List of best BBQ restaurants in Macon, Warner Robins GA

Barbecue is serious business in the South with multiple restaurants in Middle Georgia serving up this foodie favorite in a variety of ways.

But only six took top honors in the Telegraph’s 2021 Best of Best contest in which customers can vote for their favorite businesses, including the best barbecue spot.

The Best of the Best winners are the top scorers in each category based on votes cast online at The Telegraph’s website.

Here are the winners in the Macon-Bibb area in the best barbecue category:

• Fresh Air Bar-B-Que — Known for its tomato and vinegar style of barbecue that’s cooked the old-fashioned way on a pit, Fresh Air Bar-B-Que at 3076 Riverside Drive took the No. 1 spot as best barbecue. Opening its first location in Jackson, Fresh Air Bar-B-Que has been in continuous operation since 1929. It’s also known for its Brunswick stew, according to its website.
• Fincher’s Barbecue — Serving up “mouth-watering” barbecue dishes and other Southern home-cooked food since 1935, the 5627 Houston Road location earned runner up. Fincher’s Barbecue was even served on the NASA Space Mission STS-33 on November 22, 1989, according to the restaurant’s website. In 2019, the restaurant made the Food Network’s list of best barbecue restaurants to try from coast to coast. Fincher’s has multiple locations in Middle Georgia.
• Georgia Bob’s BBQ —Known for its Georgia-style, vinegar-based barbecue and home-style chicken salad, the Macon location at 4921 Riverside Drive earned an honorable mention. The restaurant has multiple locations throughout Middle Georgia, with its roots in a family recipe that dates back to the Peach Festivals of the 1920s, according to its website.

Warner Robins area winners

Here are the top picks in the Warner Robins area in the best barbecue category:

• Georgia Bob’s BBQ —The best barbecue spot in the Warner Robins area went to the Georgia Bob’s location at 120 Howland Ave. This is the second Warner Robins location of the restaurant, which first opened in a convenience store/gas station in 2001 at 1882 Russell Parkway, according to Telegraph archives. The Russell Parkway location remains in operation today.
• Buc-ee’s — Open less than a year, the Warner Robins location of this Texas-based chain of mega travel centers is known for its plethora of food options — including Texas barbecue, homemade fudge and its trademark Beaver Nuggets. The new Buc-ee’s at 7001 Russell Parkway took runner up in the best barbecue category. The sprawling 53,000-square-foot center with 116 fueling stations is just off Interstate 75. Take the Russell Parkway exit.
• White Diamond Grill — Established in 1942, this longtime, local favorite known for its pit barbecue placed runner up in this year’s contest. Other favorite menu options include the Brunswick stew and fried catfish. The restaurant is located in a plain white building at the corner of Ga. 247 and Ga. 96 in the Bonaire community of Houston County just south of Robins Air Force Base.