Barbecue Street - Kennesaw

Way back when, this restaurant was Bell's Barbecue. It was a landmark in Kennesaw because of the fire truck that sat on the property. It was equally famous for it's food.

For the first few years after moving to the Wade Green Rd area, my family visited Bell's frequently. It was the restaurant of choice on a weekend night when we just didn't want to eat at home. Inexpensive and family friendly (no smoking or beer), we made the place our alternate dinner table.

Then, suddenly, and with little warning, the Bell's decided to sell. We were heartsick with fear that our family dinner refuge would no longer be the same. Malcolm, the new owner of Bell's Barbecue Street (the name Bell's was dropped as soon as people got used to Barbecue Street), put us at ease, somewhat, when he visited our table one night.

My wife expressed, in no uncertain terms, her dislike of change. Malcolm assured her that there would be very little change, and gave her an old Bell's menu as a keepsake.

There have been a few changes, here and there, but nearly a decade later, we can't see very many. One of the few changes we did soon see was the addition of catfish to the menu. As far as my wife was concerned, that was a very positive move.

The food at Barbecue Street has been consistent over the years. A family favorite is the Pork Stuffed Tater - a baked potato spread wide open and stuffed with barbecued pork. Get a side of slaw and all you have to do is pick your favorite from four or five sauces and you have a full meal.
My favorite sauce is the Georgia Red Onion. It's sweet and tasty, and I like to put a few drops of the Hot BBQ sauce in with it to add a kick. Here's a tip: if you like the taste of the meat as is, ask for the sauce that they baste it with and the server will bring you a cup of it. That's my wife's favorite sauce.

We've seen a lot of servers come and go, but have yet to have a bad experience with one. They all seem happy and helpful, which tends to lead to good patron experiences.

Give Barbecue Street a try. The only drawback is getting in and out of the parking lot (it sits at the intersection of Cherokee St and Jiles Rd in Kennesaw), but that doesn't seem to stop folks. Just look at the lot at about 6pm on a Saturday.