This Is It! Southern Kitchen & Bar-B-Q is a Southern/soul food and barbecue chain best known for classic meat-and-three plates, rib tips, fried chicken, and traditional sides like mac and cheese, collard greens, yams, and cornbread.

What it is

This Is It! Southern Kitchen & Bar-B-Q is a casual Southern comfort and barbecue restaurant brand with multiple locations in the Atlanta area and nearby Georgia communities. Reviews consistently describe it as a spot for country-style soul food with generous portions and a cafeteria or counter- service setup.

Food and flavor

Across locations, guests most often highlight:

  • Well-seasoned fried chicken, ribs, and pork plates described as “tender” and “mouth-watering” when fresh.
  • Classic Southern sides such as macaroni and cheese, baked beans, cabbage, broccoli casserole, greens, and sweet potatoes, often praised for rich flavor but sometimes noted as salty.
  • Desserts and drinks like key lime cake and peach lemonade getting positive shout-outs in some customer comments.

Service and experience

Recent reviews show a sharply mixed experience depending on location and time of visit.

  • Positives: Friendly staff called out by name, clean dining rooms and restrooms, and a family-style atmosphere when the restaurant is well staffed.
  • Negatives: Repeated complaints about very slow lines, understaffing, mix-ups on orders, and disorganized handling of in-person, takeout, and online orders at the same counter.

Complaints and criticisms

In the last couple of years, more reviews lean negative, especially around value and consistency.

  • Price vs. value: Multiple diners say meals feel “overpriced,” with some paying close to $100 for two plates and feeling the quality did not match the bill.
  • Food quality swings: Some guests report “amazing” food, while others describe mediocre or disappointing dishes (greasy pork, mushy rolls, odd mixed vegetables, and baked-not-grilled rib tips).
  • Overall reputation: An aggregate rating around the mid‑2s out of 5 from hundreds of brand-wide reviews suggests many customers are not fully satisfied, even though some locations still get strong praise.

Forum-style quick scoop

If people on forums were breaking this place down today, the thread would likely sound something like this:

  • “Go when it’s not busy; the line can be brutal, but the fried chicken and sides hit just right when they’re fresh.”
  • “If you grew up on true home-cooked Southern food, you might find the flavor good but not mind-blowing—and the prices a bit steep.”
  • “Experiences seem to depend a lot on which location you pick and who’s working that day, so recent, location-specific reviews matter.”

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.