DUSTY'S BARBECUE

He says:
“I think this is the wrong place,” said Uptown Girl.

A good friend of mine had popped into town, and when he mentioned he loved barbeque, Uptown Girl and I sprang into action. We researched the best BBQ joints in Atlanta, found Creative Loafing’s top pick for 2006, and drove over to Daddy D’z for the best ribs the South had to offer.

Unfortunately, there was a mix-up.

The bright yellow sign in the parking lot said “Dusty’s Barbecue.” And the menu, from which we had just ordered several platters, also said “Dusty’s Barbecue.” Somehow, in our rush and ravenous hunger, we had ended up in the wrong restaurant on the wrong side of town. “Who knows?” my friend said. ‘Maybe it’s better than Daddy D’z.” Alas, we were not so fortunate.

The Brunswick Stew that kicked off dinner tasted like the over-sweetened tomato base of Spaghetti-O’s. The Baby Back Ribs were dry and tiny; it was like chewing on twigs. They weren’t covered in BBQ sauce either; you had to squeeze your own from a squirt bottle supplied on the table. The pulled pork wasn’t bad, though only following a generous dollop of BBQ sauce to give it some kick.

To be fair, Dusty’s is not trying to surprise you. It is what it is—a little barbecue shack at a big intersection. It has low prices, a friendly staff, and a red checkered tablecloth at every table. The food isn’t very good, but that’s probably not a surprise either.



Dusty’s Barbeque
1815 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA 30329
http://www.dustys.com/