Harold was my great grandfather. They opened back in 1947. My great grandmother is the one who came up with the famous Brunswick stew recipe. We make the original recipe all the time now that the Atlanta store finally closed down. Love the video! Looks great!
Andrew ison Any chance y’all might be willing to share the sauce recipe, now that the restaurant is closed? I want you share it with my wife, who never had the pleasure of your family’s incredible bbq!
My side of the family was not involved with the closure. Our family owned and operated the one in Jonesboro Georgia. When my grandmother passed away, my grandfather came up from Jonesboro to Atlanta just before it closed, found that one of the grandsons about 20 years older than me, was stealing heavily out of the restaurant. No one caught it but Him. The individual was fired but by the time he tried to revive the restaurant, it was too late and the neighborhood became too bad for night shifts. Atlanta is not Atlanta anymore. That is the biggest factor that BBQ is not there, crime, crime, and more crime. What started this curb service and roller skates in 1947 turned into a police officer being hired full time to sit in the restaurant after 4 p.m. every night. And yes I still have the recipe and we have the full sauce recipe and I still haven't found anything close to it. If I shared it will be privately with the maker of this video not with the commenters of this section.
Delightful video....My wife is from the Atlanta area....You have a wonderful accent....Love the recipe and the history you included....Cheers from California...Jeff
Thanks for sharing.Harold's was a great place to get old school real BBQ.I remember eating there many times over the years and was sad to hear them closing.I can't wait to try this recipe.Thanks.
Oh my goodness, if you send me the recipe, I'll do a video in his honor. I did one of my grandmother's cornbread dressing recipe too. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/yfnOPjZrX6g/v-deo.html
Nicely presented recipe. Thank you! Now all you need to do is to replicate the old Melear's BBQ (Union City) brunswick stew recipe and you'll have the best 2 in GA! I hope someone will.
I was reading through the comments thinking Harold's was good but I miss Melear's. We lived in the area and that's where my family went and it defined what BBQ was and Brunswick stew was supposed to be.
Looks really good ate there many times over the years growing up and working close by .. I love the stew and seem to remember it being a little more fine grounded up not seeing the whole corn much .. Thanks for sharing .
I sure do miss Harold’s barbecue The Lakewood branch was my favorite but they had one in Jonesboro Georgia as well if I only had a sauce recipe that would be awesome
This looks delicious!! Years ago, we were in Louisville, KY ate stopped for dinner at "Mark's Feed Store" and had burgoo -- which I hadn't heard of. It was fantastic, and I have been looking for recipes ever since....alot of my research indicates that burgoo is very similar to brunswick stew. This looks alot like I remember the burgoo looking in the restaurant. I'm eager to try it. Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Can I come vacation at your place? Everything you make looks so delicious. Having spent my entire life here in CA I feel I'm missing out on so many great southern dishes.
Looks delicious! One of the regional treats that I really do enjoy. Not having grown up here, this is one thing I love about NC. I don't like the BBQ much, but I do like the Brunswick Stew. One of those things that is pretty much the same but everyone has their own spin. Our local place uses Lima beans and Okra. So that is how we make ours at home. But I never put BBQ sauce in mine. I will have to try that next time.
+Noreen's Kitchen It's so funny you say that Noreen! I am the same way. I like a good stew and might even skip the BBQ. Lima beans is very common and is in most of the stews I have tried. My dad would make it with okra, lima beans, and ground beef. The sauce makes it for sure. :)
I worked at Plaza Pontiac at Northlake when my boss Ed and another salesman, Leon talked endlessly about Harold's, down by the Fed Penitentiary- the way its location was told to me. Now these guys loved Pilgreens (in West End? Said he'd take Mrs there and get plenty to take home for $25.00). MerriMacks on Ponce, the Colonnades, they mentioned the Yellow Jacket but it went out of business (found a place that sells the dog with YJ Branding) We got to a place that was packed....I was told they only cooked butts, inside the walls were smoked up fiercely but it gave some charm. They served the sandwiches on sliced bread! The sauce was good but the meat had good flavor without the sauce. I'm a good cook and can tell that this will be very good when the next cold snap comes. Thanks for saying Harolds.
