Food was outstanding. Prices were good. Owner was very nice and welcoming. Highly recommend the Brunswick stew and the yellow jackets!

Stopped in on a Saturday at 3, I had not eaten all day. Yummy pork bbq, Brunswick stew and pepper jack mac n cheese. This place is a staple and filled with old timers but its friendly and super clean.

A true hidden gem worth the drive — Fred’s BBQ is the real deal! As a Smyrna local (where good BBQ spots have unfortunately become few and far between), I wasn’t expecting to discover my new favorite "Atlanta" barbecue joint on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year — but here we are. I was in the area getting my windshield replaced, sweating it out in a shop with no AC (on a day that felt like 100), and decided to take a walk to find a cool spot to hang out and maybe get some work done. That’s when I stumbled across Fred’s BBQ — and thank goodness I did. From the moment I saw the packed parking lot, especially with a lot of trucks, I knew I had to check it out. Inside, I found a freshly updated, clean restaurant with the kind of hospitality that feels harder and harder to come by these days. The staff behind the counter were warm, smiling, and genuinely welcoming — which, after baking outside, felt like walking into a little oasis of good vibes and great food. I ordered the special of the day (for under 10 with a drink!), and wow — it absolutely hit the spot. As a bit of a BBQ purist and foodie, I’ve noticed most places usually do either the meat or the sides well — rarely both. But Fred’s? They’re nailing it across the board. The BBQ was tender, smoky, and full of flavor. And the sides? Don’t sleep on them. I had the potato salad and the coleslaw, and both were excellent. The potato salad had a great depth of flavor — maybe a bit of bacon or something smoky in there? — and the seasoning was spot-on. The coleslaw was rich and creamy, definitely heavy on the mayo (which I personally love). If you’re not a mayo fan, you might want to try one of their other great sides, but for me, it was perfect. Pro tip: mix a little of their BBQ sauce into the slaw — it’s heavenly. Before I left, I grabbed a menu to plot my return and chatted with the friendly crew. I learned how popular their turkey ribs are (definitely trying those next time) and their legendary hot dogs — apparently they sell about 250,000 Yellow Jacket hot dogs alone per year, which honestly blew my mind. I even met the owner, who shared how they’d just reopened after devastating flooding from frozen pipes back in December 2023 — nearly a year and a half later. Talk about resilience! I'm sure that was a challenging period for the entire restaurant staff. Places like Fred’s are what local, small-business BBQ dreams are made of. The atmosphere is inviting, the service is heartfelt, the food is ridiculously good, and the prices are beyond fair (especially in today’s wild economy). It’s a place run by people who clearly care — and it shows in every bite and every interaction. My husband and I will definitely be making the drive back, again and again. If you're on this side of town — or honestly even if you’re not — do yourself a favor and stop in. Support this place. They’ve earned it. Their current hours of operation are Monday - Friday 11am-5pm.

Everything was clean, and everybody was friendly. But the food..... Absolutely Delicious!! We had the banana pudding turnover for dessert and there's no reason for anything to taste that good!! I'm pretty sure Fred took our order and he was super nice

One of the absolute best bbq establishments in Georgia. Their hours are limited and I get that with the shortages. It would be nice to see them open more. Get the pulled pork or beef with some Brunswick stew. My husband started taking me here he’s a long time patron and so was his dad. I’m from California and never had bbq before when I first tried Fred’s. Let me tell you it instantly became one of my favorites and I started trying all the local places after that. Fred’s is one of the areas best.

Bbq pork was great with the slaw. Idk what this Brunswick stew is but would probably get a different side next time. Otherwise it was solid lunch and I wanted to get another plate!

We try to go every week. Get the stew! You won't be disappointed!!! It's the best!!!

Five stars but with criticism. I happened to catch them 5 minutes before they closed. They did not look or sound happy to see me. The guy that checked me out did relax a little bit after I started talking to him and got a little bit more friendly. He gave me some advice on what to order. He is the first person I've asked if they had beer battered onion rings and knew what they were. He did mention that this restaurant has been here for 40 years. These type of restaurants are right up my alley. I love non-chain non commercialized restaurants! I ordered the burger with cheese and bacon. It also came with chili, onions and mustard. The flavor is slightly better than average compared to other restaurants of this caliber and price range. The onion rings tasted good aside from a slight bitter taste from old oil. I forgive all of this because I did get in there at the end of the day and will definitely be back to try them again.