10 Georgia BBQ Buffets Serving October Plates Full Of Comfort

In Georgia, fall doesn’t just smell like crisp air and fallen leaves – it smells like smoked ribs, sweet potatoes, and homemade sauces simmering in kettles.

As the temperatures dip, families and travelers alike gather at all-you-can-eat buffets where smoke from the pits drifts down the streets and tables groan under trays of Southern comfort food.

This isn’t just a meal – it’s a seasonal ritual of the South, where warmth, hospitality, and the best BBQ flavors Georgia has to offer are served up on every plate.

1. Ole Times Country Buffet (Multiple Locations)

Bless your heart if you’ve never experienced Ole Times during harvest season! With locations peppered throughout Georgia, this buffet chain knows how to do fall right. Yesterday I popped into their Albany spot and nearly wept at the sight of their October spread.

What makes Ole Times special is their dedication to farm-fresh vegetables. The buffet boasts at least 15 different veggie options daily, many sourced from local farms. Their collards, simmered with smoked ham hocks, taste like they were picked that morning.

Meat lovers rejoice over the hickory-smoked pulled pork piled high beside cast iron skillets of honey-jalapeño cornbread. My secret move? Creating a BBQ parfait by layering their pulled pork, baked beans, and coleslaw in one delicious tower. Pure genius!

2. Market BBQ (Moultrie)

Holy smokes! Market BBQ isn’t just a restaurant – it’s a Moultrie institution that transforms into pork paradise each October. The aroma hits you from the parking lot, where their massive smokers work overtime producing fall specials.

Owner Jimmy Ray (who still works the pit at 72) created their signature apple butter BBQ sauce specifically for autumn. The sauce gets slathered on everything from fall-off-the-bone ribs to smoked chicken quarters. Their buffet features unique seasonal items like smoked pumpkin chunks and candied bacon green beans.

The real showstopper? Their “Hogzilla Platter” – a buffet challenge where brave souls attempt to sample every meat offering in one sitting. I tried it last year and couldn’t button my jeans for a week! Worth every bite of their apple-brined turkey legs and brown sugar burnt ends.

3. The Green Manor (Union City)

Housed in a Victorian mansion that’s supposedly haunted (I’ve heard silverware rattling with no explanation!), The Green Manor elevates BBQ buffet dining to an art form. October brings their special “Haunted Harvest” buffet featuring ghost pepper BBQ chicken that’ll make you see spirits!

Unlike typical buffets, Green Manor serves family-style at antique dining tables. Servers continuously bring platters of oak-smoked brisket, pulled pork, and their famous apple-sage sausage links. The October-only spiced peach BBQ sauce pairs perfectly with their cornmeal-crusted catfish.

Between the crackling fireplaces and servers dressed in period costumes, dining here feels like stepping back in time. Don’t miss their signature dessert – buttermilk chess pie topped with candied pecans and sorghum drizzle. I dream about that pie at least once a week!

4. J.D.’s Bar-B-Que (Woodstock)

Lawdy mercy, J.D.’s October buffet had me loosening my belt before I even sat down! This Woodstock gem has perfected the art of smoke and spice over 40 years. The pitmaster, Ronnie (who sports a mustache that deserves its own zip code), crafts an October menu that showcases Georgia’s fall bounty.

The buffet features rotating specials like smoked turkey legs brined in apple cider and pumpkin-spice rubbed ribs that sound weird but taste miraculous. Their Brunswick stew, loaded with three kinds of meat, gets a seasonal twist with the addition of butternut squash and apple chunks.

J.D.’s famous “Redneck Lasagna” – layers of pulled pork, macaroni, cheese, and cornbread – appears only during autumn months. I once drove two hours in a thunderstorm just to get some before they closed. No regrets!

5. Sconyers Bar-B-Que (Augusta)

Presidents and paupers alike have made the pilgrimage to Sconyers, an Augusta institution since 1956. The sprawling restaurant, housed in a converted dairy barn, kicks their legendary buffet into high gear during October with harvest-themed additions that’ll make you say “bless your heart” after every bite.

The star of their autumn lineup? Hash on rice – a South Carolina-influenced dish that’s like a saucy, smoky stew ladled over Carolina Gold rice. Their whole hog BBQ, cooked over hickory for 24 hours, gets jazzed up with a seasonal apple-bourbon mop sauce that should be illegal it’s so good.

