Vandy’s BBQ, Statesboro, Georgia: The 2025 Georgia Tour

Just a few blocks away from Dolan’s is Vandy’s BBQ, another wood-cooker, so Keith McLendon and I drove over right after we finished meal number 2 of the day. Keith was disappointed that they’d recently painted the building, making it look new.

Gone was the patina of age lovingly accumulated over 95 years. Vandals! The pit house was pretty pristine, however.

We arrived and entered the small space where two men already were at a table awaiting some ribs. There are a handful of tables, a cooler with a selection of beers and seltzers, it being a college town. Keith and I looked over the options,

and since it was 11:23 am and our third meal of the day with more to come, I suggested that we split a sandwich rather than order one each. The food came out quickly.

Here’s an inside look at the pork.

Now that was good pork. It was cooked with direct heat in a pit over wood coals. It had that extra layer of flavor that comes not from the wood coals alone, but also from the pork fat dripping down into coals and then smoking up to permeate the meat. UPDATE. And, as Keith remarked, the bread was perfectly fresh and flavorful, better than any other supermarket loaf.

That same hot off the pit meat is what they use for the Brunswick stew, and it gave the stew a richness and freshness that you can’t get from leftover meat. It had an outstanding flavor, and was a good example of a stew with more or less evenly balanced meat and vegetables. This is an excellent version, one you want to try.

Just before we finished, one of two rib eaters hit the wall. He graciously offered two ribs to us, and it really would have been impolite to refuse. Here’s one —

That was one meaty rib. It had a nice chewy texture (none of this falling off the bone business) and the flavor of pork and smoke shone through the glaze. Very good!

I read that there are only seven traditional pits in Georgia, with everyone else either using offset wood-cooking smokers or else abandoned to the dark side. It makes a difference. I’m glad we stopped at Vandy’s, and after eating that rib I was glad we’d split the sandwich. If you’re anywhere near Statesboro, be sure to eat at Vandy’s.

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