HENRYeats, Henry County’s exclusive dining destination.
Explore all the culinary delights Henry County has to offer. All of our content spotlights locally owned independent eateries in McDonough, Stockbridge, Hampton and Locust Grove Georgia.
This Spring segment we offer our dish on three southern cooking spots and choose our top five dive restaurants in Henry County.
Five Best Dive Restaurants in Henry County
Henry County Georgia has over 300 independent eateries and nearly a third of them have over 4.5 stars on Google reviews. With that many high marks and happy patrons, you’re sure to find some fantastic dive restaurants. Here, we share (in no particular order) our top five picks based on our own experiences and Google ratings from the public.
4.7 Google Rating over 570 reviews
Chalo Fast Food located in McDonough serves up some of the freshest and most flavorful Mexican dishes in a small kitchen connected to a Shell Gas Station. Here, you’ll find tacos, burritos (the size of your head), quesadillas, and some of the best homemade sauces and birria tacos this side of the border.
4.8 Google Rating over 560 reviews
2. El Sarten Latino located in McDonough, is a Dominican restaurant serving homemade stewed oxtail, beef, and chicken recipes, as well as empandas, fried plantains, and natural juices. The homemade stewed dishes are served with rice and pea options. The stewed meats are very tender and packed with flavor! I read several commenters who drive over 30 miles to eat here and with nearly 500 5-star reviews, this is a must-try spot!
4.5 Google Rating over 360 reviews
3. Juicy Ribs is located in Hampton and as the name indicates, is known for its fall-off-the-bone ribs. Their smoker is parked out front, so diners here know they’re getting the freshest smoked meats, including pork, ribs, chicken, and sausage links. The ribs here are always seasoned well and do not require BBQ sauce. The smoked chicken breast is always juicy and delicious, too. Juicy Ribs offers a variety of plate options that are accompanied with their homemade sides, including potato salad, baked beans, or green beans. Here, there’s no indoor seating, only a few picnic benches, so come on a pretty day or be prepared to take your delicious smoked plates with you.
4.5 Google Rating 450 reviews
4. Poppin Pizza is located in Hampton, across the street from the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Here, you can expect a casual environment with much more indoor and outdoor seating than the other three dive spots listed above. They serve extra-cheesy New York-style pizza, huge meatballs, oven-baked wings (in a variety of flavors), and also offer a robust beer selection with over 50 different varieties of beer and ciders available. This pizza parlor also dishes up a nice selection of pasta choices available a la carte or for a dinner price that is accompanied with salad and garlic bread. While I haven’t had a pasta dish from Poppin Pizza, the Google review pictures look tasty, so I’ll be trying that the next time I’m in Hampton.
4.4 Google Rating over 430 reviews
5. The Bridge Grill & Oyster Bar is located in Stockbridge off Hudson Bridge Road. This is one of the few places in Henry County where you can order fresh, baked, and fried oysters. This dive spot also offers more indoor and outdoor seating than the first three spots listed and serves a nice selection of beer and wine. The prices here cannot be beat. It’s quite astonishing that they’re able to offer several sandwich and burger baskets for under $8 in 2025! Everything I’ve had here has been fantastic, and I’ve tried all the oyster varieties, including raw, baked, and fried. All of these options were served fresh with the raw oysters served on an ice bath accompanied with lemon wedges, cocktail sauce and mignonette sauce. They also offer a variety of seafood options, including a shrimp po boy, peel and eat shrimp, shrimp and grits, and homemade clam chowder. I’ve been dining here for over 13 years and I have always received great service. Due to the consistently great food, good service, rare seafood options including oysters, peel and eat shrimp, and homemade clam chowder, this is definitely a must-try spot!
