Country's has been a staple of my BBQ eating since I was a kid. It seems like it's been around Auburn forever, and even though this isn't the first (or even primary) location, it's the one I went to first and the one I remember most.

For a chain, it's a dive. The place is clean enough; just don't look at the ceiling tiles and you'll be fine. The main attraction for all the kids who visit is the same thing as in all Country's locations: the Big Red Rocking Chair. I don't know the story behind it, but every Country's has it: a giant rocking chair that kids love to climb into. I guess it's the dinosaur thing: kids love crazy big things.

There's an actual smoker in operation here, as you can spot the stacks of cordwood behind the place as you pull in and smell the aroma of smoke kissing meat as soon as you get out of your car.

The menu is packed with the typical BBQ fare: chopped or sliced pork, chopped or sliced beef, ribs, and chicken. Bonus points for smoked turkey and a delicious chef salad, which comes with chopped pork (order double-pork for extra goodness) and homemade ranch dressing. The cue is served in sandwiches, plates or platters (the difference b/w the plates and platters seems to be the number of sides you get). The sides are excellent: I went for my standard picks: corn on the cob and fried okra. Now, the corn isn't nearly as good as it once was. I remember back when I first started ordering it, it had a sweetness that I always speculated came from dunking the cobs into sugar water before they were grilled (yep, the corn's grilled). The corn isn't nearly as sweet, but it's still flavorful and hard to turn down. Other sides are also great: I always suggest the BBQ onions. These are sliced onions marinated in their mustard-based sauce. Just delicious. Just don't expect to get close to anyone after chowing down on 'em. The brunswick stew is always reliable, and they serve a variation -- Cue Stew -- that comes with chopped pork on top.

They have three kinds of sauce available: mild, medium and hot. The lighter, the hotter. But in actuality, it's really three different variations of sauce. The hottest is a spicy SC-style mustard-based sauce, the mild is a sweet Memphis-style ketchup-based sauce, and the medium is some kind of bastard offspring of the two.

The pork is the clear winner at this location. Good flavor, moist, and they'll even take it from the outside if you're a fan of the great char/spice combo. I've never been a particular fan of BBQ beef, so it ranks a little lower on my scale of things (it's a bit dry). The ribs aren't quite as tasty as I've had elsewhere, but they're still quite flavorful and stand up to whatever sauce (if any) you choose to apply to 'em.

The sweet tea is brewed up perfectly. Some might find it a little too sweet, but it's the way I like it. Brewed strong and sweet, served in mason jars.

I rarely have enough room to try deserts, but I do remember the buttermilk pie being excellent from my younger days. Since I haven't had it recently, I didn't feel comfortable giving a rating.

Location