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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Sun. 2:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
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The ribs here are cooked to perfection, don't require any extra sauce, and make you feel sinful after every visit. Apparently they have side dishes and choices other than ribs, but I wouldn't really know, I won't venture away from the greasy pork goodness. The ribs fall off of the bone and have great smoke flavor without it being over powering.
They have live music every night and good sweet tea. They also finally decided to open up to the world of credit cards a few years ago.
If you ever visit Atlanta, go. You'll enjoy it.
Every person I know who's new to town or visits frequently raves about this place. They LOVE it. I just started with a new company this year and the people who fly in on a regular basis are always going on "Ohhh, can we go to Fat Matt's?"
You know why? They're Canadian. It's my only guess.
Nothing wrong with that, but damn...
Fat Matt's is fine. The ribs are tasty enough if often too fatty, the sauce acceptably good, nice basic set-up. But the first few times I heard people raving about it, I thought they were joking. I have nothing against Fat Matt's, but Daddy D'z and Rolling Bones stand out much more for me.
I avoid honky-tonk or whatever music they play here like you after Prom, so I can't judge how good it is.
I decided to take some friends to Fat Matt's Rib shack today for an early dinner and it was amazing! We ordered Brunswick Stew and a 1/2 rack of ribs and finished everything. The ribs fell right off the bone and the brunswick stew was super hot and really good! I recommend checking out this well known hot spot with your friends or family.
If you go after 6pm. you will catch the live jazz band that will rock the meat right off those ribs baby!
Enjoy-Cheers,
Best way to say it ... when u have bad ribs you know it
When you get ribs from Fat Matt's ... Just heaven! best ribs in the city and always consistant. I send all my friends there when they ask about ribs!
WARNING: Do not drive down Piedmont with your windows down because the smell from Fat Matt's can be too tempting to resist. That's what happened to me earlier today as I was on my way home from Piedmont Park. Granted, I was a little hungry, but somehow I ended up spending almost $30 just on myself!
The smell is enticing and the food pretty much matches what I had hoped. I wish the service were a little better, but I still keep coming back even though it can be spotty (although most folks probably don't come here because of the employees).
So, for lunch, dinner, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and breakfast (today and tomorrow) I'll be splitting my interests between 1/2 a slab of ribs, 1/2 a chicken, a chopped pork sandwich, and lots of Brunswick stew.
I haven't been to many, but this is my fave bbq place in Atlanta. Prices are great, food is yummy, environment is fun, and its open to 12:30 on weekends (for when i want ribs at midnight). It's not a fancy or nice place but it's what you would expect from a bbq place. You do have to stand in line to order your food and some of the servers are missing teeth, but that just adds to the environment. Oh they also have live music sometimes.
I always get the 1/2 slab of baby back ribs which is very tasty and tender. Not the most tender, not fall off the bone, but certainly one of the best levels of both good flavor and tenderness (most bbq places have one or the other).
Since I don't like Southern food, I don't really like anything else here. EXCEPT for the sodas. I love the little tiny rock ice they serve with soda.
Most Overrated BBQ Ribs in Atlanta.
I've definitely had better ribs around town. This place is a local attraction and serves BBQ for the masses. But don't expect to get a true BBQ experience. Where's the Brunswick Stew? Corn Bread?
Come for a filling meal and live music but leave disappointed in their lack of real BBQ taste.
In a pilgrimage to pray at the Altar of Barbecue, most consider Fat Matt's to be Mecca. During all my years as an ATLien, I never really understood why people routinely line up out the door (and practically all the way down to Piedmont Park) just to eat here. Well, clearly my loverboy thought it was time to enlighten me, and we soon found ourselves prostrate on the Holy Church of Matt's doorstep.
I was a little surprised to discover the entire restaurant is about the size of someone's living room. Well, that explains the line. Fat Matt's is about as no-frills as a BBQ joint can get: Pick from a small but thoroughly meat-filled menu, order at the counter, and get your food in about ten minutes.
