BRUNSWICK, Ga. – If you weren’t aware, Brunswick, Georgia, has a simmering rivalry with another area of the same name: Brunswick County, Virginia.
Both Brunswicks claim to be the birthplace of the original “Brunswick stew.”
Brunswick, Georgia, even has a monument staking its claim: a 25-gallon black iron pot on a stone pedestal in Mary Ross Waterfront Park that’s rumored to be the original pot, made on St. Simons Island on July 2, 1898.
“It’s all about oral tradition, so it’s things being passed down generation to generation and who gets to proclaim one story is true,” said Dr. Whitney Nell Stewart with the Coastal Georgia Historical Society.
Legends aside, Nell Stewart says the stew is a delicious, hearty tomato-based stew -- so it’s not surprising locals want to claim it as their own.
“It’s certainly something the area likes to claim. It’s a delicious stew. Perfect time of year to be eating it. Meat, tomato, corn, then you can have other vegetables added, like lima beans… something that will warm you up from the inside," Nell Stewart said.
But the version that’s served in restaurants across Glynn County differs a bit from the Virginia version.
According to online recipes, traditional Georgia Brunswick stew features pork and beef and can be tangier and spicier, while the traditional meats for the Virginia version are chicken (sometimes rabbit), and it leans toward being thicker and milder.
RECIPES: Georgia Brunswick stew | Virginia Brunswick stew
When it comes to which really came first? Nell Stewart said one of the main issues is that the debate is so old it’s hard to prove who actually originated the stew.
But if we’ve made you curious to taste some, you’ll have a chance soon.
The Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee is scheduled for Jan. 31, 2026. Featuring cooking teams from near and far, the competition tests who has the best Brunswick stew in the nation.
The event, which includes live music, a pooch parade and car shows, along with the stew sampling, is at Mary Ross Waterfront Park.
For more info on tickets and event details, click here.