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ORAL HISTORY
Buford Hudson & Scott Hudson
Hudson’s Hickory House
Buford Hudson started working in barbecue when he was in the eighth grade. At that young age he commuted from his hometown of Douglasville thirty miles east to Atlanta to work at the Old Hickory Barbecue. Brothers Winton Wallace and Willy Wallace owned the business and taught him how to serve customers and cook pork shoulders. In 1971, Buford opened Hudson’s Hickory House with the same menu of hickory-smoked pork shoulder, beef, chicken, ribs, and signature Brunswick stew.
Over the decades, Hudson’s became a local institution. Many dishes are handmade to order. The menu has expanded over the years as Buford keeps a keen ear for his customers’ wants. He now offers hot dogs, steaks, house-made vegetable soup, and a Hudson’s creation called “Hickory Fries,” French fries under cheese under pork under house-made ranch dressing. But pork plates and sandwiches are still their signature items. In their spirit of excellent customer service, you can get your pork anyway you like: pulled, chopped, inside meat, or outside meat. But you can only get shoulder.