To be brutally honest (as I am skilled at being so), I did not see visions of Jesus or hear a choir of angels when I bit into my chopped pork sandwich. Granted, I only paid four dollars, and you can't really beat that-- but I guess I was just expecting the food to be mindblowing, given the way people sing its praises. The meat was tender, but needed more spice, or sauce, or something. I felt like the bland, Wonderbread-style bun just took away from the barbecue, and something a bit more flavorful would have been preferred.
Forgive me, father, for I have sinned-- I decided Fat Matt's just doesn't live up to the hype. I do still plan to go back and sample the ribs and chicken, so perhaps I will amend my review at a later date.
In Pork's name I pray, Amen.
For those of you who have written "the best ribs ever," and other "best" BBQ quotes...you really need to get out more. I don't mean that to be offensive, but you do.
I live right around the corner from Fat Matt's and had a hankering for some BBQ for lunch and thought I would give them another shot. I was still disappointed. Especially after many people speak so highly of this place. I'm not sure if it's because it has been an Atlanta staple for quite awhile or if its cheap or something totally different, but there seems to be some strange love affair with this place. The atmosphere, if you can find both a parking spot AND a seat, is actually pretty good. There is almost always live music, and the times I have been in it has been quite good.
I find the sauce to be mediocre, and the meat to be relatively fatty. Especially their ribs. I do, however, enjoy their chicken.
Step it up Fat Matt, live up to your reputation.
Really good ribs. I am a rib fan and try to get ribs in every city I go to. That being said I have not had better in Atlanta. Good side dishes too - Brunswick Stew is good!
On a lazy Sunday afternoon I was looking for some barbecue as this i the south, right? I looked and this place and Daddy D'z. I didn't feel like getting my ribs with a side of stray bullet to the face, so I went with Fat Matt's.
The menu to this place is VERY simple. Meaning they ONLY have ribs, chicken, and some chopped pork sandwiches. Of course they have all the traditional side items.
They have a good selection of beers which I wasn't expecting.
My gf and I shared a full slab of ribs and a couple sides which was enough for two people. You simply order at the counter and they bring you your food.
The ribs were fantastic. Fall off the bone with a great light sauce. It you're into ribs, and who isn't, this is THE place in atlanta for ribs.
No, it's not a classy joint, and they only have one tiny TV for falcons games, but if you're into ribs, go here!
I have had the opportunity to go to Atlanta twice this year. Each time, I took a trip straight to Fat Matt's Rib Shack. This place gets a five star from me because of it's prices, simply.
Where else can you go to get a 1/4 Chicken 1/4 slab of ribs (aka DA COMBO) for $8.75? Don't forget to stock up on the sides. If my readers know me, I don't eat beans. But when I saw the "RUM baked beans" how could I resist? RUM? All of the sides were under $2 each. And are around $1.20. If you are going to choose some go for the Rum Baked Beans and Brunswick Stew. You could get the potato salad or coleslaw but you can easily get that anywhere.
I HEAR that the Pulled Pork Sandwich is a local fan favorite. I mean it IS Pulled Pork? The SOUTH is known for their pulled-pork. Maybe on my next trip I'm going to opt for that. I did order a slice of Pecan Pie on my way out. It was one of the better Pecan Pie's I have had and only $2.
The line varies, if you come before lunchtime and before dinner you'll be able to find a seat. My second occassion I waited for a good hour and a half. Totally worth it. I am that much of a fan, I even tried purchasing a shirt but they only had XXXL left.
If you're lucky, at night sometimes, a local jazz band comes in and plays a show. You order at a counter and the food comes out to you. All of the staff are extremely friendly and the decor has it's Georgia flavor. I have had BBQ at other places in ATLANTA but I can't seem to replace them over Fat Matt's Rib Shack.
3.5 rounded to 4
After visiting sam's bbq 1, i was looking forward to fat matt's, since it had received so many good reviews. So lets start off with what my friends and i got. We got a full rack of ribs, half a bbq chicken, and half a pound of pulled pork. We also got the pecan and pumpkin pie. So let me just put it out there, WE unanimously agreed that you get more food for the money at Sam's BBQ 1 than at Fat Matt's. With that being said, we still enjoyed our food very much. Especially the ribs
The Ribs: moist, juice, the meat was falling off the bone, and it had lots of flavor and smokeyness. We all enjoyed it A LOT. it was prob the highlight of our meal.
