Georgia-born G. Travis South filled a void in Indianapolis when he opened his first barbecue restaurant at 5711 E. 71st St. in 1992. The proof is in the expansions: That restaurant burgeoned from 28 seats to 190 in about six years, and South opened a second restaurant on the border of Beech Grove in 2002.

Roping a Kansas City Barbecue Society judge into conversation recently, I asked him to spill his picks for the city's best barbecue. His answer had me heading to GT South's Southern Rib House.

The food

Here is a menu with focus: No Thai chicken this or Tuscan that -- GT South's serves just barbecue. Even the salad can be topped with pulled chicken or brisket or -- why not? -- ribs. Such a dizzying proliferation of meat makes GT South's a playground for people on low-carb diets, if any are still around.

All of the meats -- pork, beef brisket, chicken, turkey -- take their turns in GT South's hickory barbecue pit, smoking slowly in their appointed rubs before getting doused with sauce (or not, if you like them dry).

Pulled pork sandwiches ($4.95 regular, $5.95 jumbo) are the most-ordered item, with baby back ribs ($7.25 for a one-third slab, $10.95 for a half slab, $17.95 for a whole slab) a close second. Opt for a different dinner and you can still try the ribs; they're available as an add-on at $4.50 for four bones.

I ordered a pulled chicken platter ($8.75). Turnip greens and macaroni and cheese were my picks from the long list of homemade sides. The serving was shockingly huge, the chicken delectable, the sauce (I went with "hot") thick and decidedly spicy.

One guest at my table ordered a half rack of firm but tender ribs with mild sauce, which was sweet and held as true to its name as the hot.

GT South's is ready for diners in a headspin, and a companion in just that state went for the sampler platter ($13.95) -- ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken, served with two sides and delectable all around. He ordered it with "911" sauce, a dark concoction hotter than Georgia asphalt.

None of us could consider dessert, which is too bad. GT South's serves sweet potato pie, cobblers and key lime pie.

The Service

A small crew of servers works the big dining room with Olympic hustle. Ours called me "hon'" and packed extra sides of sauces into our to-go boxes. Because almost every item on the menu has been pulled from its hours-long tenure in the smoker before diners even hit the door, food is plated and delivered at top speed.

The Atmosphere

GT South's gray dining room lacks the personality of the food served within. Sepia-toned photos of farm scenes decorate one wall; the only other ornament is a collection of stuffed animals -- pigs, of course -- some in motorcycle jackets, others in Colts hats, all of them gifts from customers.

The Price

$43.13 for three adults and a toddler. Given the quality of the food and the fact that a plate even half as full still would have made my eyes pop, GT South's entrees are an outrageous bargain.

Next Time

The restaurant serves a Brunswick stew that lit my curiosity, and already the sweet anguish of that 911 sauce atop pulled chicken calls me back.

-- By Tracy Cumbay / Star Correspondent