Not Your Average Bologna: Fox Brothers’ Smoked Bologna Sandwich
“That’s not a good bologna sandwich,” Guy Fieri declared after taking a massive bite. Then came the pause, the knowing look, and the correction: “That’s a fantastic bologna sandwich.”
When twins Jonathan and Justin from Fox Brothers in Atlanta sent Guy a care package, they weren’t messing around. Right in the middle of opening a massive 9,300-square-foot new restaurant, these brothers still found time to show off their signature smoked bologna sandwich—a dish that takes a childhood classic and transforms it into something completely different.
House-Made Bologna Done Right
This isn’t the thin, plastic-wrapped bologna from your school lunchbox. Fox Brothers makes their bologna completely in-house using a pork and beef blend. As the twins explained, “If you’re gonna do something, you might as well do it right.”
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The process involves grinding the meat up to three times, adding their signature dry rub plus additional seasonings, then smoking it until it develops great moisture and texture. Guy noticed immediately—you can see the texture and particulates throughout the meat, a far cry from the uniform pink circles most people grew up with.
The slicing is key too. They cut it thick, about a quarter to half-inch, then griddle it until it gets that perfect char. Similar to how chefs approach other reinvented classics like Giant Caramel Pecan Roll How-To, the attention to detail here elevates a simple concept into something memorable.
Building the Ultimate Sandwich
The construction of this sandwich is a masterclass in layering flavors:
The bread: Texas toast, buttered and toasted until golden.
The sauce: Barbecue mustard spread on each slice of bread.
The cheese: Pimento cheese patties placed on the griddled bologna and covered to melt.
The crunch: A big handful of corn chips, smashed right on top—”like you’re in third grade and you’re piling everything on your sandwich.”
The finish: Pickles to cut through all that richness.
The hand-cut fries served alongside get their own special treatment: blanched at 325 degrees, then fried crispy at 375, finished with a fry seasoning made from their dry rub mixed with a little sugar.
The Verdict
Guy’s reaction said everything. After doing what he called “the hunch”—that involuntary lean-in that happens when food catches you off guard—he kept going back for more. “That’s the bologna sandwich you grew up with,” he acknowledged, before adding the crucial distinction: “But then you went and cheffed it and took it to a whole ‘nother level.”
He called it “phenomenal,” praising the great meat, great cheese, and great bread. The combination of house-smoked bologna with melted pimento cheese and crunchy corn chips creates something that’s both nostalgic and completely new—much like other Triple D finds that reimagine comfort food, such as Turducken in Sarasota, Florida.
It’s the kind of dish that makes you wonder why more barbecue joints don’t make their own bologna. The answer, probably, is that most don’t have twins crazy enough to hand-grind meat three times while simultaneously opening a restaurant the size of a small warehouse.
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