Eat Athens: Tex-Mex lunch option dishes out barbecue sorcery on Broad Street
A common misconception about the Athens restaurant scene is that the great local spots come to an end once you leave the downtown and University of Georgia campus area, giving way to a horizon of endless fast food signs along Atlanta Highway. Though the small, unusually-shaped building that houses Tamez Barbecue is easy to drive past, doing so would be to miss one of the city's best breakfast and lunch spots.
Open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon, Tamez's smoked brisket, chicken and pork have been beloved staples of the Athens Culinary landscape since 2020. After a new Tex-Mex lunch menu was launched in early August 2023, the Banner-Herald decided to stop in and see what kind of sorcery owner Alejandro Tamez was up to.
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Located at 1660 W. Broad St. and adorned with murals by local artist Marisa Mustard, the space that is home to Tamez Barbecue has been inhabited by several other businesses since it was built in the 1950s, but the most successful ones were those that also dealt in barbecue, such as Walter's and JB Ribs. When Tamez opened in November 2020, the take-away-only design was perfect while indoor dining was off limits.
Tamez offers online pickup orders and walk-in customers, but diners who aren't getting their food to go must eat outside under shaded picnic tables near the street or beside the smoke house, which was not in operation when the Banner-Herald visited. The staff of three took orders at the counter and gave out online orders through the drive-up window. Guests waiting on orders inside were able to enjoy the air conditioning and friendly atmosphere.
Launched on Aug. 9, Tamez's Tex-Mex lunch menu features $13.50 fajita plates with a choice of chicken, steak, or pork guisado, plus two sides. Each fajita is also available in single taco form at $6.50. Not to worry, Tamez hasn't done away with the popular lunch time staples, as its signature brisket and pulled pork options are available as $9-$11.75 sandwiches or in plate form with side items for $15-$16. Tamez was out of Mexican Coke when we visited, but cans of the regular stuff were nice and cold.
The Banner-Herald elected to try the pork guisado fajita plate with rice and collard greens, which came with two flour tortillas that made the dish easy to split between two people. Unlike pulled pork, guisado is braised, cubed, and cooked in a thin but flavorful sauce like something you'd find in a stew. Though it was likely meant to be spooned onto the tortillas with rice, we chose to eat the guisado and sides with a fork and sop up the sauce using the tortillas as one would a biscuit with gravy.
To view the full menu and order online, visit tamezbbq.com.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Eat Athens: Tamez Barbecue's lunch plates smoke the competition
