Helen BBQ & Southern Food

Helen is known for German food, but there's real Southern cooking here too. The table collects the places that serve it, with the specifics each one posts.

Addresses and phones for Pink Pig and Monday's Pub come from the Helen visitors bureau. Call Pink Pig and Monday's before you go, since neither posts hours online.

The Helen visitors bureau lists Pink Pig Southern BBQ at 663 Edelweiss Strasse as southern comfort barbecue. For more of the pork-and-ribs side of the menu, our BBQ and Southern guide covers Monday's Pub and other options.

At Campfire, the kitchen hand-cuts its steaks, buys local ground beef for the Smash Burger and brines and breads its chicken to order. It also pickles its own jalapenos and pickles from a family recipe, and the menu notes vegetarian and gluten-free options. Bigg Daddy's menu lists Fried Green Tomatoes with goat cheese and balsamic glaze, Chicken N Waffles and Bigg Easy Shrimp & Grits. Cowboys & Angels pairs 100% certified Angus steaks with regional specialties.

For something lighter, the Market at the Old Sautee Store sells chicken salad and pimento cheese by the pound or on fresh bread, and Nora Mill Granary mills the stone-ground grits you will see on local menus.

The table is long, so here is the short version. Each pick comes straight from what the restaurant posts on its own menu or site.

Pink Pig and Bigg Daddy's are both on Edelweiss Strasse, the street that also holds the Festhalle and the city's pay lot at the Davidson Bridge. Campfire, Paul's and Monday's Pub are along South Main, and Troll Tavern is on North Main. Helen has no parking meters or garages: the city runs free lots east of Main Street, and private lots post their rate at the entrance. The parking guide maps both.

Oktoberfest keeps the Festhalle open nightly through November 1, 2026, so Edelweiss Strasse is busiest in the evening. If you want a calmer dinner, aim for a weekday or an early table. The Helen Chamber lists the Festhalle schedule.

Nora Mill Granary, at 7107 S Main St, has milled since 1876 and sells its stone-ground grits and cornmeal in the store. It's open Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5 PM and Saturday and Sunday 10 AM to 5 PM. If the shrimp and grits at lunch hit the spot, a bag makes a better souvenir than a T-shirt.