I remember how I hated to hear that Harold's had closed. I used to go there frequently when I lived around Atlanta. Everything was so good, even the atmosphere, but the Brunswick Stew was the best I've ever had. I don't know if this stew is as good so I'll have to give this a try and see. If it's nearly as good it will be great!
I worked at the Lakewood GM plant in the’70’s that was down the street. I was a regular. I lived in Lawrenceville at the time and would drive down after I was transferred to the Doraville GM plant. I have now lived in Tennessee for many years and not much in the way of BBQ compared to Harolds.
Brunswick stew is always good, year around! Love it. Do you sometimes add lima beans? As you pointed out, the amount of corn in this recipe is important and perfectly delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe it looks delicious and am sure it tasted even better.
+Rivet Gardener Hi! It is very common to add lima beans. :) My father would actually use lima beans. For some reason, I am not crazy about them and was probably why I enjoyed this particular stew so much. :)
+MikeyMacky Haha, maybe I will have to do that one day! I feel like my kitchen is a restaurant sometime, haha. The boys and my husband keep me pretty busy. I am always saying "Order Up!" when I make them little goodies.
I really like your recipe but I have a preference on grinding my meat, veggies, tomatoes, and stock before cooking. Maybe it’s a local thing from where I am from in Georgia.
+matt caluda Hi! I make just a regular buttermilk cornbread (not sweet) and add cracklins' to it (cooked in a cast iron skillet). My local farm sells cooked cracklins and that is what I used. I will have to make some for a video and cook up some cornbread! Honestly though, it adds much unnecessary fat, but Harold's was famous for their stew with cracklin cornbread. :)
We would sneak off a tad early at lunch from my job site and go to Harold’s all the time our job site was by Doraville so it was a long lunch break at least three days a week Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha But when my job site went to Fort McPherson I was there nearly every day
I put taters and okra in mine and 5 to 10 Lima beans cause I don't like Lima beans either but my wife says it has to have them. I could live off of Brunswick stew and I never drain the mater's.
Harold was my great grandfather. They opened back in 1947. My great grandmother is the one who came up with the famous Brunswick stew recipe. We make the original recipe all the time now that the Atlanta store finally closed down. Love the video! Looks great!
Oh thank you. Please share the original recipe?? I hope I did the wonderful Harold's right on this...
We would LOVE for you to share the recipe!!! PLEASE!!!
Andrew ison Any chance y’all might be willing to share the sauce recipe, now that the restaurant is closed? I want you share it with my wife, who never had the pleasure of your family’s incredible bbq!
I would love a sauce recipe as close to as possible as Harold’s you don’t have to give the secret ingredient just something really close to it
My side of the family was not involved with the closure. Our family owned and operated the one in Jonesboro Georgia. When my grandmother passed away, my grandfather came up from Jonesboro to Atlanta just before it closed, found that one of the grandsons about 20 years older than me, was stealing heavily out of the restaurant. No one caught it but Him. The individual was fired but by the time he tried to revive the restaurant, it was too late and the neighborhood became too bad for night shifts. Atlanta is not Atlanta anymore. That is the biggest factor that BBQ is not there, crime, crime, and more crime. What started this curb service and roller skates in 1947 turned into a police officer being hired full time to sit in the restaurant after 4 p.m. every night.
And yes I still have the recipe and we have the full sauce recipe and I still haven't found anything close to it. If I shared it will be privately with the maker of this video not with the commenters of this section.
Delightful video....My wife is from the Atlanta area....You have a wonderful accent....Love the recipe and the history you included....Cheers from California...Jeff
I was so sad to hear about Harold's closing. I remember many awesome BBQ dinners there. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing.Harold's was a great place to get old school real BBQ.I remember eating there many times over the years and was sad to hear them closing.I can't wait to try this recipe.Thanks.
