Brinson’s Bar-B-Que | Old School Georgia BBQ At Its Besteorgia B

True Taste of Georgia

Brinson’s Bar-b-que in Millen, GA makes old-school Georgia BBQ at its best.

No music plays to set the mood. But the rhythmic thud of smoke-cooked pork shoulder getting hacked into motley chunks provides a sweet refrain. They cut the pork when you order it. That means freshness beyond compare. Inside pieces are juicy and velvet soft. Glistening outside pieces (aka bark) offer joyful crunch and chew. All of it is intensely smoky, brought to glory by the addition of tangy/sweet mustard sauce. Old school Georgia BBQ gets no better than this.

Pork Wants Hash

The menu does not offer much variety. You can have chicken on weekends and hamburgers every day. Desserts are a selection of packaged Moon Pies, candy bars, and Tastykakes. Other than chopped BBQ, the must-eat item is hash. They make it south Georgia style, meaning that copious shreds of pork, flavored with that beguiling sauce, are supplemented by a few peas, corn kernels, and little pieces of potato. It makes me think of a hybrid of CSRA all-meat hash and vegetable-rich Brunswick stew. Brinson’s sells it in a nominal sandwich, in which the hash turns the white bread to tender mush. That makes it altogether unwieldy, but a joy to pick at and fork up. You also can have it on rice, served with a spoon.

Old School Cool

Roadfood’s Chickenplucker alerted us to Brinson’s Bar-b-que existence back in March, 2017. He described it as “old school cool.” Open since 1966 and located at a remote country crossroads, it has an enchanting timeless air completely unlike a restaurant that aims to be trendy. No frills or frippery here. No decor on the cinderblock walls. Mismatched tables and chairs spread out over a poured concrete floor. Even before pandemic panic, all food came in disposable dishware (much business is take-out). The day I came for lunch, it seemed that half the clientele were local and state law officers.