Trailheads Revisit Their Hobo Days, Hike Along Tracks, Talk Turtles, And Zip To Owen & Co. For Barbecue.

We had a full crew of hikers with Guy, George, Steve, Brad, and Patrick, plus the addition of Roy for lunch-- a complete set of the original Trailheads. Even Elvis and Fio decided to show up.

Children worldwide collect Trailheads trading cards, and an original one with the full team is worth a fortune, if you can find it! Card backs list each teammate's relevant statistics: Miles Hiked, BB (before bitching, “Are we done yet?”), Favorite Smoked Meat, and “My Death Row Barbecue Platter.” The rookie cards are the most valuable, especially if the pack contains the original razor-sharp slab of rock-hard bubble gum. 

The five hikers gathered at Whittier Mill Park on the west side of Atlanta. This area has a fascinating history, which you can read about here from a previous blog entry. Unfortunately, most of the park was closed while workers installed new sewer lines. Why does a park need sewer lines? It’s a park. It’s grass and trees and the shell of an old mill. We wondered if an end-of-times bunker was being built under the lovely green field, and if it would have barbecue? More importantly, would they let us in, or would we have to keep pounding on the doors?

We steered clear of the construction, fearful they might ask us to help, or catch on that we knew something was afoot with the secret bunker and “disappear” us. So instead, Trailheads inspected the remains of the carpenter shop. Do any of us have carpentry skills? Of course not. But examining the place where carpentry was once practiced made us feel like handymen. Pretty pitiful, right?

The hikers took a path leading to the train tracks, where we reminisced about our hobo days as freighthoppers carrying our bindles with a pep in our steps, songs in our hearts, and quick reflexes while dodging the angry bullets of Johnnie Law.

We examined the rails. Patrick put his tongue on a track and said, “I think there’s a train headed our way--and I believe this rail definitely needs more potassium in its diet.”  Elvis was polite enough not to mention he’d recently peed on that section of track.

The hikers scrambled to safety as a long freight train rumbled by.  A reminder for kids that train tracks are dangerous, and you should never play Snidely Whiplash and tie anyone to the rails for fun.

We went into the woods, where we saw a bicycle under attack by creeping vegetation.  We made up many stories of how it got there, and none of them had happy endings. It was impressive the vegetation didn't need training wheels.

Hiking on the trail, we crossed a rickety wooden bridge, defying death boldly and bravely (while screaming terror-filled yelps along the way). It’s what we do. It’s in our charter.

Off we went down the path and under the highway for a selfie.

We enjoyed the graffiti gallery, wondering whether we could remove a post or two and display them in our homes, though drivers who passed over us on the bridge might not appreciate our taste in art as they fell from the highway. Everyone’s a critic.

George and Patrick talked about their new pick hit show, DTF St. Louis, a dark, twisted tale of kink and murder in the Midwest. The show stars Jason Bateman, David Harbour, Linda Cardellini, Richard Jenkins, and Joy Sunday. If you’re up for something completely different, this is the series for you.

Trail Master Guy led us on a journey along an idle railroad track, and when the vegetation got too thick for us to muddle through, he clambered across a train car to get to the other side. Steve followed his lead.  The outlaw blood runs strong in these two.

George, Brad, and Patrick refused to be told what to do--outlaw blood runs even stronger in them-- and the renegades crawled beneath the railroad car. They were thankful the train wasn’t moving because that would have probably complicated matters.

Trailheads hiked along the Riverwalk and saw a turtle sunning itself. 

Guy told us about a turtle he’d read about that’s believed to be 193 years old. It is a Seychelles giant turtle named Jonathan living in St. Helena. The old fellow loves his senior discounts at Vegetarian World Buffet and Dunkin’ (he’s a fanatic for the coffee with a couple of Munchkins). 

We were starved, so we grabbed a selfie by the carpenter shop and let Roy know we were lunching at Owens & Company.

This joint was formerly Owens & Hull Grand Championship BBQ (read about a previous visit here), and we were curious to learn if the food was as good after the partnership dissolved. We are happy to report it is.

Trailheads bellied up to the counter and ordered. Most of us were on the turkey train. We believe this place smokes the best big birds in the business. 

The turkey sandwich features tender slices of juicy, pepper-and-spice-rubbed turkey breast piled on a Martin’s Potato Bun, topped with pickled red onions and mustard sauce. Turkey Trailheads gobbled their sandwiches down like pilgrims with tapeworms. 

Contrarian Patrick enjoyed his chopped pulled pork sandwich, which he dressed with the delicious original barbecue sauce. He inhaled it.

Brad enjoyed his turkey sandwich along with a few chunks of Jalapeño & Cheddar Sausage. He was all over them.

The sides were excellent. The slaw was cool, crisp, perfectly seasoned, and ready to wear inside your belly.

Pepper Jack Cheese Grits have roasted poblano peppers and cream cheese. It’s good to the last bite.

And the Mac & Cheese is made with the fantastic four: Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Gouda, and Parmesan. Can you say comfort food?

Chandler, the friendly General Manager, came by to check on us. We raved about the food, especially the turkey. He said Owens & Co. BBQ turkey is underrated, and he appreciated our kind words.

Then he gave us the recipe. The turkey breasts are seasoned, smoked for 3 hours, removed from the smoker, slathered in unsalted butter, and wrapped in aluminum foil to finish cooking. This is the authentic Butterball Turkey; no wonder it’s so tasty. 

We sat around and caught up with Roy, who was traveling this weekend to see friends in Alabama. He even did some Trailheads’ research on the Conecuh sausage, made only in Evergreen, Alabama, since 1947.  It’s known for its distinct, savory flavor, achieved by smoking links over pure hickory wood and using a secret, consistent spice blend.  

Brad has recently picked up his paintbrushes again after decades of dormancy, and he showed Roy a portrait he was working on of The Great Indoorsman from his Great Wannabe Outdoorsman days. Roy was impressed and flattered. He suggested that Brad must now do a complete series of the Trailheads.

We voted to put Roy’s mug on American currency. Everyone’s doing it, so why not? He’ll even sign it!

Rating: Four Ribs*

Owens & Co

6255 Riverview Rd SE 

Building 4000 STE 100 

Smyrna, GA 30126

(404) 467-4427

gcbbq.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.

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