The Swallow at the Hollow- Roswell, Georgia

On weekends, The Swallow at the Hollow features country singers such as Jo Dee Messina, Big and Rich and Tricia Yearwood, and (all week long) has some of the best barbecue in the Atlanta area. The menu items sound so appetizing that it's hard to choose, especially when you are as hungry as we were.



Swallow's fried green tomatoes are the best I have ever had. The difference is the coating, which was thin and peppery. The green tomato was the perfect un-ripeness. What makes a fried green tomato the best, you might ask? For me it is when the tomato is the star of the show, and is lightly spiced by the coating as opposed to biting through a thick layer of fried batter that takes away from the taste of the vegetable...or fruit. They came with a ranch dipping sauce. I would have them again and again.



Smoked sausage plate- with the cucumber and tomato and the mac and cheese sides. These biscuits are addictive. The mac and cheese was creamy and cheesy- just what you would expect and the portion was just enough. The sausage is homemade and if you like smoked sausage, you will love it. There were several sauces on the table- each one was better than the last.



Full rack of baby backs with fries and Texas toast. I wasn't sure that I would ever be able to eat ribs again after the Rib Fest, but somehow I managed to choke some of these down. They were very, very good- a little smoky and very tender and flavorful. They were the kind of ribs I like, the ones you can sink your teeth into. Tender yet not falling off the bone. Our party ordered another entree not pictured here--the pulled pork BBQ sandwich- which was also a huge hit. I think that's what I'll order the next time I go. There is one lone dessert on the menu...



...banana chocolate chip pudding. Order one and share, this is rich, chilled, chocolatey- mmmmmm it's hard to describe. Try it.

This restaurant is rustic and comfortable and last Friday night was full of families with children, adults on dates and a few stragglers sitting at the bar. The waitstaff is friendly and helpful and once in awhile a cook will come by to ask how the food tastes. Swallow also now has the special distinction of being the first restaurant my nephew, Charles, has been in. He's too young to have solid food, but I look forward to many more trips to Atlanta and to The Swallow in the Hollow with him in years to come...and the eggs.