Last fall, I watched in awe as an 85-year-old woman made four trips to the buffet. When I commented on her appetite, she winked and said, “Honey, I’ve been saving room since August.” That’s the Sconyers effect!

6. Fresh Air BBQ (Jackson)

Claiming the title of “Georgia’s Oldest BBQ Restaurant” (est. 1929!), Fresh Air transforms into autumn heaven each October. Their normally simple menu expands to a full buffet featuring hickory-smoked specialties that have withstood the test of time.

Unlike newfangled BBQ joints with 50 different sauces, Fresh Air keeps it gloriously simple. Their tangy vinegar-based sauce, made from the original recipe, gets a fall twist with the addition of cinnamon and apple cider. The buffet’s centerpiece is always their chopped pork – smoky, tender, and piled higher than a Georgia pine.

My grandmother swears their Brunswick stew cured her pneumonia in 1973. While I can’t verify the medical accuracy, I can confirm it’s the perfect October comfort food, especially alongside their seasonal sweet potato soufflé topped with pecan streusel. Simply heavenly!

7. Southern Soul Barbeque (St. Simons Island)

Beach BBQ might sound strange for October, but Southern Soul’s fall buffet proves coastal Georgia knows comfort food too! Housed in a converted gas station on St. Simons Island, this joint cranks up their smokers when the summer crowds thin out.

Their October buffet features unique coastal twists like smoked oyster stuffing and Brunswick stew loaded with local shrimp. The sweet tea-brined smoked turkey appears exclusively during autumn months, alongside their famous burnt ends tossed in peach-bourbon sauce. Last year I witnessed a vegetarian friend abandon their principles after one whiff of the buffet line!

Despite national recognition (they’ve been featured on multiple TV shows), Southern Soul maintains its laid-back island vibe. Grab a plate, pile it high with smoky goodness, and enjoy the cool October breeze on their patio. Paradise found, y’all!

8. Buckner’s Family Restaurant (Jackson)

Lord have mercy on my waistline! Buckner’s October feast isn’t technically labeled a buffet, but their family-style service (where they keep bringing food until you beg for mercy) certainly qualifies. The century-old farmhouse restaurant transforms into BBQ heaven when autumn leaves start falling.

Their lazy Susan-equipped tables groan under the weight of endless BBQ platters. The smoked chicken, falling off the bone and glistening with their secret sauce, pairs perfectly with seasonal sides like molasses-glazed carrots and apple-cabbage slaw. Their cornbread hoecakes, made in cast iron skillets that haven’t been washed since the Carter administration, have a cult following.

My favorite October tradition? Buckner’s smoked turkey and dressing, served with cranberry-jalapeño relish that’ll clear your sinuses and delight your taste buds simultaneously. Come hungry, leave in elastic-waist pants!

9. Country’s Barbecue (Columbus)

Housed in a converted 1930s Greyhound bus station, Country’s October buffet combines nostalgic charm with mouth-watering BBQ. The Art Deco interior gets decked out with pumpkins and gourds, creating the perfect backdrop for serious comfort food consumption.

Their smokehouse buffet features hickory-smoked meats prepared in their custom-built pits visible through a glass wall. October brings special additions like smoked turkey legs brushed with maple glaze and pulled pork shoulder topped with apple chutney. I once witnessed two grown men nearly come to blows over the last helping of their famous corn pudding!

The highlight of any fall visit is their “Que and Stew” combo – a hearty portion of chopped pork alongside Brunswick stew that’s been simmering since daybreak. Pro tip: save room for their pumpkin bread pudding with bourbon sauce that’ll make you want to slap your grandma (but don’t actually do that).

10. Heavy’s Bar-B-Q (Crawfordville)

You might drive right past Heavy’s if you blink – this cinderblock shack in tiny Crawfordville doesn’t look like much from the outside. But locals know that Heavy’s October buffet is worth driving counties over for! The parking lot filled with pickup trucks tells you everything you need to know.

The buffet line, simple and straightforward, delivers BBQ perfection without fancy frills. Their whole hog BBQ, cooked over oak and hickory for 24 hours, gets chopped to order and dressed with their vinegar-pepper sauce that’ll clear your sinuses right up. Fall specialties include smoked turkey with cranberry-jalapeño sauce and sweet potato casserole topped with candied bacon crumble.

Last October, I watched in awe as the 80-something-year-old owner, Mr. Heavy himself, chopped BBQ for two hours straight without taking a break. That’s dedication to the craft, folks!