The chicken: the dark meat was very juicy and very tender. However, once you got to the white meat (aka the breast) it almost immediately lost some of its juiciness. It was still moist enough to eat, but you had to put bbq sauce on it to give it enough moisture. Almost like it was left under a heating lamp for a while.
The pulled pork. It was pre bbq sauced, and pulled very thinly, not like the pulled pork that I've had before. I wasnt a big fan of it.
So basically, if you go to fat matt's ribs, get the ribs. DUH.
Now onto the sides and the desserts. We got the baked beans and the mac and cheese. The baked beans were pretty good. everyone was a fan of it, and in my opinion theyre better than sam's.
The mac and cheese was kinda thick, not as cheesy as sam's still pretty good, but i like sam's a lot better. Sorry matt
Now onto the desserts, the pecan pie was warm with a cinnamon and milky flavor. it was pretty good. not very sweet.
The potato pie honestly was very similar to a pumpkin pie. in fact, imagine a pumpkin pie except less pumpkin-y and thats wat its like.
overall neither of the desserts were as good as Sam's banana pudding.
So youre probably wondering, if its not as good as sam's for most things, why the same rating. well we wanted it to bea 3.5, but we cant rate like that. and honestly the difference wasnt big enough to warrent a drop to a 3. so 4 it is. Thank god i worked out today.
I have found Rib Nirvana. Went to Matt's last night. I'd heard good things about the ribs - actually a good friend plays here on the weekends - but I doubted that it was up to the hype. I was wrong. The ribs here are INCREDIBLE. They have a char-broiled taste that is just out of this world. Only other ribs I've ever had that compared were at the Rendezvous in Memphis- I still think Rendezvous was better - but not by much. The ribs come with a side of sauce - spicy and tangy, but I used that for the bread - why in the world would you want to mask that char-broiled taste? Sides were run-of-the-mill - Brunswick stew was bland, beans were so-so. The meat was cooked just right, not too fatty, not dry at all - it was pure delight. Next time, I will just skip the sides and order more ribs. Great atmosphere - finally a bbq place that lives up to the hype - two snaps!!!
Love this place. There is nothing like eating a pulled pork sandwich, ribs, and drinking a beer with jazz playing in background. Life does not get much better!
I've ignored Fat Matt's on Yelp since I first logged in oh those many moons ago. The fact is, I've ignored Fat Matt's in real life too. For some reason, it never took with me despite my many visits in my first few years of residence in Atlanta. Maybe it was the never-ending line or the parking chaos. Maybe it was because I found other, more tourist-averse places. Whatever the reason, it's been a very, very long time since I've visited Matt and I returned only because an old friend who was visiting from out of town had chosen to eat here.
Luckily for us, we chose to eat at 5pm which immediately eliminated my two biggest issues: the line and the parking. I got rock star parking AND the line was only three deep. As a result, this review is going to be much kinder than what I'd usually give.
It's a rib shack. The menu isn't that diverse. They serve ribs and chicken and pulled pork and baked beans and collards and, hell, they have their menu painted on the side of the wall. So no, not too diverse. And as far as I can tell, the ribs seem, for the most part, grilled. For BBQ purists, that's a big no-no. But for once, let me step away from BBQ douchebaggery and admit that I actually enjoyed my half rack. Oh, maybe because I haven't had ribs in a long time, but it was tasty. The sauce wasn't cloying sweet, the vinegar adding enough acidity to take care of that. The rib meat was tender, but still had enough structure to withstand a man-sized bite without falling apart into mush.
The beer was mercifully cheap. Merciful because, as an unemployment statistic, I shouldn't be spending my afternoons drinking beer and eating ribs. But sometimes bro's before woes and it was good to catch up with an old buddy even if he thinks like a tourist. To his credit, though, I got to revisit (and enjoy) something I haven't in a while. Bro's before woes indeed.
Yawn. Better can be had elsewhere. Boring 'que w/ bland sides. I don't care the out of the bag white sliced bread flopped on the plate.
What baffles me is that the place is always crowded and other people rave about Fat Matt's. So go for it. Punish yourself.
