Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Sweat's was a religious experience


It’s always a bit sad when you pass a place along the side of the road – once full of so many happy memories – and it’s no longer there.
It’s either gone out of business, something has taken its place or it has been torn down.
I got that feeling late Tuesday afternoon when I turned off I-16 onto Highway 29, about six miles north of Soperton.
In the tiny community of Ormond, not far from the interstate ramps, a gas station and the local Huddle House, I pulled into what used to be Sweat’s Barbecue.
My mouth started watering just sitting there in the parking lot.
I lost track of the number of times I went there over the years. We used to stop there regularly on our family beach vacations to St. Simons.
I can’t say Sweat’s was my all-time favorite barbecue place. That honor is reserved for Fincher’s in Macon.
But Sweat’s was legendary, and folks would travel great distances to eat there. The theory is time-tested. People will go a long way to get good barbecue.
Anyway, Sweat’s closed several years ago. I know it’s been at least 10.
I know at least one other restaurant tried to make a go of it in the old Sweat’s location. It was a seafood restaurant, I believe.
When I passed by in recent years, it looked closed.
But there were signs of life on Tuesday. In fact, a new addition was being added to the front. I don’t have any official word about the renovations, but judging from the façade, it looks to be another one of those metal-sided churches.
That won’t bother me too much.
Eating Sweat’s Barbecue was always somewhat of a religious experience.

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

orland?

10:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ed, try Fresh Air BBQ. They are the champions in my book. They have been up in Jackson for a long time and have a nice place on Riverside Drive in Macon.

John G. Kelley, Jr.

11:57 PM  
Blogger Ed Grisamore said...

Yep, I'm pretty sure the sign didn't say Orlando.

6:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You are right about Fincher's being the all time favorite BBQ. Absolutely no one does it better than Fincher's!

8:26 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have eaten at many BBQ places over the years and next to Zeb's BBQ in Royston, Jimbo's Log Cabin is the best. Located on 441 in Homerville.

I always carry a cooler to Royston and bring home their stew to freeze. Ed, I bet it would put a hurting on your recipe for Gris stew.

M. Hendley

2:00 PM  

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