+mike gray Wonderful! We just had it again a few days ago. :)
I miss Harold's went there with my late father thanks for sharing.
Harold was my great-grandfather we still make this stew all the time even though we have finally closed down all the restaurants.
Oh my goodness, if you send me the recipe, I'll do a video in his honor. I did one of my grandmother's cornbread dressing recipe too. Here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/yfnOPjZrX6g/v-deo.html
I worked at the Jonesboro location for almost two years. I didn't even like BBQ when I started. They had the best BBQ! I loved it.
I grew up living next door to Harold Jr. It was some of the best BBQ I ever had. His BBQ sauce was also some of the best.
+glen townsend Thanks for letting us know! I wish I had their BBQ sauce recipe. :)
You took me way back with Harold's barbeque. Loved that place.😋
Nicely presented recipe. Thank you!
Now all you need to do is to replicate the old Melear's BBQ (Union City) brunswick stew recipe and you'll have the best 2 in GA! I hope someone will.
I was reading through the comments thinking Harold's was good but I miss Melear's. We lived in the area and that's where my family went and it defined what BBQ was and Brunswick stew was supposed to be.
The brunswick stew looks delicious. I haven't had any in years. I guess I will have to make some. Have a blessed week.
Harold's was near my old stompin grounds when I was a kid in school! Unbeatable BBQ, and stew! Thanks for sharing this, Donna! Looks Great!
+Keyplayr61 Greenhouse Hydroponics And Gardens Thanks so much! It was the best. I hope you can give this a try sometime!
Looks really good ate there many times over the years growing up and working close by .. I love the stew and seem to remember it being a little more fine grounded up not seeing the whole corn much .. Thanks for sharing .
Yes it was
I sure do miss Harold’s barbecue The Lakewood branch was my favorite but they had one in Jonesboro Georgia as well if I only had a sauce recipe that would be awesome
That's delicious looking. Thanks for the stew. I always like a onion in it. Love the sauce
This looks delicious!! Years ago, we were in Louisville, KY ate stopped for dinner at "Mark's Feed Store" and had burgoo -- which I hadn't heard of. It was fantastic, and I have been looking for recipes ever since....alot of my research indicates that burgoo is very similar to brunswick stew. This looks alot like I remember the burgoo looking in the restaurant. I'm eager to try it. Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Oh wow!
Donna, this is a fabulously hearty, meaty and delicious stew! It takes some time, but the results are more than worth every minute!
+Juanelo1946 Thank you so much! It is good on a cold day for sure.
Over the years I probably took 50 different people there. Thank you!!!
That looks fantastic. Thank you for sharing this with us
+FitAnge S Thank you !
Can I come vacation at your place? Everything you make looks so delicious. Having spent my entire life here in CA I feel I'm missing out on so many great southern dishes.
+DW Marschall Haha, well come on over! We are very hospitable here in the south. I will have to upload more traditional southern dishes. :)
DW Marschall 0
Have never had this but I'm sure it's delicious. Thanks for showing us how to prepare it.
+Donna Smith Thank you so much! I hope you can give it a try. :)
Looks delicious! One of the regional treats that I really do enjoy. Not having grown up here, this is one thing I love about NC. I don't like the BBQ much, but I do like the Brunswick Stew. One of those things that is pretty much the same but everyone has their own spin. Our local place uses Lima beans and Okra. So that is how we make ours at home. But I never put BBQ sauce in mine. I will have to try that next time.