I don't know about the barbecue stuff, but they have the best baked beans I've ever had.
Do you like ribs? Then this is where you need to be. If you don't like ribs, head elsewhere, because that's pretty much all they do. But, wow, do they do it better than any place else I've ever been. Without a doubt, these are the best ribs I'e ever had. The ribs just fall of the bone, exactly like they should. The BBQ sauce is just amazing. It's so good, I'll take the lame little piece of white bread they give you and just soak up sauce with it until every last drop is gone. They also have some of the best sweet tea around, and live music some evenings.
Could the sides be better? Yeah, probably. But these guys really subscribe to the "do one thing, and do it well" philosophy. And that one thing is ribs. Delicious, and a must-visit if you're in the area.
Best ribs (thus far) in Atlanta. Hey, it's in the name. Great BBQ joint with limited seating, you order up front, and live music most all the time. What more could you ask for? Good for lunch or dinner.
Tried this place for the first time, I had the combo, it as great.
I will be back!
Pulled pork sandwich, sweet tea, coleslaw and beans.. Wep, this one is for you bro. I spent four years in Atlanta and owe this place at least 20 lbs back. Instead of giving them the weight I will hit them up with a perfect score.
If your in the neighborhood, try this place, it really is wonderful!!
When in Atlanta go where the locals go. These are great smoky, juicy, meaty and falling off the bone ribs. The sauce is just sweet enough for me. I shared a table with a father and son who lived in Atlanta. He told me that his favorite bbq was his own, but if he wasn't doing the cooking he preferred Fat Matt's ribs. As someone who has spent many hours cooking and comparing wet vs. dry, gas vs. charcoal, pork vs. beef I totally agreed with him.
I have not done the comparison among the other (highly rated) rib joints in town but if the foodie comments on Yelp are any indication it will be a very enjoyable tasting.
I am not of the same mentality as Jeff W. of the DC area where he downplayed the nuances of the grillmaster skills in the art of barbecue. While I agree that the bottom-linen is the achievement of tender, lean, smoked meat, I feel that the differences in technique and mastery found in varying barbecue establishments are what makes one place better than the other.*
That being said the ribs were pleasantly tender and lean with just the right amount of sweet BBQ sauce. Pulled pork was almost too sweet/salty in addition to the sauce, and the chicken was surprisingly tender. Mac and cheese was the best I've ever had at a BBQ shack - extremely creamy and extra cheesy. The sweet potato pie was excellent, but the pecan pie was too sweet with not enough nuts. All this for a great price.
Bare bones eatery with a small yet well-made menu. Seating both inside and outside, but no guarantee that the awning over the outdoor seating completely covers you. Plenty of (un)sweetened tea available. Staff was friendly and attentive - a busboy was nice enough to recommend a fried chicken place just down the street. I'd recommend this place to anyone having an inkling for delicious and affordable BBQ in the area.
*I do hope that Jeff W. knows that my review is in no way an attack on his as a person or as a Yelper but merely in jest of those who have attacked his reviews. My regard is amicable and friendly of course!
I came here on a Tuesday night, and despite being an off night, the place was pretty hopping. There was a live blues band (fantastic!), the patio was FULL, and the inside only had a few tables open at any given point. The walls are covered in crazy stuff, but it was REAL stuff and didn't feel like a Friday's or an Applebees. My favorite was the photo hanging above the door to the kitchen (don't miss it.. there's something creepy and awesome about it!) The atmosphere of this place alone was worth the visit.
The food, on the other hand, was mixed. The menu is fairly small, but I think the protein appeals to every person craving BBQ. There was a pleasantly sizable number of tasty sides. I ordered a half rack of ribs, a side of baked beans, a slice of pecan pie and a glass of lemonade (everything is a la carte). I don't generally (ever) like baked beans, but the "rum" baked beans here were FANTASTIC. The ribs, on the other hand, were so-so. They were boiled, not smoked, and the cut was more of cartilage than bone (definitely not something you want to be dealing with on a date... then again, who orders ribs on a date without expecting to be getting messy?) so I was frequently surprised when I bit into the meat. The flavor of the ribs was also lacking (due to the cooking process), so a majority of the flavor was from their BBQ Sauce. Overall, not a set of ribs I'd ever crave again. The pie also left some to be desired. Having moved here recently, I was really craving some GOOD southern Pecan Pie. The pie was a little dry, and rather bland. Not nearly as good as my yankee mom's pecan pie. The lemonade was FABULOUS. Better than Chick fil a.
