In December 2007 Chic Dillard was driving through downtown Kennesaw and spotted a little “Shanty” for rent on Cherokee Street. It looked like the perfect spot for a BBQ joint. He discussed the idea with friend Ronnie Schaeffer from Ringgold, GA who expressed interest in partnering in the venture. Ronnie enlightened Chic on the history about the famous train “The General” and the connection between Ringgold and Kennesaw. Sixty days later the restaurant was open for business.

Chic has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years. He held postions as an Executive Chef, General Manager, & Director of Operations for a variety of concepts. He opened his restaurant consulting business in 1992 and assisted many local businesses improve efficiency & profitability.

To staff the restaurant Chic recruited 2 of the best in the business – his wife Sissy and daughter Shannon.

Sissy left her position at Buffalo's Cafe where she had been since 1993. At Buffalo's she assisted the franchise in opening locations across the country in addition to her daily bartending and managing duties. Prior to joining Buffalo's Sissy was a manager for TGI Friday's.

Daughter Shannon followed in the family footsteps working in various restaurants. With over 14 years of experience she is well versed in both the front and back of the house. Shannon has earned quite a reputation for her Pastry skills and won the “Best Dessert” award at the 2009 “Taste of Kennesaw”.

Cooking is a passion for this family. Service and execution are second nature and you will be treated as a guest in their home. When you visit the Smokehouse Shannon will most likely take your order, Sissy will assemble and expedite the food, while Chic works the grill. But don't be surprised if roles are switched since they are all capable of handling any job in the restaurant.

Big Shanty Smokehouse was voted “Best BBQ in Atlanta” on urbanspoon.com in January 2009 after only 11 month's of operation. The restaurant held the #1 Ranking for the entire year. Big Shanty Smokehouse has received awesome reviews from their clientile and continues to rank at the top of all BBQ restaurants in the Atlanta area. The blog “3rd degree berns” ranked them higher than any other BBQ restaurant in Georgia.

Catering is quickly becoming a big part of the Smokehouse business as clients and their guests experience the quality and professionalism offered by the Dillard's. In addition to the traditional BBQ and smoked meats, Big Shanty provides gourmet meals featuring Beef Tenderloin, Prime Rib, Fresh Crab Imperial, Salmon, Smoked Duck and a wide variety of sides items and desserts. Many of these items are offered as daily specials along with the homemade sides and desserts.

The commitment to serving quality products is evident in every menu item at Big Shanty Smokehouse. One visit and you will see why this restaurant has earned the reputation as the “Best in Atlanta”.

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THE MENU

The menu offers authentic smoked meats, delicious side items and a variety of homemade desserts. The meats are always FRESH, smoked over hickory with our unique dry rub made in house.

We use fresh Boston Butts for our Smoked Pork. They are smoked for 13 hours and prepared by hand to insure minimal fat, unlike most places that use a machine called a “buffalo chopper”. The Smoked Pork is very lightly sauced, seasoned and available pulled or chopped. (Side note: another BBQ restaurant owner told Big Shanty owner Chic Dillard that it was not practical to prepare the pork by hand due to the labor involved. Dillard says “It is labor intensive but the quality of the end result is well worth it).

The Smokehouse only uses the highest quality fresh spare ribs (paying 10-40% more for this product) Each slab of ribs is hand-trimmed (By Chic or Shannon) to insure quality and uniformity. They are smoked with just our dry rub than grilled to order & brushed lightly burn on their homemade BBQ sauce.

The Beef Brisket is quickly being regarded as the “Best this side of Texas”. Choice cut brisket is slow smoked and sliced to order exhibiting a beautiful outside bark and perfect smoke ring.

Smoked half chickens are incredibly most and juicy. Seasoned with dry rub and served with sauce on the side. At just $6.95 for a half, or $4.95 a quarter the smoked birds are a delicious value.

The Homemade Sausage is very unique. It is made from rib trimmings flavored with fresh herbs, peppers and a wide variety of spices. Stuffed in natural hog casing and offered as an appetizer or entree with sauteed onions & peppers.

An unexpected menu item is the Smoked Salmon. It is served chilled with a lemon/dill sauce, mixed field green salad and side item. This is fresh Atlanta Salmon Filet flavored with fresh herbs, a variety of spices and lemon. This is also the same product used for the homemade salmon dip offered as an appetizer.

The passion continues to be evident in every item at Big Shanty Smokehouse. The Brunswick Stew is made with our fresh ground pork, smoked pork, smoked chicken, homemade stock, and just the right amount of spice and seasoning. The cabbage for the cole slaw is chopped fresh and mixed with homemade dressing. The baked beans are a combination of navy, black and kidney beans, seasoned and smoked for 3 hours. You don't want to miss the Mac & Cheese served every Friday & Saturday. For those that appreciate Ceasar Salad – you don't want to miss this one!

The daily specials are always creative ranging from duck, filet mignon, prime rib and even smoked all beef bologna.

In addition to our famous Banana Pudding daughter Shannon makes a wide variety of daily desserts. Her Coconut Cake won the “Best Dessert” award at the Taste of Kennesaw, and she holds baking classes at the Smokehouse monthly.