Blue Hound Barbecue

If you haven’t been to the award-winning Blue Hound BBQ in Dillard, GA, you are seriously missing out. This isn’t just good BBQ—it’s “make you question every other brisket you’ve ever eaten” good. Their brisket is so tender and flavorful it doesn’t even need sauce… but their sauces are so incredible that we end up dunking the homemade chips (and basically everything else on the table) in them anyway. We’ve made the 35–40 minute drive three times in just the past few months, and every single visit has been a home run—delicious food, friendly service, and an atmosphere that makes you want to stick around for a while. Since Kyle Bryner snagged the crown on Food Network’s “BBQ Brawl” Season 6, Blue Hound has gotten even busier—so busy, in fact, that they sometimes sell out by the end of the day. That’s right, their food literally disappears. But no worries: you’ll still get first-class service and a smile when they take your order. Our family favorites? The brisket cheesesteak dip (melty cheese, grilled onions, and brisket heaven on a bun, with au jus for dunking), crispy homemade chips, collard greens, pork rinds, BBQ and collard green egg rolls (these will make you want to slap your mama) … and yes, we’ve tried them all. Don’t skip their topping bar either—pile on briny pickles, chow chow, and pickled red onions to take your BBQ to the next level. So here’s the deal: if you’re anywhere near Dillard, GA—whether you’re headed to Cherokee, NC, or Gatlinburg, TN—make the stop. Just look for the giant pink pig in the parking lot (you literally can’t miss it). And when you’re done eating, wander into the nearby shops to walk off your brisket coma. Trust us: Blue Hound BBQ is worth every mile.

Best meal I’ve had in Dillard, Georgia If not the whole country. The smoked turkey sandwich was incredibly juicy with a beautiful smoke ring and just the right amount of seasoning—an exceptionally well-smoked bird. The beef brisket Philly was also delicious, packed with flavor and tender meat. The collard greens were very good, and the cheese grits? To die for. We ordered a bit of everything and passed the plates around the table—every single dish was excellent. Portions were decent, and the prices were fair. Just a heads-up: get there early—some items sell out fast, and it’s clearly one of the most popular spots in town. I’ll definitely be back soon… probably tomorrow 😋 Edit: came back tomorrow 😉, was excellent again as expected, home made sausage links were dynamite. The chicken fried rib? A culinary master piece. Got to meet the owner Kyle, him and his family are super nice and down to earth. Such a Blessing. We love Y’all❤️

My husband and I drove 3 hours to this amazing place. After we watched Kyle become the “Master of Que”, we knew we needed to make the trip. We were not disappointed. Everything was beyond delicious, and the portions were more than ample. We enjoyed the brisket, pulled pork, turkey, and ribs (the best ribs we’ve ever tasted). All were so good that we didn’t use any sauce, even though they had a sauce bar to try them all. The sides were so good, especially the Mac and cheese and the potato salad. We will definitely be back to try that famous sausage next time. Congratulations Blue Hound BBQ! Y’all are amazing!!

We decided to go after discovering that the Chef from the Blue Hound won a televised food competition!!! This place was incredible! We loved everything - but our favorites were: 1. The brisket 2. The sweet potato crunch 3. Pulled pork 4. Every bbq sauce they offer 5. The fresh pickles 6. The cornbread Blue Hound- you got us hooked!

This is a very decent BBQ house on the outskirts of Dillard. As of June/ July 2025 there is construction going on that makes it a bit harrowing to get in and out during moderate to high traffic ( which is becoming the norm.) It sneaks up on you coming from Clayton if you are not familiar with the area. It's okay to drive past from that side as that's where the somewhat small parking lot is. There were two very large and rather noisy groups while they were here and this undoubtedly may have coloured my party of five's opinions of the general atmosphere here; it wasn't great. Mostly because it was Hot. We were indoors and after a little less than an hour visiting with each other the men's shirts were sticking to their backs. It was That hot and humid on the dinner floor. It was -almost- more comfortable out on the patio where the temperature was approximately 85 degrees with a slight breeze, no joke. The bathrooms were clean and air conditioned well, thankfully. The staff was perfectly friendly and we didn't wait terribly long for our meals. The food was super tasty, everyone agreed on that point, but I was the only one who needed a small to-go box and we are none of us big eaters. The portions were just small. So, it was good and we could definitely recommend getting it to go if you are in the area. But, maybe dress light if you wanna sit down and don't go terribly hungry and order an extra side.

Finally made it out to Blue Hound Barbecue and sooooo glad we did. Got to try the blackberry dumplings (felt all the ancestral love in those). Also pictured: smoked wings with peach buffalo sauce, banana pudding, pulled pork and collard egg rolls with hot honey, smoked turkey with soup beans and pimento grits. Everything was amazing!! Service was great even when everything got crazy. Bro. Go early - by noon-thirty the line was out the door. We slipped in at the perfect time.

