Home U.S.A. Georgia We Visited a Little BBQ Place in Savannah That’s 3STOPS

We Visited a Little BBQ Place in Savannah That’s 3STOPS

We head off to Savannah, Georgia and there are many things to do and see. You can go to the famous Art College that is there. It is not easy to get into, and you have to want to be an artist in some media and capacity. There is also in the area history, mystery (based on an old non-fiction mystery created many years ago along with a movie). There is also the age that has passed and can be remembered. The Golden Age. The time of plantations, mansions, families and other happenings. It was a time to be there. And Savannah has it all waiting.

One thing you do find is the food. There is a good old cooking here. Fine meals and more. But there is also a famous BBQ. Each area has a different version. It is based on the history and the chef. The chef did create it after all. His or her style and taste does make it taste different than the other establishment.

And you do not have to go to downtown Savannah to find it. You can find a good establishment right as you begin to go further in. On the edge of town. In a small area, at the end of a small strip mall, you might find one you never expected. It sits at the edge of the parking lot and is simple to see and miss. But, if you park there and walk in you know it is what you were looking for.

Welcome to 3TOPS. Official Bar-B-Que. And the best item to first know is that this place was established by 2 retired military Vets. We gave them a hand for doing this when they left the military and wanted to do something different and more local.

BBQ IN SAVANNAH — 3STOPS. Photo by Ron Rossi

SIMPLE TO LOOK AT. BUT AMAZING OFFER.

This is a simple place to be. No dressing up here. Just come inside and you will be sat down at one of the tables available. There is (unfortunately) no big crowd here. And this was a Saturday night.

Our attendant was great. She had a personality that made you stop and smile and have a conversation with. She told you what was available, and even what was not. That not only was about the food, but even the beverages at that moment. This was a place that did move quickly as we later found out. There were many orders that night and people came in to pick it up and head on home to enjoy it with family and friends.

We were handed the menu and could take a look. This being a day of travel we had good old ice tea (unsweet). This was fresh and cooled in a large glass to enjoy. We even received some lemon to put in and add a little flavor. Very typical. This was like having something at home.

Next, we looked at the menu to pick a selection for dinner. This was the tough part. There were several ideas of what you could have for dinner. It could be all appetizers alone. Or maybe a sandwich and a side dish. Then there were also BBQ plates to choose from. To make it very exciting you could also have a combo of various types of pork, chicken, and more. It was all there. And it was all freshly made there. This is not found in a freezer or coming from another location. The owners made this themselves. They made the food, they made the plates and, in some cases, might pop out to deliver.

After a long look we made our decision and placed our order. That was worth the wait.

BBQ PORK WITH VARIOUS SIDES TO SELECT.

We did wait for the order as they were busy with the pre-orders. There was also a group there having their meals. In the meantime, our hostess talked and told us about the organization and owners and how this came to be a place to visit and enjoy. That was great.

Then came our dinner. We made it simple as well. We ordered two different sandwich meals, along with two different side dishes. It was a large sandwich with a good side. There also was a tray with several different types of BBQ sauce. From a sweet and mild, through traditional, to a truly spicy style that had a real “kick” in it. To me, it was a good choice, but putting a few together made it stand out.

First up was the BRISKET SANDWICH. It was good. It had the right style of being tender and sliced brisket on a homemade bun. It was the right level of smokey and tasty and true BBQ. There were so many slices we took a few off the bun and ate them separately so as to cut back on the bread. This alone was ideal. And adding a little sauce we could dip in (as we do) made it even better. You could use one bite with sweet. Another bite with sour. Another bite with spice.

Our side dish with this was homemade MAC & CHEESE. This was not something from a box. This is as you might make it in Savannah. It was traditional and not too creamy. It was a good compliment to the Brisket itself.

BBQ IN georgia — The BRISKET SANDWICH. Photo by Ron Rossi

Next up was the traditional PULLED PORK SANDWICH. This pork had been cooked and smoked for over 12 hours. It was a Boston butt cut. Served on a homemade bun and topped with their homemade coleslaw. Now, that touch is not as we might see it in New York or even in other cities in the South. But here is what they had, and this is what I went for liking good coleslaw.

Once more, it was fresh. It had the smokey taste and the right mig of some flavor you only find on good BBQ. That bun was perfect and a good compliment to the meat itself. A little sauce on the sandwich as I enjoyed it was a way to try everything and combine it myself with each bite.

BBQ PLACE IN georgia — PULLED PORK SANDWICH. Photo by Ron Rossi

The side selected was something you do not find in New York either. It was a great portion of fresh FRIED OKRA. This alone was worth the trip. This was freshly picked and sliced and cooked as it was fried. This was like having a version of vegetables or a salad to truly go with the sandwich selected for this meal. It was perfect. It was so good I could have had another order of the Okra.

We savored the meal. We talked to the hostess. This was something to enjoy and worth the trip just to visit this after a long day of driving. Better than going into downtown Savannah, here was 3TOPS waiting for visitors to step inside and enjoy a good BBQ meal.

3TOPS. A PLACE TO STOP AND ENJOY.

After our meal was over we were asked if we wanted dessert. There were several homemade cakes to choose from. Unfortunately we were filled. Otherwise those cakes looked truly homemade and fresh that day. Some good traditional choices to have.

Instead we were ready to leave. The price for being at 3TOPS is very reasonable. It was a great price with a large portion of the meal you selected. You cannot go wrong on this. Service was perfect. We thank our hostess: Cheyenne for her assistance and help. And her wonderful conversation.

We did learn a lot and we are glad to know that. Also a special thanks to the owners: Robert Derk and Craig Nieto. With their service in the military we are grateful to them. And for their retirement they created a place that we cannot forget. It is definitely a place I would visit next time I am stopped in Savannah. It is good, home cooked BBQ you will always remember and never forget. It is TOP on my list.

Thank you, gentlemen.