Trailheads Vanish Mysteriously, Three Return To Hike, And All Six Rally For Food.

Trailheads Nation was gripped with dread that its heroes had disbanded like The Beatles and were each off doing solo projects. After all, we all think we’re “the cute one.”

People panicked– what would eager readers do for their hiking and barbecue news? Worry not, our fretful friend, we are back after our mysterious absence, and no, we have no solo projects to share (although Brad did learn the sitar). 

Where were the Trailheads these past weeks? We were not in India visiting the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. George and Guy were traveling, Patrick was moving (“never let ‘the man’ know where you are,” he says), Brad was healing from his various pickleball injuries, Steve was consumed with big business dealings, and Roy, who no longer hikes because he’s a prisoner of rock and roll, was shredding his guitar and signing 8” x 10” glossies for his fans.

But on a cold January morning, Trail Master Guy led George and Patrick along the glorious Morningside Nature Trail. We climbed the hill as woodland creatures took notice.

“Hey, you guys are back!” a squirrel commented. “Good to see you again.”

“We love you, Trailheads,” two happy robins said. “We almost never want to poop on your heads, but you make tempting targets. Get moving, we’ll give you a five-minute head start.”

“You hiking dudes are my favorites,” a hungry bear confessed. “But I don’t think I’ll chase and maul you because you probably wouldn't be very tasty. Too much fat and gristle.”

Woodland creatures are welcoming yet pretty judgmental. 

We descended the wooden stairway, walked across a plank boardwalk, and hit the dirt path. Although Morningside Nature Trail is not long, you can meander hither and yon to get in some good steps–– which we did. While hither is nice, yon has more beautiful scenery.

The Three Trailheads went to the beach, where Fio found a golf ball.

“I thought there’d be a beach ball,” the disappointed dog said. “I hate golf.

Fio grabbed a chipping wedge and launched the Titleist into the creek.

George grabbed five rocks and demonstrated his pitching accuracy by throwing fastballs at a log across the creek. He hit it once.

“The old canon hasn’t been the same since my Tommy John surgery,” he said, shaking his head, spitting, and adjusting his crotch.

“I feel you,” Patrick said. “My singing hasn’t improved after my Elton John surgery.” 

“C’mon, you knuckleheads,” Guy barked, as he stooge-slapped his wiseacre companions. “Get a move on, it’s time to meander!”

We posed for a selfie to prove we are great outdoorsmen and sent a text to the three missing Trailheads to let them know we were lunching at Lewis Barbecue.

The message was like the Bat signal shone in the night sky over Gotham City, and everyone suddenly became available and began converging on the hot new Atlanta Barbecue spot in Ansley Mall.

Lewis has opened its new bar across the way from the restaurant, and we used its comfortable space as our gathering spot while everyone assembled. The spacious, beautiful joint has a long bar and a patio deck. We suspect this will be a hot midtown spot. 

As we waited, Brad told us about his latest pickleball accident involving his hip and the floor. The floor, as you might imagine, won—this time.

Roy listened patiently, his shoulder smarting from an injury he’d sustained due to Brad knocking into him while playing pickleball. Yes, Tumbles carries on his falling tradition from the trail to the hardwood. Tumbling’s his brand.

When Steve arrived, we crossed the sidewalk to Lewis Barbecue and got in line. Read here about our recent visit and the legend of Pit Master John Lewis. 

(Here’s where we try what Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did when they wrote the script for “Good Will Hunting.” They were convinced the studio was asking for changes but not actually reading the script, so they inserted graphic sex scenes in the middle of the script to see if anyone was paying attention. So, if you’ve made it this far, thank you. Please keep reading and imagine this is a lurid sex scene.) 

Everyone who works at Lewis is friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Where do these people come from? As soon as they greet you, they’re asking which complimentary extra you would like. Pickles, pickled onions, or shaved onions?

Most of us went for pickled onions and pickles. We eyed the tallow fries under the heat lamp, knowing an order or two would satisfy RFK Jr.’s desire for us to get more tallow into our diets. We’re poster children for the upside-down pyramid.

A nice man offered us sample bites of smoked pastrami, which was featured in the special of the day, The Lewis Barbecue Reuben. The meat was incredible.

A knife artisan was preparing a freshly smoked brisket, as we looked on with goo-goo eyes and bellies roaring loudly for food. George directed the carving of his pork spareribs. He wanted ribs 5 through 7 and 9 and 10. The cheerful fellow appreciated George’s specificity. Which was good since he had a large, sharp knife.

We took a table and placed our trays down, ready to feast. Here’s a quick review:

Guy ordered a Reuben Sandwich and gushed about it. He was a man in love, dabbing his lips with a napkin. We barely got a quick snapshot of it as he took a brief breath.

Steve loved his turkey sandwich. “It has a nice smoky flavor,” he said. “And it’s tender.”

Brad and George enjoyed their pork spareribs. “The meat falls off the bone,” George said, using his pitching arm to shove another rib toward his waiting mouth.

“The bark’s great,” Brad said. “It has a nice peppery punch.”

Roy and Patrick had the brisket and raved about it. “This might be the best in Atlanta,” they declared. 

We also enjoyed our sides: slaw, beans, collard greens, and tallow fries. The fries taste best fresh from the fryer, although Patrick burned his hands reaching into the grease to grab them. He was told to never jump the counter again.

On our repeat visit, Trailheads confirmed Lewis Barbecue is the real deal and a welcome addition to the Atlanta dining scene. 

If you haven’t sampled it yet, get a move on and eat. Then, have some booze and let us know how the bar is.

Rating: Four Ribs*

Lewis Barbecue

1544 Piedmont Ave NE #406

Atlanta, GA 30324

 (404) 939-9567

lewisbarbecue.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