According to almost anyone you ask in Lexington, or any of the myriad barbecue “experts” out there, Paul’s was one of the best barbecue restaurants in Georgia over its long history. [I’ve eaten at many of the “best barbecue in Georgia” joints and very few have impressed me. My favorite remains Armstrong’s in Summerville and it’s not even on many of those lists. They seem to have issues with their hours, though]. Online reviews raved about the perfect vinegar-based sauce, the thick Brunswick stew and sweet tea better than your granny’s. Paul’s was only open from 9:30-2:00 on Saturdays and on Independence Day. They finally shut their doors on 4 July 2016, a day which made many people sad.
Luckily, the good folks at the Southern Foodways Alliance interviewed the owners in 2008 and recorded an oral history of the business. It began in 1929 when Clifford Collins started cooking and barbecuing whole hogs in Lexington. He and Fudge Collins sold their product under the shade of a Mulberry tree on Main Street for the next forty years. With the advent of health regulations, the business moved inside this building and they began smoking hams instead of whole hogs. Clifford retired when he was in his 90s and passed the business on to his nephew, George Paul, Jr. George was a farmer with no restaurant experience but he quickly learned the ropes. He and his son Jimmy operated the business from about 1979 until 2016, with George smoking the shoulders on a pit at his farm and Jimmy making the Brunswick stew.
Sconyers in Augusta is WONDERFUL
Just to add to your list. My favorite BBQ is Wallace’s in Austell. Been my favorite since I met my late wife from Lithia Springs.
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Paul’s was incredibly special. I’ll miss it forever. If you ever wonder about the taste and flavor, Heavy’s in nearby Crawfordville is not too dissimilar to Paul’s.
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Never ate there but sconyers in Augusta Georgia is by far the best
I used to work at pauls bbq. Worked for the pauls from the age 13 or 14 till i was 16 when i was old enough to get a real job. Loved working there. Miss it daily.