamiliar with the Beltline, please conduct a Google search to learn more. It’s a transformative network of pedestrian paths linking all areas of the city.

As we headed to the gate, we noticed that someone had been hydrating with tequila and lost their bottle. We just had water—that would have to do. Fio and Elvis brought limes and salt and were disappointed. They thought it was party time.

Out on the Beltline, BA shared points of interest with us and even showed us her old house. She said one guy she knew let a Grady student paint his entire fence. It was very lovely, and we now want all our fences painted. Sounds like a job for Tom Sawyer & Friends Painting Co.

We encountered a few walkers, some with dogs, and got zoomed by several bikers, but it was a quiet day.

Since this stretch borders the Ansley Golf Club, large fences have been erected to keep the golf balls from whacking you. BA said even with those barriers, they would get errant golf balls in their backyard.

We stayed on high alert as we passed through this dangerous area, doing our best Bill Murray Caddyshack impersonations.

Along the way, we saw many beautiful and eclectic murals and tags created by talented artists working on a huge scale. Impressive.

Guy took us beyond the trail a bit as we skirted the interstate, railroad tracks, and Armour Circle. There was evidence of tent city encampments, but no residents were present.

We went through a few dark, spooky tunnels that we firmly believe are where zombies hang out when it rains. In one, there were dozens of glow sticks. We assumed the zombies were having a rave event there. Were they The Grateful Dead? Trailheads thought that sounded like fun and made a note to return.

Brad was hosting a small screening in the evening of George’s new documentary, The Games in Black & White, about the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, so he had to get back and set everything up. Brad later reported that it was a magical night celebrating friends and George's inspiring film.

It was hot and super humid hiking, and we decided to head for lunch early. Along the way, we passed the building where Brad had his first job out of college. That required a photo.

We were near our eating destination, but unable to get through an office and industrial area to reach it. We had decided on Fox Bros BBQ’s Que-Osk on Ottley in the Armour Circle complex.

It’s an old shipping container that serves as the dispenser of all things Fox Bros. They have a massive catering operation just down the street, so everything is prepared and smoked there, and delivered fresh to the Que-Osk. There’s a comfortable covered eating area. 

But first, we had to backtrack and retrieve our cars (which were not booted or towed) and drive to lunch. Although it was close, there’s only one way in and out of Armour Circle.

On the way, you pass Sweetwater Brewing, The Painted Pickle Pickleball bar/restaurant, a cool coffee shop, and an excellent cheese shop named Capella. That means there are a lot of good reasons to return to this area and explore more.

We pulled up and went to the window to order. The good fellow assured us they had everything on the menu. It was early, and they had not yet sold out of anything. We all ordered and assembled at the picnic tables to wait for our names to be called. We noticed they also have a good takeaway business, likely serving all the people working in the area.

The food arrived and we all oohed and ahhhed as we opened our boxes. Guy and Brad got the combo plates: brisket and ribs. And man, oh man, were those meats good.

The brisket was thick-sliced, moist, smoky, and had a peppery bark with a crunch. It was the best brisket we’ve had at Fox Bros., and they are dependably good. The ribs were meaty, moist, and tender. So tasty down to the bones.

Roy got the brisket plate and was flabbergasted by the thick slices. Rarely does food taste as good as it looks. But in this case, it was even better (lying eyes!).

Continuing the brisket sweep, BA had the Brisket Sandwich. She loved it. The bun was a great sponge for the smoky goodness inside. She even got dinner to go.

George has been traveling and eating, and felt he needed to watch his waistline, so he got the half-chicken. He only ate half of that and took the rest home to his wife, Carole. It was mahogany perfection. Juicy and flavorful with skin that had a crispy snap to it. Take that, Col. Sanders!

For our sides, we stayed with a core of very, very creamy Slaw, richly flavored Collard Greens, and perfectly baked Baked Beans. All were tasty.

Honestly the brisket, ribs and chicken were so good you almost didn't need sides. But that didn't stop us. We ate them anyway.

Fox Bros. gives you a slice of white bread that can be used as a food delivery system or even as an extra napkin. It’s versatile.

BA enjoyed an Apple Crumble, and as much as she liked it, she was dying for some ice cream to go with it.

We missed Steve and Patrick but it was good to have BA with us today, and we would have welcomed the addition of an ice cream guy.

Rating: Four Ribs*

Fox Bros Bar-B-Q -The Que-osk 

120 Ottley Dr NE

Atlanta GA 30324

(404) 358-7635.

foxbrosbbq.com/the-queosk

 *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.Our 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.

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