History of the Fresh Air Bar-B-Que

George Wilson Caston (Toots), owner and proprieter of
Fresh Air Barbecue of Jackson in 1956.

The family restaurant known as the Fresh Air Bar-B-Que was founded in Jackson, Georgia in 1929. Fresh Air has been serving up some of the South's best barbeque to over five generations in the Butts County area, as well as to the many travelers who stop in every day. Dr. Joel Watkins, a Jackson veterinarian, started Fresh Air, and by the mid 1940s the restaurant was leased by George W. "Toots" Caston, a fifth generation native of Jackson. When Dr. Watkins died around 1952, Toots purchased the business and immediately went into barbeque production on a seven-day-a-week basis. To this day, the decor and atmosphere at Fresh Air have remained vlrtually unchanged, evoking a feeling of a pleasant step back in time.

Soon after Toots' purchase of Fresh Air, the restaurant became well-known all over the state as a favorite stopping off point on the road that ran between Macon and Atlanta before 1-75 was ever built. Fresh Air is located three miles north of Indian Springs State Park, the nation's oldest state park.

Fresh Air has served thousands of people who have traveled to camp meetings held at the Indian Springs Holiness Campground, which has held meetngs for over 100 years. The restaurant has been a favorite of many Georgia Governors, including the late Eugene Talmadge and former Governor Joe Frank Harris.

The dining room and food prep area at the Jackson location as it looked in 1956. This area has changed very little in over 50 years since this picture was made. Toots Caston takes a rare break from work (seated at left) as a customer eats lunch.

In the 1980's, Fresh Air finally began to receive media recognition. It was honored in 1984 by WSB-TV in Atlanta when overwhelmingly selected by their viewers in a statewide contest as the "Best Barbeque in Georgia." In addition, Fresh Air has been featured In numerous documentaries and magazines around the world.

Now, the best barbeque in Georgia is available in Macon, as well as in our original Jackson location.

Fresh Air is happy to bring to you some of our oldest recipes. Our barbeque pork is slow-cooked with hickory and oak woods. Our sauce and famous Brunswick stew are prepared in our kitchen. Our menu may be a little small, but our quality is assured - Toots wouldn't have it any other way! He believed in good quality, and he made sure that everything produced by Fresh Air met his standards. At the time he passed away in 1996 at the age of 89, he was the oldest actively employed person in Butts County. Fresh Air is now owned and operated by Toots' grandsons David and George Barber. We hope you will make Fresh Air Bar-B-Que a regular stop on your list of hometown eating establishments.