Overall, this was a fun place to go for a different kind of evening, but I had better BBQ working at Smokey Bones in Cincinnati. I would return, to share the atmosphere with someone. I wouldn't come back specifically for the food.
if you enjoy this place, you havent had real southern bbq. Dried out meat, sauce/dry rubs/marinades are half the battle, and none of it's to par. I think they enjoy the benefits of being the only bbq joint around the piedmont road area and no one seems to know any better.
I definitely won't be back after the same experiences three times (i always give places at least a couple of tries). Maybe if it changes chefs/ownership/etc.
Finally! I ate at Fatt Matt's!
I have always wanted to try the place, but I was scared off by the crowds and the parking - until today. Driving indecisively, I decided to take a chance on the place; fortunately for me, there was parking (barely available), so I took the spot, and walked it.
Love the ambiance, the homey-self atmosphere. Ribs themselves (I ordered the half-slab) are awesomely tender, although sauce surprisingly didn't have the bite that I expected. The staff was friendly and attentive and they do accept credit card (a note to those who said that it was cash-only).
The only thing I didn't like is the fact that I didn't try the place earlier after living in Atlanta for 6 years. So I will have to make it up soon and stop by again soon.
This was my first Southern rib experience... and all I can say is... "I get it now!"
I've read hundreds of your local reviews and very rarely does anyone give a rib shack a five star review!
Why I wondered? How can this be I pondered? We're in the South! The birthplace, the mecca! Why is there no perfect rib shack!?
After taking a bite of this delicious rib it hit me... It's "hope"! Hope is why you don't give it five stars!
I mean... these were good! Spicy and saucy, smoky and juicy... very good! Don't get me wrong, by Seattle standards... I'd say they were great! But there it is... in the back of my mind...
Hope.
Hope that a rib can transcend. That it can inspire, and yes... that it can save your soul. (Ironically condemning endless unlucky farm animals.)
It's the search for the perfect rib and the dream that it can be better then great! That it can be perfect!
I'm in!
Let the quest begin!
Where do I go next?
Coming from the DC area where people complain there is no good BBQ, I find it funny to see that even down south it's a highly debatable cuisine. I still don't get how there can be so much variance and opinion, I mean smoke some meat and have a good sauce and you're set. It's not like spare ribs, pork shoulder, or brisket are the highest quality cuts of meat in the world, so BBQ snobbery is a bit played out if you ask me. BBQ really has become a mythical beast and clearly there is no definitive standard as you'll see people reciting their credentials and saying it's the best in the area right next to someone else reciting their credentials and bashing a place. Well, my credentials are that I like smoked meat that isn't fatty and slimy or dry and tough.
Enter Fat Matt's. I was drawn in by the great atmosphere. It's in the midst of a string of crowded parking lots but feels like a nice casual BBQ shack, complete with outdoor dining, and an acoustic guitar playing chubby guy (could it have been Fat Matt??) The menu is pretty minimal, but really you should just take the hint and order the namesake, i.e. ribs. If I recall correctly all they have are chopped pork, ribs, and sides.
These ribs redefined "falling off the bone", and were actually almost too tender. When I picked up my first rib, the bone actually came right out of the meat, squeaky clean. I was freaked out and didn't realize ribs could do that! Regardless, smokiness, tanginess, sweetness, and deliciousness were divine. One of the best TASTING ribs I've had. I would've liked some more structure to it though, as each one was essentially falling apart into a big soggy mess. Still, the flavor was excellent. The sides were pretty good too.
I cannot make any claim about how these compare to other BBQ in the area. I loved the feel of the place, and loved the taste of the ribs, and that was good enough for me to become a fan of Fat Matt's.
