Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Daryl Stewart says he continues to experiment with his Brunswick stew recipe that leans on the spicy side. (ECN photos)
Daryl Stewart’s previous career in the food industry prompted him to return earlier this year when he opened Heavenly BBQ in the Sprayberry Square Shopping Center.
It’s located in the former Willie Jewell’s location, and looks very much the same.
He put in new flooring and lightened up the interior.
But the biggest change is not only the barbecue concept he has had in mind for a long time, but the taste of the food.
“The failure for a lot of restaurants is that they cut corners on the quality of their food,” he said.
That’s what Stewart said he tasted when he got interested in taking over the Willie Jewell’s space, when the restaurant announced its closure in November after nearly seven years in East Cobb.
Stewart attends to a customer with a to-go order.
Stewart said he tried everything on the Willie Jewell’s menu, and “I didn’t like it. The product was going down and got away from fresh ingredients.”
His concept stresses fresh as much as possible, from smoked meats to classic barbecue side dishes. For example, the coleslaw is made with fresh, not bagged, cabbage, and he’s just added fresh okra because customers have been asking for it.
Collard greens, also fresh, are slow-cooked with whole garlic cloves. The mac and cheese also is entirely from scratch.
At the heart of the menu, Stewart says, is the brisket and Brunswick stew.
“I’m not a chef, but I designed the whole menu,” said Stewart, who managed two Jersey Mike’s franchises in the area, and has spent most of the last decade and a half as a chief financial officer in the information technology field.
His entrepreneurial itch was for barbecue with a distinct touch, something that’s not easy to pull off.
“I’m a foodie,” he said. “I was looking for an opportunity that had infrastructure in place, and where I can elevate the food. I thought I could do better.”
Grillmaster Gary Hampton with a brisket, which like all meats at Heavenly BBQ is hickory-smoked.
He’s hired a chef and a grill master to oversee the kitchen, and after 90 days since opening, customers are starting to file in via word of mouth.
“I want this to be a community destination for people who like barbecue,” said Stewart, who tries to interact with every customer who comes through the doors.
One of the first changes he made was at the grill, switching from oak to hickory, and taking out the fire for smoke.
All meats at Heavenly BBQ—beef, pork, chicken and turkey—are smoked.
So are the chicken sausages, which he sources from Cajun Meat Co. in East Cobb.
Being able to control the menu, and easily adapt it to customer tastes, with an emphasis on local and Georgia vendors, is a priority.
The Brunswick stew recipe includes a tomato base, with cooked meats, corn, chipotle peppers, Georgia sweet sauce and Louisiana hot sauce.
He said he may tamp that down, because some customers have found it a bit spicy.
He’s also sampled some of the nearby barbecue restaurants, and says he doesn’t necessary think of them as competitors.
“I want us all to succeed, but I want to offer something different,” Stewart said.
The menu includes hamburgers, chicken wings and a kid’s menu.
He doesn’t think that there’s a “go to” place for barbecue in metro Atlanta.
But for now, he’s focused on getting his menu right for this burgeoning customer base.
Stewart said many of them are senior citizens (and there’s a new seniors-only apartment community opening nearby at the former Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center).
He’s also doing some catering and is putting together a special Easter menu. Like many restaurant owners, he’s challenged by labor and food cost issues.
“If this catches on,” he says of Heavenly BBQ, “I think it’s going to be a great place to go to.”
Heavenly BBQ is located at 2550 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 400.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Bubbles & Brews, a month-long celebration of Cobb County, Georgia’s craft beverage makers, is back for its sixth year to shine a spotlight on local breweries, distilleries, and wineries.
In March, craft beverage enthusiasts can explore the Cobb Ale Trail to sample unique local brews. A free ‘BrewPass,’ is available online or at participating Hop Spots, guiding visitors to each location where they can collect stamps and earn sweet prizes from Cobb Travel & Tourism. Guests can also earn extra bonus stamps on their BrewPass by attending Bubbles & Brews Events throughout the month. Prizes include custom Bubbles & Brews silipints, stickers, t-shirts, and, new this year, a deck of playing cards.
The fun doesn’t stop there! Dog-friendly locations will also have Bubbles & Chews bandanas for four-legged friends. Dog owners can snap a photo of their dog in its Bubbles & Chews swag and post it using #BubblesAndChews to enter for a chance to win a basket for their furry friends. Visitors will also have the opportunity to vote online for their favorite makers and brews.
