Trailheads Conquer Kennesaw Mountain Without Bloodshed, Then Celebrate Their Victory At Big Shanty Smokehouse.

Although it’s not commonly known, Kennesaw Mountain was once the site of nasty battles. Seriously, we’re not making this up. There was bloodshed on this majestic mountain during the Civil War, a kerfluffle not known for its civility, but one that gave Abraham Lincoln some pretty good fodder for his speech writing.

Trailheads had hiked this site before, and Trail Master Guy, Steve, George, Brad, and Patrick assembled with their loyal companions Fio and Elvis to surmount it once again. 

It was a beautiful day, and the trails were crowded with people walking their smaller people, friends, and pets. 

As we climbed, we came upon a couple, and Steve instantly deduced they were fellow Hoosiers. Now before you assume that Steve is Sherlock Holmes, the woman was wearing an Indiana U. tee shirt. Duh.

The next thing we knew, the Hoosiers reveled in the glory of their glorious championship season. While the team’s success was an amazing feat, we could feel cobwebs forming on our faces as new wrinkles appeared in our skin and our bald spots grew. We waited patiently, and eventually got back to hiking, with Steve smiling like he’d won the lottery.

As we passed people descending, Guy asked whether there was snow on top of the mountain. He told people passing by us to be careful because there was snow on the mountaintop. He cracked this gag repeatedly, adhering to the comic strategy of beating a joke like a stick to a dead horse, and it’s made even funnier after rigor mortis has set in. 

When we reached the top, we enjoyed the view of Atlanta. Then we saddled up our snow machines and rode back down. We hate it when Guy is right.

We walked back along the road to the parking lot. We marched with hunger as our constant companion, and were eager to get to our feeding station for grub:  Big Shanty Smokehouse in Kennesaw.

Roy would not be joining us today as he was eating his way through California. He violated his no-hiking rule and walked/hiked over 3 miles around the San Diego Zoo searching for exotic creatures barbecue with no luck.

Trailheads fell in love with Big Shanty Smokehouse, owned and operated by Paul and Lori Holden, on our first visit in December 2024 (click here and learn about these wonderful patrons of the smoking arts).

Everything on the menu is homemade, and the meats are expertly smoked to heavenly perfection. Paul is a champion pitmaster who competes regularly at Memphis in May: The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest. The talented man has shelves of awards proving his mastery of fire and smoke. 

Big Shanty Smokehouse has been recognized as one of the Best Barbecue Joints in Georgia, named best of Cobb in 2025, and honored as Best of the Best in America by National BBQ News in 2025. We’re sure the Holdens are waiting for their inevitable intergalactic honors coming soon. We know the aliens are here, and suspect they love good cooking.

Paul recognized us when we walked inside. Steve was anxious to brag about Indiana football, but wisely talked barbecue instead.

Lori was working the register, and the kitchen was humming. We placed our orders and grabbed a table on the patio. 

While we’re huge fans of Big Shanty Smokehouse's smoked pork and beef brisket, four of us enjoyed slabs of spareribs instead. Steve had the barbecue chicken because he assumed the poultry was from Indiana and wanted to talk IU football. He likes talking to his food.

The ribs tasted like a sweet dream. They had a perfect caramelized bark. The spices are just right, not overpowering or showy; they complement the smoked meaty goodness. 

The chicken was also a work of art that disappeared fast down the happy Hoosier’s hatch. The meat is tender and flavorful. 

We adorned our entrees with Willingham’s World Championship BBQ sauces, any of which will kick your taste buds straight into nirvana. 

The side dishes were also top shelf. The daily special cheesy rice was as cheesy as a Benny Hill skit, but much more tasteful.

The coleslaw was steeped in mayo love and pleasant to the palate. The Brunswick stew is world-class and will have your spoon working like a merry-go-round delivering the deliciousness to your mouth.

And the smoked baked beans would curl any cowboy’s toes.

We ate and talked trash about one another. Paul and Lori came to check on us, and we heaped well-earned praise on them for bringing their Memphis magic to Atlanta. We snapped a picture of our heroes. Do yourself a favor and visit this excellent barbecue joint soon and often. It’s as good as smoked love gets. Ask any alien visiting our world.

Trailheads faded into the horizon, another hiking and feasting day well done. "Go, IU football!" (We had to say that for Steve, or he’ll hurt us.)

Rating: Four Ribs*

Big Shanty Smokehouse

3393 Cherokee St NW 

Kennesaw GA 30144 

770.499.PIGG (7444) 

bigshantybbq.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