Hollis Famous Ribs ~ Athens, GA

 

 While searching Athens Georgia for memorable barbecue, a seven foot tall man holding a large sign flagged us down. Yes, a modern-day-giant waving a hand-held-sign caught our attention, and, therefore, we pulled into Hollis Famous Ribs. The temperature (being around 98 degrees Fahrenheit) qualified the event as a photo opportunity for this fine fellow. Happy and hot, he shouted out the specials to us and the others passing by.

Seeing my photo enigma of his employee, Famous Clark Hollis greeted us with a pose at the door. He then immediately took us to look at the aforementioned famous ribs which smoked happily in a large pit within a covered barbecue hut.

  I love barbecue huts. Any shape, any size, no matter they are a spectacular feat of architecture. Keeping the cookers dry and free of bugs, these huts are the backbone of America. Now I will be famous like Famous Clark Hollis just because I have been in his barbecue hut. One cannot simply walk into a barbecue hut and live. This is a sacred building. It is a holy building of barbecue. I have been inside this holy building. I have seen and smelled the magic in Athens Georgia.

  Occupying a 1955-style burger-car-hop makes Hollis Famous Ribs look like a classic barbecue joint. There are plenty of picnic tables, some which are in the shade under an old car hop covering. I discovered that Hollis Famous Ribs cannot serve inside the building as they do not have a license to do so. Therefore, all food is delivered in to-go boxes for your dining pleasure. Maybe this is how barbecue should be served nationwide. This is perfect for the Bulldog enthusiasts who go tailgating before the big game. The BIG game is with the South Carolina Gamecocks, but more about that at a later time. A drive through window makes Hollis Famous Ribs the "go to" place for tailgate barbecue in Athens.

  All of the meat was "fall-off-the-bone" tender. Short ribs slow cooked in a barbecue hut cannot be anything but Famous. I ordered a portion of white-meat chicken for the moisture test. The chicken glistened with a tomato sauce with a hint of spice and was tender and moist. This is a middle of the road sauce which can be enjoyed by all. The sauce is nothing extraordinary mind you, but it is delicious. After diving into the perfectly cooked chicken and ribs I focused my attention on the pulled barbecue.

  Clark mentioned that they should have put the sauce on the side as he and I saw that the pulled barbecue was swimming in the sauce. I would have liked to have tasted the chopped barbecue with out sauce to enjoy the smokiness of the dish. In the future, one should order the sauce on the side.

  The sides are in need of some perking up according to gf. Clark needs to focus a bit on making his macaroni and cheese at least semi-famous. I would not say that it is infamous, but it does need an overhaul. The slaw was average but tasty.

Hollis Famous Ribs also serves Hash and Brunswick Stew which I sampled with pleasure. There was a lengthy discussion with the chef about the proper way to eat Hash. The lack of white rice to put the Hash on puzzled me. Evidently Georgians do not willingly put Hash on rice. This is a fatal flaw. South Carolina law states that Hash must be served with white rice. Since South Carolina seceded from the Union first, I believe that everyone must follow this Hash eating rule. If one does not know what Hash is, click here. The Brunswick Stew was right on the money.  If one does not know what Brunswick Stew is, click here.

  Overall, Hollis Famous Ribs is rightly named. Are they the best in North Georgia? I am not sure about that, but I will be back to enjoy these famous ribs.


Update: Hollis Famous Ribs is closed.
Click here for details. gf


Thanks for reading,

gf