Cookies & Cocktails Class

A nod to sibling owners Howard and Anita Hsu's Asian roots and Southern upbringing, Sweet Auburn Barbecue offers traditional style barbecue with an Asian twist. Items on the menu, such as pimento cheese wontons and coconut lemongrass ribs, demonstrate the perfect marriage of traditional and innovative styles that Sweet Auburn Barbecue has become known for.

Howard and Anita grew up working in the hustle of their family restaurants with their brother Ron. From a young age they gained a passion for food and hospitality. Ron Hsu is the classically trained chef of the Hsu siblings.  He is the operating partner and executive chef at Lazy Betty, the latest concept by the Hsu siblings.

Soon after graduating from the University of Georgia, Howard and Anita opened Gezzo’s West Coast Burritos in Henry Country. With the success of Gezzo’s, Howard set out to expand the business and started experimenting with smoked meats. Eventually, his special BBQ recipes won the Chomp and Stomp chili cook off, Suwanee Wing Festival and Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation BBQ Battle three years in a row. Sweet Auburn Market saw how much Atlanta loved the Hsu’s southern style BBQ with an Asian twist and invited Howard to open a permanent restaurant within the market.

Here, the name “Sweet Auburn Barbecue” was born. For two years, Sweet Auburn Barbecue flourished with its food truck and the Sweet Auburn Market location. In 2014, Howard and Anita expanded once again, opening the Poncey-Highlands location. This location features a full-service dining experience including a full bar and cocktail menu, taking their award-winning barbecue experience to a whole new level. 

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