By James Calemine
We revisit an old Never Ending Soul Food Dispatch…
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles.
Old Clinton BAR-B-Q House
4214 Gray Highway
Gray, Georgia 31032
478-986-3225
Right outside of Macon, in Gray, Georgia, the Old Clinton BAR-B-Q House has served customers since 1958. Returning from Night One of Widespread Panic’s Wood Tour (2012) in Atlanta, Southern Soul Barbeque proprietor Griffin Bufkin and I stopped by Old Clinton’s in Gray. We traveled the scenic route on the way down. There is another Old Clinton’s located in Milledgeville, Georgia.
Griffin mentioned Old Clinton’s leaving Atlanta: “They have some of my favorite sauce.” I consider him an expert on barbecue matters, so I looked forward to memorable vittles. Located right off the Gray Highway, the low ceiling building stands in front of a green pasture. On Saturday afternoon we pulled into the gravel parking lot. The place buzzed with customers.
We ate at a picnic table outside. Griffin ordered a barbecue plate with Brunswick stew as well as a rib sandwich. The prices are affordable. A barbecue sandwich costs $2.55. A plate is only $6.50. I chose a traditional pork sandwich, Brunswick stew and potato salad. The sandwich ranked in my Top 5. Griffin was right, the vinegar-based sauce tasted great on chopped pork. The one rib I ate contained a fine wood flavor. It’s easy to see why these folks are still in business after 53 years. The 12-layer caramel cake hit the sweet spot.
The Old Clinton BAR-B-Q House serves excellent food. Highly recommended. A certain antiquity surrounds the joint. After a plate of this barbecue, one is ready to heed the highway call. A pale blue dust kicked up behind the car as we sped back south.
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