Iconic Georgia BBQ restaurant known for ‘Pig Hill of Fame’ to close
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By Sandra Parrish, WSB Radio
GILMER COUNTY, Ga. — An icon is closing in North Georgia that has been a stop for political candidates for more than three decades.
Oscar and Edna Poole first opened Poole’s BBQ out of a trailer in East Ellijay in 1989. The retired pastor turned restaurateur was well known for his connections in the Republican Party and the yellow suit and top hat that he wore to campaign events.
Edna, his wife of 70 years, recalls how that suit came to pass.
“He saw Col. Sanders with that white suit, and he said, ‘I’m going to have me a yellow suit’. I laughed. I thought, ‘I can’t believe he’s going to wear a solid yellow suit’, but he did,” she tells WSB’s Sandra Parrish. She would later have one made to match.
Before Col. Poole, as he was known, passed away in 2020, his son Darvin took over the business in 2008. The restaurant has served politicians and celebrities alike over the years.
“Dad has a lot of pictures on the wall, and we’ve wanted to redo them. But we didn’t know what to leave up and what to take down. So many things are just iconic of Dad and what he believed in and the people he met and saw. So, we just left it,” he says.
It was his father who started the Pig Hill of Fame.
“That’s the number reason people stop because people see all the pigs on the hill. It’s very visible to the four-lane highway and it’s been a blessing,” says Poole.
A lot of politicians who have visited the restaurant over the years have their names on that hill. Many were invited to campaign at the restaurant by longtime Gilmer County GOP supporter Joe McCutchen who was a close friend of the elder Poole.
“In ‘92, Pat Buchanan came here, and he nearly beat Bush. He got 30 percent. And brought the world press here,” says McCutchen.
Poole’s is closing its doors after 33 years so Darvin and his wife can retire to spend more time with their three grandchildren who live three hours away.
Edna, who’s been happy to have her son continue to run the place that she and her husband built, is understanding.
“We worked hard to start it. And I’m a little sad, but I know my son has got to retire,” she says.
The family would love someone else to buy it and keep the name and the same great BBQ, but Darvin understands if that doesn’t happen.
“We just want to thank all of our customers. It’s been a lot of fun meeting people. And some of my best friends that I have now, I met through the BBQ. So, that’s been an extra blessing on top of everything else,” he says.
The restaurant will be open this weekend and then will close its doors for good at 4pm Saturday, Nov. 26th.
GALLERY: Georgia’s odd roadside attractions
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Now that's a large piece of fruit! (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Massive! (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia You can find this 5,200-pound apple in Cornelia, Ga. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia "The 5,200-pound monument is dedicated to apple growers and how important the apple industry once was to Cornelia and Habersham County," ExploreGeorgia.org notes. "The monument is constructed of steel and concrete and was molded in Winchester, Virginia, in 1925." (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Cornelia has also been labeled "The Home of the Big Red Apple." (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia The apple is 7 feet tall, sits atop an eight-foot pedestal and has a circumference of 22 feet. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia It's located in the center of town... (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia next to a historic railroad depot. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Check out both on a visit! (Nelson Hicks)
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Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Here are some more photos from the Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Here are some more photos from the Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Here are some more photos from the Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Here are some more photos from the Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia. (Nelson Hicks)
Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia Here are some more photos from the Big Red Apple Monument in Cornelia. (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame Recognize this? The roadside attraction is set to close on Saturday, Nov. 26. (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame Ever seen it driving along I-575 after it turns into Hwy. 515 in Ellijay? (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame This is Poole's Bar-B-Q, home to good eats and... (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame Col. Poole's Pig Hill of Fame. The restaurant is set to close for good on Saturday, Nov. 26. (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame What's the Pig Hill of Fame? (Nelson Hicks)
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Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame with each pig containing a special note. (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame Oscar Poole and his wife Edna own the restaurant. He told Southern Living magazine that state law didn't outlaw him to put a sign on the highway. So, he decided to make a pig instead. It started with a few pigs, but all his customers kept asking for a pig. (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame Nothing says romance like a marriage proposal...on a pig! (Nelson Hicks)
Poole's Bar-B-Q and Pig Hill of Fame Poole's gained national attention when then Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan stopped by the eatery in 1992 with 500 media members and supporters. (Nelson Hicks)
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Barbie Beach There's an unusual spot in south Atlanta... (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach where Barbies come to play. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach And Ken too! (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach This is Barbie Beach. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach It's in the Senoia/Turin area. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Steve and Linda Quick created the attraction in their front yard. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach The first scene at Barbie Beach recreated the 2006 Winter Olympics. And those Barbies have been there ever since. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach You'll see different scenes at the beach depending when you go. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach It's near the intersection of highways 54 and 16. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Someimes, the scenes are a bit unusual. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach And usually reflect something that's going on...like the Olympics, holidays, Final Four, etc. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Many of the dolls have been donated to the Quicks. (Nelson Hicks)
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Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Barbie Beach Here are some more photos from Barbie Beach in Senoia. (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel This is the Krog Street Tunnel in Atlanta. (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel It's on Krog Street of course, in the Cabbagetown/Inman Park area. (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel Love the art! (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel You never know what you might find in the tunnel! (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel Graffiti artists routinely stop by the tunnel and fill it with some pretty amazing art. (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel The tunnel is great for photo ops and features some live music from time to time. (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel Enjoy what's there today... (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel because in a blink of an eye it will be gone...and something new will take its place. (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel (Nelson Hicks)
Krog Street Tunnel (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof Recognize this? (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof It's Goats on the Roof in Tiger, Ga. (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof What is Goats on the Roof? (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof Well...there are goats...on the roof! (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof Goats on the Roof is a family fun stop in Tiger, just north of the end of I-985. (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof Goats on the Roof has fudge, ice cream, t-shirts, gem mining, souvenirs and plenty of fun! (Nelson Hicks)
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Goats on the Roof The Tiger store opened in 2007. (Nelson Hicks)
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Goats on the Roof The ice cream in award-winning Nitro handmade ice cream! (Nelson Hicks)
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Goats on the Roof Check it out on the web at http://www.goats-on-the-roof.com/ for more. (Nelson Hicks)
Goats on the Roof Here are some more photos from Goats on the Roof in Tiger, Ga. (Nelson Hicks)
Paul Anderson World's Strongest Man You're looking at the "World's Strongest Man!" (Nelson Hicks)
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54 Columns Atlanta Atlasobscura.com noted, "LeWitt envisioned the work as a nod to the city’s urban surroundings (hence his use of an industrial material like concrete) and to Atlanta’s skyline (from a distance, the work takes on the appearance of a cityscape). The piece combines industrial elements with a more abstract representation to create what Gregor Turk, the county’s public art coordinator at the time, called 'simultaneously lowbrow and highbrow.'" (Nelson Hicks)
54 Columns Atlanta Here is another photo of 54 Columns. (Nelson Hicks)