From space travel to the Discovery Channel, these barbecue hot spots have been highlighted by the best on the Brews & Q’s Trail through Georgia’s Historic Heartland, stretching between Athens, about 30 miles north of I-20 on GA State Route 129, and Perry, just south of Warner Robins on I-75.
For barbecue that’s literally out of this world, don’t miss Fincher’s Barbecue in Warner Robins. Fincher’s was the first ever barbecue to be taken into space by NASA, as it was specifically requested by area native, U.S. astronaut Sonny Carter in 1989 on the space shuttle Discovery.
If you’d like a side of celebrity with your main dish, nearby Macon is home to Satterfield’s Restaurant and Catering, offering up their famous barbecue since 1983. Not only was it featured on an episode of The Travel Channel’s “Taste of America,” proprietor John Satterfield McCord has appeared nationwide on a commercial for Kingsford charcoal. Just north of there, don’t miss Old Clinton Bar-B-Q in Gray, where TV personality Mike Rowe crawled into the smoker for its once-monthly cleaning on his popular Discovery Channel show “Dirty Jobs.” Definitely cleaner, but just as much fun, Wild West BBQ & Family Restaurant in Monroe served as the shooting location for Nashville music duo Florida Georgia Line’s 2013 “Round Here” music video. And while you’re in Covington, where the popular CW drama The Vampire Diaries has filmed, be sure not to miss Bradley’s Bar-B-Que, where you can get a uniquely “vamped out” barbecue sandwich.