Jackson GA: Fresh Air Bar-B-Que<p>

Jackson GA: Fresh Air Bar-B-Que

Fresh Air has been on the highway south of Jackson for close to 90 years. It is a classic BBQ place: order at the counter, pick up your food, sit down at one of the long tables. The place is cavernous---the original building was added onto at some point with a second huge dining room. The ladies who run the place are both very efficient and extremely helpful.

The sign out front is pretty much the menu. You have three choices: BBQ sandwich (pulled pork, of course), BBQ plate (regular or large), or Brunswick stew. I managed to try all three. The BBQ itself is outstanding. It is perfectly cooked and moist enough to not need sauce. The sauce is applied with a kiss, just enough to add a hint of sweetness to the meat. Although I'm sure you can get sauce if you ask, it isn't kept on the table. Thanks to the meat, the BBQ sandwich is the quintessence of its type. As for the plate, it was similarly outstanding. The slaw doesn't have any carrots in it, which seems to be the style in this neighborhood, and it was creamy without being gooey. The pickle was very nice. The Brunswick stew was just as good as the pork: it had that same hint of sweetness and the perfect consistency between a soup and a hearty stew.

The brownie was extra. It was labeled "Real Good Brownie" and they weren't lying. It was the cakey style, which I prefer, and it was wonderfully tender.

I also put away a few Tom's BBQ pork rinds.

After my meal, one of the ladies very graciously let me take a photo of the BBQ pit, running 24/7 since the 1920's.

She even opened up the pit to show me the meat basking in the heat.

This stove sat nearby cooking up a batch of sauce.

This place is worth the trip, folks. There is a reason that they were voted best in Georgia back in the 80s and they haven't lost their touch.

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