Becky went ABOVE AND BEYOND to make our experience and drive from Seymour, TN. We came after seeing Kyle win BBQ Brawl. This place did not disappoint! From the chicken fried ribs to the sweet potato crunch to the beef cheek and pimento cheese grits.... it was absolutely delicious and we will be back!

Wow is really all I can say. We found this place on a google search so we decided to give it a try. The cutest place with the most amazing food! My hubby and myself ordered the 2 meat meals which were ribs and brisket. This was absolutely the best BBQ we have eaten. The meat fell off the ribs and the brisket was so tender. They have all kinds of sauces and also had all you wanted pickles, chow chow, pickled onions and peppers. The staff were super kind and came around checking on us. I highly recommend this place if you’re looking for BBQ.

Great food and service. I've tried about everything there and it's all outstanding. The last trip was the turkey sandwich. Very moist with abundant turkey. So big that my wife and I split it. Actually I got that meal 2 days last week. Alabama white sauce is off the chain with the turkey. Blueberry pie was also a great dessert.

Amazing food, with a hometown family welcome feel. Fantastic menu, multiple sauces to choose from, and homemade dessert menu...honestly what else could you ask for? Clean, smells delicious, owner run the counter and kitchen, and when not busy they clean up and chat with the customers. They are wonderful people!

The food is absolutely incredible. Coming from a Texan, the brisket tastes like something I'd get back home.

The folks at Blue Hound are friendly, the meats are good, and watching people enjoying themselves at Highlands Outpost is lots of fun, too! We have eaten here several times, and also taken food to go when we've got a time crunch. My favorite sides are the collards and cheese grits. Blue Hound's sides are the real deal, not some out-of-the-can stuff. Stop by here; you'll thank me.

Worth the drive if you are within an hour of this spot. We were a large group and everyone was amazed by the quality of the food. I had the pulled pork, collard greens, coleslaw, kielbasa and pork rinds. All the other sides looked great. By far one of the best spots, we stopped at while in the area.

Bbq was delicious ! I had pulled pork, stew and mac and cheese. Husband had ribs and brisket. Meat was tender and moist with lots of smoke flavor . Sides were very good as well.

Just had lunch at The Blue Hound in Dillard! Husband and I split the two meat plate that included 2 sides. Turkey was juicy and pulled pork was too. Many sauces to choose from including white. Mac and Cheese was creamy; collards were spiced just right. You can choose from indoor or outdoor seating. Can't wait to return!

The brisket and mac & cheese are awesome. I would highly recommend. A+++++++++++++++++++++

Incredible food. Wings, collards, pork belly and pork sandwich were all fantastic. Loved the pickles and pickled onions. Service was great as well!

We started going to Blue Hound when located in Scaly Mountain and fell in love with this place. Just visited the new location in Dillard and it's great. A little change up in menu but the same great food and people. We will continue our patronage!

It hits I have to use 85 characters so I am typing this sentence until I get there but all you need to know is It hits

Great food and nice place to eat! The Baked Beans seem to be made on site and were some of the best I've had. My wife loved the Brunswick Stew. Highly recommend, we will come here again when we come through the area

Best restaurant around. Seriously. I've never had a better turkey in my life. Awesome service. Awesome ambience. This place is an 11/10. You will not be disappointed

Great food, great service and simple surroundings. Looking to go back soon and you need to try it out.

Amazingly great food!!! Brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey, burnt ends. Had them all and yummmmm! Small, hometown place. Music on the weekend. Great food!

We were introduced to Blue Hound BBQ at the Dillard Bluegrass Festival. We tried the brisket plate and pulled pork sandwich, and they were both delicious. We sampled 3 sauces and they were all very tasty. The service was good and the staff friendly. We look forward to visiting their business in Dillard soon.

I go out of my way to eat bbq when I travel. Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, St. Louis, Kansas City, Charlotte, Durham. I've had bbq a fair number of places. Until now Texas had the best brisket I've had. The brisket here was right there with it. Best I've had. The sauces are regionally varied so you should be able to find something you like if you're a sauce person. Service was great.

Absolutely shocked at how great the food was here! Smoked chicken sandwich was amazing, the BBQ sauce options are phenomenal, the pulled pork was fantastic and the grits were top notch! Don't miss a chance to eat here, it's wonderful!

Their brisket is out of this world! And you can't go wrong with any of their delicious sides! We can't wait for the new location to open!

After hiking up to Rabun Bald, I stopped at Blue Hound BBQ. Josh made me the best brisket sandwich and explained the 14 or so bbq sauces they offer. I always skip sauces, and the brisket was so juicy and flavorful, even w/o a sauce on top. I also got the banana pudding. It was a huge serving - and absolutely delicious! I could only eat 1/2 of it bc the sandwich was so filling. Thanks so much, Josh!

