Nothing Fancy. Just
Good Ol’ Barbecue
This restaurant has
no fancy slogan. No
hype, no jingles, and nobody in a clown suit. What it does have is the best, melt-in-your mouth bar-b-que to be found in the South.
Called, simply, Fresh Air Bar-B-Que, the restaurant is a little off the beaten path in Jackson,
Georgia.
Established in 1929
by Dr. Joel Watkins, the restaurant was purchased by George W. “Toots” Caston
upon the death of Dr. Watkins in 1945. It remains in the Caston family to this
day.
One of my most fond
childhood memories is of my Daddy, waking everyone early on a summer Sunday
morning (and I do mean early…about four a.m.) to get in the car to drive down
south a ways to pick peaches.
You may think peaches
have nothing to do with bar-b-que, but stay with me on this.
You see, Daddy liked
to make a day of it. Get up early and head down to the peach orchard first
thing to pick peaches while it wasn’t so hot. Then on to Indian Springs for a nice
drink of that mineral water.
By that time, it was
lunch time. Time to head over to Fresh Air Bar-B-Que. The establishment itself doesn't look like much more than a shack by the side of the road. But that is the beauty of its appeal: simplicity. The Caston family focuses on the bar-b-que.
That is not to say
the place is a shambles. Far from it. The interior is clean and well-organized.
And the tangy smell of barbecue will have your stomach grumbling before you
even walk in the door.
The menu is limited.
They do, after all, specialize in barbecue so you won’t see a variety of foods
to choose from. Brunswick stew and cole slaw, along with drinks and deserts are
pretty much all you’re going to find. Make no mistake, it’s all delicious and
all very filling.
As far as my father
was concerned, that barbecue was well worth the drive down south. Heck, the
vinegar-based barbecue sauce alone is worth the drive.
So if you find
yourself with a hankerin’ for some good ol’, award-winning southern barbecue,
head out to Fresh Air Bar-B-Que. You won’t be disappointed.
They also have a
location in Macon, Ga.
The original Fresh Air Barbecue in Jackson, Georgia, is the oldest pit-cooked barbecue restaurant in Georgia still in its original location. Visit their website for more information!
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