“The craft beverage industry in Cobb continues to thrive with new locations opening every year,” said Holly Quinlan, president & CEO of Cobb Travel & Tourism. “Since launching Bubbles & Brews in 2020, we have seen these small businesses adapt, change, grow, and flourish making Cobb County a sweet spot for beverage enthusiasts. Each March, we have the opportunity to highlight these makers and recognize their role as a year-round tourism asset in our community.”
Fifteen of Cobb’s craft beverage makers are participating in the March 2025 event, including:
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The California-based eatery will be moving into the former Kouzina Christos and Aurelio’s space (1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 22), but an opening date hasn’t been announced.
A message on the location’s Facebook page said that “we are hoping to be ready by March.”
The chain serves a variety of Vietnamese specialties—pho dishes, rolls, vermicelli and lemongrass pork chops—along with teas, cocktails and fruit drinks.
Some menu items also will have gluten-free options.
Pho Hoa (the latter word is Vietnamese for “harmony”) has locations in California, Washington state, British Columbia, Charlotte, N.C. and two in Florida.
Phoa was founded in 1983, and has 60 locations in six nations. Jazen Tea, also of California, was founded in 2012 and has 18 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
According to the East Cobb location’s social media pages, the concept is about “creating a space where family, harmony, and tradition come together. With fresh, high-quality ingredients, hearty bowls of flavorful pho, and refreshing craft cocktails, we’re committed to bringing something truly special to Marietta.”
East Cobb News has reached out for more information.
Renovations are continuing and hiring is underway.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Organizers of the Taste of East Cobb festival have announced that the 2025 festival date is May 3, at the usual venue, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road).
That’s a Saturday, and as in previous years it runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Here’s what’s on tap:
A delicious variety of menu items from East Cobb’s finest restaurants
A Kids’ Zone with huge inflatables and fun hands-on activities, including sand art, and face painting.
Great live entertainment, featuring performances by local school bands. Last year’s event featured Walton High School, Wheeler High School, Dodgen Middle School, and Dickerson Middle School.
The event is a major fundraiser for the Walton Band Parent Association, and organizers are accepting applications for restaurants, sponsors and other exhibitors (click here for details).
The cost for restaurants and exhibitors is $350 and sponsorships range from $800 to $3,000.
East Cobb News has been a sponsor the last two years and we’re excited about making it three in a row!
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Levant Oven has opened at 1275 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 130, in the same shopping center as Micro Center, and in the former space of Liberty Pizza.
As noted in the title, the restaurant’s menu items are from the Levant, the eastern Mediterranean region, featuring Manakanish pies, based a flatbread from that part of the world dips, salads, vegetable plates, drinks and desserts.
Kapow Sushi and Thai is open at the Olde Mill Shopping Center (3101 Roswell Road, Suite 116), in the former House of Ming space.
It was known formerly as Ocean Sushi Kitchen, and features a variety of Japanese fare highlights an extensive menu, along with some Thai items.
The Mayan Kitchen is a taqueria at 2595 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 101, occupying the former Catfish Hox location.
It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is open seven days a week.
Aapka Food Adda, or AFA, is open at 2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 410, in the same retail center as Montana’s and Mzizi Coffee.
The restaurant features Indian vegetarian dishes.
At the former Roll On In location at Woodlawn Point Shopping Center (1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 365) is Handmade Dumplings and Noodles, with a Chinese menu.
Taichi Bubble Tea, Ramen and Poke Bowl is open at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road Suite 2148), where’s AJ’s Seafood was located.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
A little more than three years after opening at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center, the Alumni Cookie Dough location is closing in East Cobb this week.
Co-franchisees Eric and Leana Tatum made the announcement on a social media posting Monday, saying the last day of business is Saturday.
The message to customers said that “your love and loyalty have meant the world to us, and we are forever grateful for the community we have built together.”
In response to a request for information from East Cobb News, Eric Tatum said the business was not profitable and “our landlord was nice enough to give us a manageable deal on early termination of our commercial lease.”
He said he’ll be looking for employment after the store closes.
The Tatums—he’s a Walton High School graduate—opened an East Cobb location of the Athens-based novelty food shop in October 2021, serving up cookie dough-based desserts, ice creams, sundaes, pretzel bites and more.
In addition to its original location in Athens, Alumni Cookie Dough also operates stores in Milton and Cumming. Another store in the Augusta area closed in 2023.
The Tatums were vendors at the Taste of East Cobb and invited local school and community organizations for special events.
The East Cobb store will observe regular hours until Saturday’s closing, “pending icy weather,” the closing message said. “We’ll probably close around 6pm on Saturday.”
Hours are 1-9 Wednesday-Thursday and 12-10 Friday-Saturday.
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