Verified in 2 cities.
Brunswick stew is a signature dish of United States; we have verified places to eat it in Atlanta and Richmond. A Georgia barbecue stew of pulled pork, chicken, tomatoes, corn and lima beans, slow-simmered.
A Georgia barbecue stew of pulled pork, chicken, tomatoes, corn and lima beans, slow-simmered. Served alongside barbecue plates as the canonical side.
Brunswick stew's origin is debated between Brunswick, Georgia (where a 1898 pot at the St Simons Island commemoration is celebrated) and Brunswick County, Virginia. The Georgia version is sweeter and tomato-led; Virginia's is leaner. Atlanta barbecue rooms like Fox Bros and Heirloom Market all run Brunswick stew alongside their pulled pork. The dish is the canonical side, not a starter; portion sizes scale with the plate.
Where to eat in Atlanta:
Where to eat Brunswick stew in Atlanta: the editor picks
Brunswick stew is the slow-cooked tomato-and-game stew that Brunswick County, Virginia claims as its own. Originally cooked with squirrel; modern versions use chicken with butter beans and corn.
Brunswick County, Virginia and Brunswick, Georgia have disputed the dish's origin since the early twentieth century. Virginia's case rests on Dr Creed Haskins's hunting camp at Jerusalem Plantation in 1828, where his cook Jimmy Matthews is said to have made the first batch. The dish anchors the World Championship Brunswick Stew Cook-off at the Taste of Brunswick Festival each October in Lawrenceville, southwest of Richmond. Twenty-seven competing teams in 2025; the recipe is now standardised around chicken (originally squirrel), tomatoes, butter beans, corn and a slow-cooked tomato base.
Where to eat in Richmond:
Where to eat Brunswick stew in Richmond: the editor picks
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