Barbecue is an enigma. Could there be a more subjective food? Sweet, sour, hot, salty, smoky, chicken, beef, or pork, creating the perfect barbecue relies more on alchemy than recipe it seems. Memphis, St. Louis, Kansas City, and the Carolinas are famous for their barbecue, so I feel like I’m going out on a limb when I say that one of the best barbecue experiences I’ve ever had was at a downtown Alpharetta restaurant called Smokejack.

Smokejack proprietor Dave “Flip” Filipowicz is serious when it comes to food. He’s the kind of hands-on owner that’ll make you wonder why you ever bothered with one of those oversized, over-corporate, impersonal chain restaurants. Every detail has been carefully considered and perfectly executed at Smokejack, from the décor to the side items. Dave and Chef John Umberger have managed to create a solid Southern grill with a menu that goes way beyond barbecue without straying from its rebel roots.

Huge fried pickles with a hot pink dipping sauce kicked off our meal. Crunchy both outside and in, these are an instant classic that you’ll find yourself craving long after you’ve left the restaurant. And who makes homemade pimento cheese anymore? Served with pita and saltines (of course), it’s a crowd pleaser. The Gone Fish’n Tacos were my favorite among favorites, blackened catfish cradled in a crisp wonton wrapper and studded with mango mayo and slaw. Delicious.

So let’s go to the pit. The MojoSmoke Combo let’s you sample some of Smokejack’s signature barbecue without having to commit to just one. Loaded with pulled pork, beef brisket, smoke roasted cider-marinated chicken, and burnt ends (a must!), the combo really challenges you to pick a favorite, each bite better than the last. The Pork-Zilla sandwich is massive, an entire pork plate on a bun. The barbecue sauces are good enough to drink, and I seriously considered smuggling some away in my wife’s purse. And don’t forget the ribs…seriously…don’t forget the ribs!

If you decide to stray from barbecue, the menu has plenty of options from steaks to seafood, each with their own Smokejack twist. The North Georgia Rainbow Trout is excellent, served atop lighter-than-air corn pudding and crowned with pecan butter. All of the side items are center-plate worthy; cheese grits, baked beans, mashed potatoes (my wife’s favorite), greens with homemade Habenero pepper vinegar (which I also considered stealing), mac and cheese, ‘maters and cukes, and more.

If your mouth isn’t watering by now, you obviously have salivary gland issues. Put down the magazine and head over to Smokejack for a meal your entire family will brag about. Be sure to ask for Dave…he’s your new best friend.

Pimento Cheese

3 roasted pimentos or red peppers if unavailable
¼ pound softened cream cheese
1 pound grated yellow cheddar
½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
dash of hot sauce

Toss peppers in 2 tablespoons of canola oil and roast over open flame (substituting canned peppers is fine). Peel peppers, seed, and dice them. Mix the remaining ingredients with the peppers, and mash everything together until you achieve a completely mixed spread. Enjoy with celery, saltines, or in a sandwich.

Open for lunch and dinner every day, Smokejack is located just across the street from City Hall in downtown Alpharetta at 29 South Main St. Catering and private party space available. For more information call 770.410.7611, or visit them online at www.smokejackbbq.com.

Story by North Fulton Living Food Editor Hans Rueffert, a self-proclaimed Restaurant Boy. Raised upstairs above the Woodbridge Inn Restaurant in downtown Jasper, Ga., he has spent his entire life with food—more than a dozen years as the Inn’s chef and now host of his own cooking show in north Georgia called “Hans Cooks the World.” In 2005, Hans was selected out of 10,000 applicants to be a finalist on the show “The Next Food Network Star” and finished third in that competition. He currently teaches classes at Whole Foods. Find out more at www.hanscooks.com. Photography by Amy Rueffert.