James Calemine’s ‘Never Ending Soul Food Tour’ includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles.
Doo Dad’s
99 Kinlaw Road
Woodbine, GA. 31569
912-674-7824
“Tell me mama when you gon’ have more good fish…”
–Furry Lewis
After yesterday’s Sista’s Dispatch was published, I got a call from Brandon “Birdmane” Chonko. I’ve known him since 2016. Brandon owns a farm in Waverly, Georgia, called Grassroots Farms. He sells chicken, bacon, eggs, vegetables, shirts and hats. He’s a real farmer. He raises hogs, chickens and plows the land. Restaurants from St. Simons Island to Atlanta and all points in between purchase his high-quality goods.
I picked up his call. “Hey, man!”
“I loved that Sista’s write-up. I got a place for you. You wanna come down tomorrow?”
“You bet.”
“Ok, I’ll meet you at the Waverly Minit Mart at 2PM.”
“See you then…”
So, this afternoon I drove down scenic Highway 17 under a clear blue sky on Good Friday to meet up with Birdmane. We hopped in his truck and he drove us to Doo Dad’s. Owned by Larry and Deloris Geter for 30 years this place is the real deal. Fresh food.
It’s on the side of Kinlaw Road with a few picnic tables outside of what almost looks like a circus tent. The menu proves formidable. Doo Dad’s serves chicken, fish, oysters, scallops, crab patties, chicken gizzards, shrimp, blooming onions, gator tail, pork chops and frog legs.
“Man, you gotta try a frog leg,” said Birdmane.
“I’ll try a couple of yours, I think I’m going for this fried fish.”
Doo Dad’s is unforgettable. On each table sits hot sauce, cocktail sauce, ketchup, mustard and all sorts of condiments one might need to add random seasoning. Birdmane was right. His frog legs were quite tasty, and the texture resembles chicken a little bit. My fish was out of sight. Crisp. Fresh.
If time allowed, I could’ve eaten various other famous menu items. It’s cash only at Doo Dad’s so when you visit bring green money. We talked about all kinds of things from getting back in the groove after Covid, business, The Black Crowes, Marc Ford, Blackberry Smoke, farming, family, social media and beyond. He’s a great guy. This will not be the last dispatch revolving around Mr. Chonko. Soon, I’ll visit and write a story about his farm.
It’s how we roll in Coastal Georgia. Stay tuned.
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