+Noreen's Kitchen It's so funny you say that Noreen! I am the same way. I like a good stew and might even skip the BBQ. Lima beans is very common and is in most of the stews I have tried. My dad would make it with okra, lima beans, and ground beef. The sauce makes it for sure. :)
Looks fantastic! thanks for sharing
+Holly Laughter Thank you! I hope you can give it a try. :)
I worked at Plaza Pontiac at Northlake when my boss Ed and another salesman, Leon talked endlessly about Harold's, down by the Fed Penitentiary- the way its location was told to me. Now these guys loved Pilgreens (in West End? Said he'd take Mrs there and get plenty to take home for $25.00). MerriMacks on Ponce, the Colonnades, they mentioned the Yellow Jacket but it went out of business (found a place that sells the dog with YJ Branding)
We got to a place that was packed....I was told they only cooked butts, inside the walls were smoked up fiercely but it gave some charm. They served the sandwiches on sliced bread! The sauce was good but the meat had good flavor without the sauce. I'm a good cook and can tell that this will be very good when the next cold snap comes. Thanks for saying Harolds.
Love some Brunswick stew! Can’t wait to try this recipe. It needs some lima beans though 😋
Hope you enjoy
I remember how I hated to hear that Harold's had closed. I used to go there frequently when I lived around Atlanta. Everything was so good, even the atmosphere, but the Brunswick Stew was the best I've ever had. I don't know if this stew is as good so I'll have to give this a try and see. If it's nearly as good it will be great!
It's not as good, but I tried!! lol
Oh my goodness! Lol, I'm absolutely drooling here! I will need to put this on my menu very soon. :)
+Ang O Thank you! I hope you can try it soon! It is really good in the winter when it is cold outside. :)
I'm from Ga. also...I love a
good Brunswick stew! And this looks sooooo yummy!
Ang O The smoked pulled pork with BBQ sauce makes it.
Absolutely!
I worked at the Lakewood GM plant in the’70’s that was down the street. I was a regular. I lived in Lawrenceville at the time and would drive down after I was transferred to the Doraville GM plant. I have now lived in Tennessee for many years and not much in the way of BBQ compared to Harolds.
Brunswick stew is always good, year around! Love it. Do you sometimes add lima beans? As you pointed out, the amount of corn in this recipe is important and perfectly delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe it looks delicious and am sure it tasted even better.
+Rivet Gardener Hi! It is very common to add lima beans. :) My father would actually use lima beans. For some reason, I am not crazy about them and was probably why I enjoyed this particular stew so much. :)
Makes sense- no need to add what you don't like, right? I love limas that's why I asked. Hope you are doing well!
So good
+Catalin Oancea Thanks!
I use cabbage and shoepeg corn also and green lima beans. Bag of mixed vegetables.
Sounds good!
I never went there but I miss Harold's. It looks like my kind of place.
Donna you should open up a southern cafe would be a big hit!
+MikeyMacky Haha, maybe I will have to do that one day! I feel like my kitchen is a restaurant sometime, haha. The boys and my husband keep me pretty busy. I am always saying "Order Up!" when I make them little goodies.
I really like your recipe but I have a preference on grinding my meat, veggies, tomatoes, and stock before cooking. Maybe it’s a local thing from where I am from in Georgia.
how do you make crackling cornbread?
+matt caluda Hi! I make just a regular buttermilk cornbread (not sweet) and add cracklins' to it (cooked in a cast iron skillet). My local farm sells cooked cracklins and that is what I used. I will have to make some for a video and cook up some cornbread! Honestly though, it adds much unnecessary fat, but Harold's was famous for their stew with cracklin cornbread. :)
We would sneak off a tad early at lunch from my job site and go to Harold’s all the time our job site was by Doraville so it was a long lunch break at least three days a week Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha But when my job site went to Fort McPherson I was there nearly every day
I put taters and okra in mine and 5 to 10 Lima beans cause I don't like Lima beans either but my wife says it has to have them. I could live off of Brunswick stew and I never drain the mater's.
BBQ SAUCE?
If you use lima beans only a hand full.
Without lima beans, its not a true brunswick stew.
Not enough juice. Too thick
You lost me when you said drained tomatoes. why waste the juice? Its a stew, throw it in there.
Lost me with no lima beans or orka...lol
how do you make crackling cornbread?
+matt caluda Great question and one I need to answer! I hope to make some good cracklin' for you this year, then will come the cornbread! :)