Really REALLY good BBQ! We were traveling and stayed at a nearby hotel. we needed dinner and found this place. You get in line to place your order then find a table. They bring your meal out to you. We both got the pulled pork sandwich. It came with kettle chips, which my husband likes but I usually don't care for. For a $2.00 upcharge I got the baked potato salad. The sandwich was outstanding! The pork was melt in your mouth tender and juicy. I've never had potato salad like this before and am now in love with it! They don't put sauce on their meat, and it truly doesn't need it, but they have different types up by the drink station that you can use. Some very original but I went for the tomato sweet. Very good. Two different people came around to see if we were happy with our meal. The place was clean, organized, and pleasant to eat in. Their prices may be a little higher than we were used to but the food was fresh, high quality, and delicious so I believe the little extra price was totally worth it!

Having just moved here from Texas I was skeptical but the brisket was very good. Also tried the puked pork and it was very good as well

Great southern barbecue with an excellent collection of bbq sauces. So happy they have gluten free options. My son was elated to have a pulled pork sandwich.

Best BBQ around. The staff is very friendly and the food can't be best. Bonus you can go nextdoor and take a mountain tour on the new rollercoaster at the highlands Depot.

I got the BBQ chicken sandwich, it was amazing!! This place is literally right by my vacation house and I now have a regular spot for every time i go up there! The Sweet & Thick BBQ sauce is also amazing, I've bought two bottles to bring back home with me and it's not my favorite bbq sauce!! The service was great, food came out quick and fresh and we got there right after opening! My boyfriend got the brisket plate, the brisket was also very good, moist and not over done. However we didn't like any of the sides, but overall would recommend!

Awesome food and great service. We enjoyed the outdoor center and then had a great lunch to follow. We ordered the special of the day and it was amazing!

Stopped in on a Tuesday night for ribs. Ordered ribs, creamy Cole slaw and baked beans. Everything was full of flavor. The right amount of spice. Outstanding bbq sauces. Wish they sold the blueberry bbq sauce. Outstanding. Will definitely will go again.

Excellent brisket!! Your choice of dozens of bbq sauces. Must stop here if you are traveling from Georgia to Highlands!

Best brisket I've ever had! In my opinion, it ranks up there with Franklin Barbecue in Austin, TX! The service staff was extremely friendly & attentive! Great selection of sauces too - but with brisket this good, you may not need it

I had a wonderful lunch here on the way out of Highlands. Staff was extremely friendly, attentive, and informative about anything I had questions about (recommendations on meats, sides, sauces, etc.). I ordered the combo plate w brisket, sausage, cheese grits, and creamed corn. The food came out pretty quickly and I enjoyed everything immensely. The brisket could be cut w a spoon and the dais have had jalapeño and cheddar mixed in for added flavor. The cheese grits were rich and creamy and the creamed corn tasted almost as good as my grandmother's recipe. My favorite part was the sauce bar, that had squeeze bottles w probably 12 or so house made sauces of various kinds. I tried the Alabama white, Solomon sauce (steak sauce based), sorghum sweet sauce, and cheerwine sauce. All were amazing but I found myself putting the cheerwine and white sauce on most everything. I will be back for sure anytime I am in the area.

What a special treat!! Came here to go snow tubing and we're welcomed by the amazing bbq aroma! The staff was lovely and as a bonus all meats are gluten free and they offered gluten free buns so our wheat allergic son could eat as well!! He was over the moon happy!! Loved this place!!!

Stopped in and picked up a brisket plate to go. Excellent brisket! Stew is great too! The dude of quick pickles and onions was great too! Really enjoyed the food. I will be back soon.

I took the wife and kiddos to the highland outpost to ride the scaly screamer. We went next door to the Blue Hound Barbeque for a bite and loved it. Their puddings are incredible and the barbeque is truly world class! We also liked how clean it felt and my interior designer wife had lots of positive things to say about the decor.

Really wanted to like The Blue Hound since it is right in our neighborhood. I heard good things about it from neighbors so we gave it a try. Had the BBQ pork sandwich. The pork was mushy and flavorless and had a very strange texture and was stringy, like maybe it really hadn't been cooked long enough, I'm not sure. It totally missed that slow smoked BBQ flavor. There was some bark(the charred part of the meat) but even that had no flavor. Added lots and lots of BBQ sauce just to make it taste like something. It came with a side and the cashier recommended the Mac and cheese. Terrible choice, the macaroni was in a cream colored liquid with little pieces of cheese curd floating around. Again pretty flavorless. Even the ice tea was watered down to the point that it had no flavor. Again, I have heard good things about The Blue Hound and maybe they were just having an off day(really off). I do hope they get it figured out. Would be nice to have a good restaurant west of Highlands.