The smoky excellence of Crawford’s beloved barbecue spot is now a shorter drive
For those who love barbecue, taking road trips to visit the most renowned restaurants is a common thing, but there’s nothing like the thrill of discovering one. Although best known for its catering in the Athens area, G Brand BBQ has become a favorite in nearby Crawford in recent years, and the recent opening of a drive-thru has brought its flavors closer to the classic city.
Located at 1973 Hog Mountain Road. in Watkinsville, G Brand is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Unlike Crawford’s larger restaurant, Watkinsville’s restaurant is drive-thru and takeout only, but the flavors and portions are large enough to satisfy any appetite.
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If G Brand BBQ’s “G” logo looks familiar, it might be because founder and owner Fred Gretsch took inspiration from the world-famous musical instrument company that bears G Brand BBQ’s last name. his family. Gretsch graduated from the University of Georgia and brought his 17 years of expertise in pig and broiler production to bear when he opened the 1140 Athens Rd. “mothership” location in Crawford in 2018.
“I always wanted to work on the food service side of the agricultural cycle,” Gretsch told the Banner-Herald. “I know where the best food comes from because I was the one providing it.”
The Watkinsville G Brand BBQ opened in March and was designed to be a sort of utility outpost for easy pickup and drive-thru that could accommodate orders for single plates or larger quantities for party groups. There’s no indoor or outdoor dining, but there is a modest retail space where bottles of G Brand’s signature sauces are available for purchase.
Prices start at $6.59 for a barbecue or chicken sandwich, and two-sided meat plates start at $10 for a chicken salad. The list of sides features many of barbecue’s best friends, including baked beans, Brunswick stew, coleslaw and mac and cheese. The dessert menu includes banana pudding, peach cobbler, a variety of cakes and old-timers’ cookie dough.
When the Banner-Herald visited the G Brand outpost, we ordered a half plate of baby back ribs with ragout and mac and cheese for $17.99 and a large cup of Publix sweet tea for 2, $50. Since a half rack contains six ribs, we decided to eat three without sauce and the rest with G Brand’s sweet hot sauce and Alabama-style white sauce. The ribs were smoked to perfection with a slightly crispy bark on the outside and tender, easy-to-bite meat on the inside.
Although the sauces were good, Gretsch’s no-nonsense approach to barbecue will be appreciated by the purest of tastes, and the flavor of the ribs remained pervasive. Even drenched in the sweet hot sauce, low in heat and rich in a host of interesting spices, G Brand’s exceptional smokiness was front and center.
To view the full G Brand BBQ menu and place orders online for pickup, visit gbrandbbq.com.
This article was originally published on Athens Banner-Herald: Eat Athens: G Brand BBQ offers takeout meals in Watkinsville
