The Sprayberry’s Bar-B-Que Legacy 

Serving up a Century of Southern Food and a Sense of “Home” By Bonnie Helander

On Saturday, January 3, 2026, Sprayberry’s Bar-B-Que marked an historic milestone – 100 years serving up delicious slow-cooked barbecue, thick, Georgia-style Brunswick stew, and lemon ice box pie in Newnan! I can’t imagine anyone in Coweta County who has not eaten at Sprayberry’s over the years.  

This iconic cornerstone of culinary greatness began modestly in 1926, when Houston Sprayberry, who operated a gas station on Hwy. 29, started selling barbecue sandwiches (with a “secret sauce” family recipe) to those customers who requested them. In addition, his wife, Mattie Lou, cooked up a batch of the family’s Brunswick stew to add to the options at the gas station. The BBQ and stew were so popular, that Houston decided to close his gas station and focus on expanding his small restaurant.

Sprayberry’s has been an important part of Newnan life for a century. My grandparents, Wilson and Marybeth Bowers, who farmed in Moreland, were some of Houston and Mattie Lou’s first customers. They would have been in their 20s in 1926.  My grandmother was a great cook and did not often go to restaurants, but made an exception for Sprayberry’s. Although I did not live in Georgia during my childhood, my family always made a pilgrimage to Sprayberry’s whenever we visited the grandparents in Moreland. You could always count on Sprayberry’s to be a constant in your life – same décor, same wonderful family and hospitality and the same exceptional barbecue, stew and onion rings!

Sprayberry’s was always so popular and evoked such a sense of “home,” that the restaurant sent canned Brunswick stew over to local soldiers serving abroad in World War II! Over the century, Sprayberry’s has not only remained a constant for locals, but has attracted U.S. presidents, celebrities and sports figures to experience its Southern BBQ delights. 

One of the most noted famous diners is the legendary UGA graduate (who requested some of his ashes be scattered at the 50-yard line of Sanford Stadium) and former AJC columnist, author, and humorist, Lewis Grizzard, who crowned Sprayberry’s “merely the best barbecue joint on earth.” A favorite entrée on the menu is named for Grizzard – the “Lewis Grizzard Special.” It is a delectable combination of pork BBQ sandwich, with a side of Brunswick stew and perfectly fried onion rings. (On a personal note, my grandmother taught Lewis Grizzard in grade school at Moreland Elementary!)

The uber-talented and local country music legend, Alan Jackson, waited tables at Sprayberry’s as a teenager, while attending Newnan High School, and makes a pilgrimage back when he is in town. In 2000, Prince Phillip, consort of Queen Elizabeth, visited Sprayberry’s while in Newnan, to savor some real Southern barbecue. 

Over the years, many members of the Sprayberry family have given leadership to the restaurant, including Houston and Mattie Lou’s sons, Jimmy and Donald. The family leadership continued through the fourth generations of Sprayberry’s. In 2021, after 95 years of operation, the Sprayberry’s retired and sold the business to long-time employee, Jay Rogers, who began his career at age 15 at the restaurant in 1986 and worked his way up from “curb boy” to waiter, to assistant manager, to owner!
Visiting Sprayberry’s to honor the 100^th birthday celebration was a bit nostalgic for me. The place still looks the same – tin ceilings, soda-shop style counter, and historic photos on the walls….and featuring the same wonderful BBQ!  I could almost envision the “ghosts” of my grandparents, parents and other family members who were patrons of Sprayberry’s, sitting around a table, where we enjoyed some wonderful family times. Happy Birthday to Sprayberry’s Bar-B-Que.  Here’s to another 100 years of dishing up the best barbecue around.