There couldn't be a more fitting name for a BBQ restaurant than including the word fat and the word ribs. Actually they could have added the words bacon and butter, but I digress. How can you not be in the south and check out a hole in the wall BBQ spot. I tossed down a whole rack of ribs with some mac & cheese, collared greens, beans and some cole slaw. The ribs were unbelievable and the Fat Matts sauce was nice and tangy compliment to the mundane whole wheat wonder bread that accompanied the ribs. Only complaint is that their menu primarily consisted of ribs and chicken. Do they not cook brisket in ATL?
This place would get five stars no matter what it tasted like because as soon as i saw it i said "I want pork". Anyone who knows me, knows this is a crazy claim.
But just looking at it made my mouth water. I love that you ordered the sandwich and sides separately. Sometimes you just want the sandwich, sometimes you just want sides and sometimes you want more sides than you can get! That was the case here. We got Mac and Cheese, potato salad and cole slaw.
Well no sooner could we fill up our drinks and sit at a table on a beautiful Atlanta spring day, did our food show up. My sandwich was just perfection. Tangy yet sweet and melt in your mouth good. The mac and cheese was perfection and the cole slaw was an absolute perfect addition to my sandwich (i was told thats how they do it). The potato salad was good, but its hard to mess something up that has potatoes and mayo in it. Seriously.
When i was done, i wanted more. So i tried a piece of rib... awesome. I just can't get over how awesome this place was and how whenever i think of BBQ this is exactly what i will come to think of. No more brisket for me... this girl is all about the pulled pork
We drove about an hour to get to Fat Matt's. It's definitely in an "un-assuming" neighborhood, although it doesn't look dangerous or anything. Parking was tight as was the limited seating, but we got right in at 6pm on a Sunday night. I had the Combo ~ 1/4 slab of ribs + 1/4 lb. chicken ~ along with a side of the beans, collard greens, and a sweet tea. The ribs were alright; the sauce tasted fine, and meat fell off the bone. However, my ribs were fatty, so that reduced the amount of edible meat. The outside of the chicken was fairly tasty, but the white meat inside was bland. The beans stood out, as did the collard greens; both were very tasty, with a good spicy, tangy flavor on the beans. Hubby had the pulled pork sandwich and the mac and cheese, which actually looked better than anything I ate. All in all, Fat Matt's was good to try, but we probably won't drive the long way very often.
It took a major case of the ITIS to realize that since I started yelping, that I hadn't reviewed one of my all-time favorite Atlanta eateries, Fat Matt's.
Any time I have visitors, I like to say that if there is any one place in Atlanta that must be tried, it's Fat Matt's, but I'm really lying, because it's just a convenient excuse for me to get to go there again, and not have to sit by myself and feel awkward, and that I'm hoarding some of their already limited seating.
But yes, Fat Matt's is truly a worthy five-star establishment. The barbecue is top-notch, and has a savory smoky flavor. They have excellent, tangy sauce, and they don't patronize the customer by slathering their meat in it before serving; they offer it on the side as default, because they know you, the barbecue connoisseur, knows the importance of the flavor of the meat by itself, and let you decide just how much sauce, if any, is needed.
Their ribs are the definition of "fall-off-the-bone," as holding any rib will show you the effectiveness of gravity as the pork will gently slide right off of it. My favorite is still the BBQ sandwiches that are an absolute steal of a bargain, offered all the time, that come with chips, and the added drink will still have you being contented for well under $10.
I actually feel sorry for the neighboring Subway restaurant. Like a jealous ex-boyfriend, they must have to watch the lines stretch out the door of Fat Matt's at their peak times, and watch hungry defeated patrons crawl into their doors just looking for a cheap appetite suppressant. Sorry Jared, a Five-Dollar Footlong™ is no match for a Fat Matt's BBQ sandwich. All they can really do is bitterly put up signs that says adjacent parking spaces for SUBWAY CUSTOMERS ONLY.
Which brings us to the one flaw of the establishment - space. Fat Matt's is so good, they're often packed beyond capacity. Both in the parking lot, where there are barely enough legal and illegal spots to park perhaps 15 cars at max. And then the interior of the place, aside from its delicious smoky aroma is set up with a few tables, some 4-top, and a few long tables, so if you have qualms with sitting next to a total stranger, get over it, or forfeit delicious barbecue.
