Most businesses believe advertising
is the way to get customers. Dub's High on the Hog in
Calhoun, Georgia, claim they don't even need a sign. Their
method of bringing in business is to serve the most tasty,
fall-off-the -bone ribs and pulled pork, not to mention the
attention paid to all the side dishes like huge baked
potatoes and the delicate flavored Brunswick stew. Naturally
they serve steak and chicken and all the other staples you
expect to find at a barbeque restaurant
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Dugout bench is the closest
thing to a sign at Dub's |
The dessert menu offers some hard choices. An unusual pecan
cobbler or traditional peach cobbler are a tough decision.
The coconut cake is great also. For me the delicious fudge
brownie covered with ice cream, caramel sauce and pecans is
the winner.
And yes, there really is no sign in
front of the restaurant. You just have to
look for the log
cabin style building with a red roof or you could just close
your eyes and follow your nose. That luscious smell will
lead you straight to Dub's. As soon as you walk in and see
that big hog's head mounted on the wall, you know pork is
treated with respect here.
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Dub's High on the Hog
Barbeque |
In fact the big secret to Dub's success is their patience
with their pork. Dishes like burgers and steak are cooked to
order but the pork ribs and pulled pork are begun the night
before they will be served. Slow cooking is the only way to
achieve truly tender barbeque ribs.
The pulled pork
takes a few more hours.
It's a labor of love for Jeff and
Monte Erwin, the brothers that co-own Dub's. They never
attended any fancy cooking schools. In fact, they never
planned on becoming restaurateurs. That is until their first
business, home construction, began to go sour in the early
2000s. due to the poor economy and increased competition.
Prior to that barbequing was a hobby for the brothers.
Something they did to relax after a hard of building.
Friends who benefited from the hobby kept telling them "you
need to open a restaurant."
As construction declined they decided
to follow the axiom "Do what you love and you will never
work a day in your life."
With no experience in the restaurant business and
having only cooked for friends and family, they jumped in
with both feet
They opened Dub's in January
2005. Their small location only seated 24.
It was a hard learning curve but they were up to it.
Within a little more than a year the brother's construction
background came in handy. They had already outgrown their
space. They built an addition that seats another 130 people
and kept on doing what they love, barbequing.
If there is any secret other than
patience and good food, the brothers claim their choice of
sauces is a prime factor in Dub's popularity. They offer a
wide variety ranging from sweet to fiery hot and every
combination in between. Just like in life, not everyone has
the same taste. As Jeff Erwin stated, "Folks like variety."
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BBQ plate at Dub's High on
the Hog |
Even the name relates to their earlier life experiences.
When they were children, their grandfather, W. P. Hunt, Jr.,
nicknamed Dub, was a farmer. He had a friendly rivalry with
an neighboring farmer, J. D. Baxter,
to see who could get out into the field and get
working earlier.
The two farmers would call and check on the other's
progress as they prepared for their day. Sometimes when
Baxter's wife was cooking a pork tenderloin for breakfast,
Dub would say to Baxter, "Ole Hoss, you're eating high on
the hog. You better get out to the field and pay for it."
The saying and the work ethic passed
down from Grandfather Dub remained with the Erwin brothers
and contributed to both the name and the reason for the
success of Dub's High on the Hog. When you taste the food
there, you will appreciate the work that goes into this kind
of cuisine.
For more info:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dubs-High-on-the-Hog-BBQ-and-Grill/122957381065086
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