Five Trailheads–Guy, Brad, Roy, George (back from Bend, OR), and Patrick– hiked ITP on Blueway Trail in Blue Heron Nature Preserve. Ms. B.A. Albert joined us as our special guest. Steve was absent, apparently preferring to “work” instead of hike. Sometimes we worry about that guy.
This beautiful in-city trail is spitting distance from Roswell Road, and we, fortunately, avoided any saliva showers. We hit the path and viewed a small, beautiful waterfall, walked the bridges, gaped at the various aquatic critters breeding pens, and toured the community gardens. It was an easy hike with no bears, rabid raccoons, or feral insurance salespeople nipping at our heels, extolling the virtues of Universal Life Insurance.
It was a perfect way to spend a cool, sunny Autumn morning in Atlanta as we basked in the glory of our Braves becoming the World Champions of Baseball the previous evening––despite Brad almost jinxing the team by celebrating victory in the early innings. Rookie mistake, premature celebrating.
Post-hike, we headed up Roswell Rd. to Greater Good BBQ, next door to Fellini’s Pizza, ATL home of the N.Y. slice. Hard-working man Steve and the lovely Patty Tucker joined our crew. We anchored an eight-top on the patio with Fio and Elvis. A friendly server brought Atlanta tap water in a metal bowl as Roy, and I began fighting for a drink. The cheerful young woman explained the water was for the dogs. “Oh,” we said. "Okay."
Greater Good has an extensive menu with smoked beef brisket, chicken, pulled pork, and ribs. G.G. even lends a Mexican flair to its smoked meats with the innovative “Tucker Tacos” and “Cheesy Tacos.” These two options posed a difficult decision for TH Guy Tucker. Yes, he is a cheesy man, but his last name is also Tucker. After careful consideration, Guy ordered Tucker Tacos and made his ancestors happy.
The rest of our gang sampled the menu with gusto and carnivorous curiosity. Our verdicts were gushes of praise for the talented pitmasters. Greater Good pulled pork, and baby back ribs were stellar––tender, flavorful, transcendent. Pigs achieving greater glory. The brisket was delicious, and the chicken received complimentary clucks from native Alabamans B.A. and Roy, poultry connoisseurs. They longed for their beloved Morgan County White Sauce, but the chicken was plenty tasty without it. Tucker Tacos were muy Bueno, according to their bilingual namesake.
There were four barbecue sauces for dressing the delectable smoked meats: sweet sauce, house sauce (made with molasses), Carolina sauce (packing a nice mustardy-vinegar pop), and hot sauce delivering a fiery wallop to your tastebuds.
Trailheads were impressed with the sides. The collard greens were worthy of throwing down beside grandma’s best. Salty with a long finish. The coleslaw was comprised of fine cut cabbage, not shredded, kissed with a mellow sweetness. The Tater Tots were artesian quality, handpicked from Idaho Tater Tot orchards, and fried to crispy brown perfection.
The brisket chili was soupy, the spicy concoction could have used more protein reinforcement. And the Texas Toast was, well, Texas Toast––a thick plank of white bread browned crisp on one side and ready for duty if one wished to improvise a sammie.
Trailheads were very impressed with the service. We felt like we were at Bacchanalia for a special Anniversary dinner. Except we were at a picnic table, wearing signature TrailheadsHike brand O.G. ball caps (get some of our apparel in our Swag Shop), with two dogs lapping water beside us. Except for that, it was totally Bacchanalia.
As a surprise treat, Guy had brought a bottle of fancy French champagne. We got some big plastic red cups, poured, and toasted the glory of the mighty Atlanta Braves––long may they reign. And long may Greater Good deliver the goods for hungry folks.
Rating: Four Ribs*
The Greater Good BBQ
4441 Roswell Rd NE, Atlanta GA 30342
*About Our Barbecue Rating System
Trailheads do not claim to be food experts, epicureans, or sophisticated palettes. We are hungry hikers who attack a selected barbecue venue and ravage our way through whatever smoked fare and fixings they’re dishing.
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: we have acclaimed designers in our group, and they think the ribs graphic looks cool.
Who are we to argue? Enjoy.