Often times, Fat Matt's has live jazz/blues music on their tiny stage to croon while you stuff your faces. This has never been seen as a bad thing in my opinion.
In conclusion, Fat Matt's is a must-eat for anyone who hasn't been there before. Tourists, make it a mandatory food destination, and locals, if you haven't been there yet, shame on you for one, and two, get a move on!
Fat Matt's is a great place. The ribs are tasty, good sauce, and the sides are pretty good as well. I'd shy away from the pulled pork - it's okay, nothing to write home about. If you're in the mood for pulled pork there are many better places to go. The baked beans are really tasty, the potato salad is good, and I like the inclusion of white bread to sop up the extra sauce that you might have. In fact, I just use the bread as a vehicle to put more sauce into my mouth.
Coming here on a weekend night is a lot of fun just to listen to the blues band. I'd definitely recommend doing so at least once, even though it's difficult to get seating on blues night.
Really fun place to go with a couple of good friends when you have a lazy afternoon to just kick back, relax, and laugh at each other when you're all covered in barbecue sauce.
NO QUESTION top rate bbq and ribs are among the best I've had in my 30+ years of Q shacking. Unfortunately, I have to add that it's a hassle to get to and get into and get through and find a table (a lot of times).
If you're a Qonnoisseur Fat Matt's has to be part of your experience, but for your regular weekly fixes there are a lot of other high Q uality, options i.e. Fox Bros, Spiced Right, Old McDonalds, JRs, One Star, Pig n Chik etc. If you're looking for the first "joint" experience for a rookie - Fat Matt's should be at the top of the list. Blues music every night I've been there... makes even more jammed for tables and trying to get through the place.
OMG this is the best bbq I have ever had! I LOVED the ribs, and the collard greens. The collard greens were not bitter at all, and they hardly tasted like a green. They tasted like BACON!
The sauce was great and the chicken was nice and moist. Good baked beans, and brunswick stew. Nothing was bad, though the service could be a little friendlier.
I reeeealllly missed Fat Matt's when I left Atlanta. They have the best, most soulful, fall-off-the-bone barbecue ribs and tender brisket sandwiches I've eaten anywhere. The sweet potato pie is dense and loaded with cinnamon, just how it should be.
There's something about the atmosphere here... it's old fashioned, unpretentious, and genuine. The staff are amazingly kind and helpful, and they often have live jazz musicians in house. It's the perfect reminder of this now-cosmopolitan city's real Southern roots.
Surprisingly disappointing!
Don't hate me but I was really let down on my Fat Matt's visit. The ribs barely had any meat on them! Wth is that?! Maybe I went on a bad day or... I don't know but... WHERE'S THE BEEF?! (or pork)
For some reason, I have lived in Atlanta for 30 years and have only been to Fat Matt's twice. I think it may be because I had to wait in line a REALLY long time on my first visit and I just never got around to coming back. Anyway, tonight was my second visit.
My husband and I each ordered a half-rack of Fat Matt's delicious, fall-off-the-bone ribs and several sides. At $9.75, the half-rack is a steal. The meat literally falls off the bone, is perfectly seasoned, and is not drowned in sauce, which is a good thing because you can decide how much you want. The sauce is flavorful and tangy, but a bit too mustard-y for my taste.
My Brunswick stew was pretty good, though not the best I've ever had. The collards were fine because I like collards no matter what, but they also were not the best I've ever had. My husband did seem pretty impressed with his potato salad, however (I'm a bad judge because I hate potato salad)... and the bite of his baked beans that I had was darn tasty.
Also, I'm fairly certain that the lemonade is homemade. Yummy!
(Like everyone else has already said, seating and parking are both pretty limited. However, people are usually pretty willing to share space at tables that are only partially occupied.)
OMG!!! The ribs are magnificent. The food is great, the only downside is the location. Piedmont is a very busy road and the parking lot here is somewhat small. The eating area is kinda cramped as well but who cares about that while licking BBQ sauce from your fingers!
Atlanta, GA
Category: Barbeque
Atlanta, GA
Category: Barbeque
Atlanta, GA
Category: Barbeque
Smyrna, GA
Category: Barbeque
Atlanta, GA
Category: Barbeque
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