Moonshiners Bar & Grill:
Braselton's Lively Sports Bar and Grill Near Apalachee Farms
Moonshiners Bar & Grill brings the Crack O' Dawn Burger, smoked wings, Bang Bang Shrimp, and live music every Friday and Saturday to Highway 53 in Braselton, about fifteen minutes from Apalachee Farms. It is the newest featured restaurant in the neighborhood's dining guide.
Lisa Harris
CLHMS, 19 Years in the Community · October 14, 2026
Moonshiners Bar & Grill is the neighborhood's liveliest table: a warm, music-filled sports bar and grill on Highway 53 in Braselton, about fifteen minutes from the Apalachee Farms gate and just down the road from Road Atlanta. The name nods to the moonshine heritage of the Georgia hills, and the room leans into it with a friendly, upscale-casual energy: polished wood, backlit bourbon shelves, and a soundtrack of live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
For Apalachee Farms residents, Moonshiners is the kind of place that turns a casual dinner into a proper night out. The kitchen is serious about comfort food: the Crack O' Dawn Burger stacks a ten-ounce patty with cheddar, cherry bacon, and a fried egg, the smoked wings come in flavors like Mango Habanero, and the Bang Bang Shrimp is the appetizer every table orders. Add billiards, TVs on every wall, and live music, and you have a genuine local gathering place worth the short drive.
The Crack O' Dawn Burger, the signature stack at Moonshiners.
The Menu: Serious Comfort Food, Built for Sharing
Moonshiners' kitchen works in the American comfort tradition: big flavors, generous portions, and a menu that runs from craft burgers and smoked wings to half-rack ribs, shrimp and grits, and chicken fried steak bites. The signatures below are the plates regulars talk about, and the ones that make the short drive from Apalachee Farms feel like a journey worth taking.
The Signature Stack
Crack O' Dawn Burger
A ten-ounce flame-grilled patty stacked with melted cheddar, crispy cherrywood bacon, and a golden fried egg on a toasted brioche bun. It is the burger named for the early-morning craving, and the one first-time visitors come back for.
The Wing Favorite
Smoked Wings, Mango Habanero
Wings smoked in-house and tossed in a glossy mango habanero glaze, with flats, drums, or mixed to order. Reviewers consistently call them out as the best reason to make the drive.
The Table Starter
Bang Bang Shrimp
Crispy golden shrimp tossed in a creamy sweet-chili sauce with a sriracha aioli drizzle. It is the appetizer every table orders to share, and the reason the meal starts well.
The Full Table
Ribs, Shrimp and Grits, and More
Half-rack ribs, shrimp and grits, chicken fried steak bites, Buffalo chicken egg rolls, and Moonshiners chili fries and tots round out a menu built for groups and game days. The Dr Pepper Coffee Burger is the adventurous second act.
Smoked wings in the popular Mango Habanero glaze
Bang Bang Shrimp, the appetizer every table orders
Atmosphere & Vibe
Walk into Moonshiners and you land in a room that balances polish with play: amber pendant lights over a long wood bar, backlit shelves of bourbon, TVs glowing above the rail, and a pool table drawing a steady crowd. It is upscale-casual rather than divey, the kind of place where a date night and a game-day group sit comfortably in the same room.
The energy peaks on weekends: live music every Friday and Saturday night, poker nights through the week, and a bar that stays open late, with Friday and Saturday running until 2:00 AM. Weekday lunches are relaxed and family-friendly, making it as natural for a casual dinner as for a proper night out.
Best for: Live-music evenings, game days, date nights, group dinners, and Apalachee Farms residents who want a table with real energy within fifteen minutes of the gate.
What Makes It Special
Live Music Every Weekend
Friday and Saturday nights bring live music, so dinner here can easily become the whole evening out. It is the closest thing to a neighborhood music room near Apalachee Farms.
A Serious Comfort Kitchen
Smoked wings, a ten-ounce signature burger, Bang Bang Shrimp, and half-rack ribs: the menu reads like a greatest-hits list of American comfort food, done with real care.
Road Atlanta Country
Just down Highway 53 from Road Atlanta, Moonshiners is a favorite stop for race weekends and a steady local hangout the rest of the year, with billiards, TVs, and poker nights.
Details
6750 Highway 53, Braselton, GA 30517
Braselton · ~15 min from Apalachee Farms, near Road Atlanta
Hours
Monday – Thursday: 11:00 AM – midnight
Friday – Saturday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 AM
Sunday: 12:00 PM – midnight
Price Range
$$ (Moderate) · appetizers roughly $9 to $17, burgers around $15 to $20, steaks up to about $39
Pro Tips
- Go on a Friday or Saturday for music. Live music nights make dinner feel like a proper evening out, and the bar stays open until 2:00 AM.
- Start with the Bang Bang Shrimp. Order it to share: it is the most talked-about starter on the menu, and the sauce is the reason.
- Try the Mango Habanero wings. The smoked wings are the local favorite, and the mango habanero glaze is the flavor regulars order most.
- Plan around race weekends. Road Atlanta is minutes away, so the room fills up fast during race events. Call ahead for larger groups.
While You're There
Highway 53 in Braselton sits in the heart of the area's entertainment corridor: Road Atlanta is minutes away, Historic Downtown Braselton and the Braselton Town Green are a short drive, and Château Élan's resort dining is close by for a different kind of evening. A night at Moonshiners pairs naturally with a slow afternoon in downtown Braselton, and the drive back to Apalachee Farms is a short, easy run with none of Atlanta's traffic.
For anyone weighing a move to Apalachee Farms, a restaurant like Moonshiners is a reminder of how complete the surrounding lifestyle is: golf course living, strong schools, and genuinely character-filled tables within fifteen minutes of the gate.
Thinking about buying or selling in Apalachee Farms? Lisa Harris has 19 years of experience in the community and knows every section, every market trend, and every great local restaurant. From live music in Braselton to the best listing strategy for your home, she has the local knowledge you need.