The Alabama Barbecue Bucket List

A bucket list can be a tricky thing.

Make it too short, and after you’ve breezed through it, you’re left wondering: “OK, done that; what’s next?”

Put together too long of a list, though, and, because of time or distance or some other excuse, you may get discouraged and never get around to doing it all.

The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle.

A bucket list, in our book, should be attainable, but not something you can accomplish without having to put in some work. It needs to be a commitment -- a lifelong goal -- not a leisurely exercise.

Which brings us around to our Alabama Barbecue Bucket List, an admittedly long slate of 50 barbecue joints that -- because of their historical or cultural significance, or simply the fact that they continue to put out great smoked meat -- should be on every barbecue fan’s checklist of places where they need to eat while there’s still time.

For our list, we researched the Alabama Tourism Department’s Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame; pored through the ever-resourceful “Alabama Barbecue: Delicious Road Trips” guidebook by travel writer Annette Thompson and ace photographer Art Meripol; and consulted our own compilation of The Best Barbecue in Every County in Alabama. We also came up with a few hidden gems that maybe you haven’t heard about. And, yes, we included a handful of Alabama-centric chains on our list, but we remind you that before they became chains, they were just little, family-owned joints, too.

So, let’s get started.

How many of these barbecue restaurants have you already checked off your list? And which ones would you add? After all, when it comes to Alabama barbecue, we’re always open to suggestions.

Archibald’s BBQ, Northport

For barbecue purists, this modest, soot-scorched, cinder-block building is the most sacred of barbecue shrines, the holy ground of holy smokes. Archibald’s legendry ribs are grilled in a well-seasoned brick pit that’s just behind the front counter of the cozy, little shack – affording guests a front-row seat to watch the pit maestros at work. To get the true experience, we recommend ordering the “mixed plate,” which comes with sliced pork, ribs and white bread and is served with a thin, vinegar-based, atomic-orange sauce that packs just the right amount of heat.

Archibald’s Bar-B-Q is at 1211 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Northport. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: A quick history of Archibald’s Bar-B-Q

Bar-B-Q House, Troy

The Bar-B-Q House on U.S. 231 just outside Troy is an old-school barbecue roadhouse, complete with a smiling pink pig in dark sunglasses out front along the highway and a pool room with beer and karaoke tucked away in the back of the restaurant. But the main attractions, as they should be, are the hickory-smoked ribs and the pulled pork.

The Bar-B-Q House is at 27353 U.S. 231 in Troy, Ala. For more information, go here.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, Decatur

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q has a well-earned reputation that extends far beyond the state’s borders. Bob Gibson, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound railroad man, started the tradition in 1925, selling barbecue that he smoked in a hand-dug pit in his backyard. Nearly a century later, Gibson’s grandson Don McLemore, and McLemore’s son-in-law, Chris Lilly, are the keepers of the Big Bob flame. Lilly, who is widely regarded as one of the top pitmasters in America, has led the Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que team to a record five grand championship titles at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the Super Bowl of barbecue. The restaurant is most famous, though, for its peppery, mayonnaise-based white sauce, which Bob Gibson invented in the 1920s and into which every BBG chicken is ceremoniously dunked after it leaves the pit.

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q is at 1715 Sixth Ave. SE and at 2520 Danville Road SW in Decatur. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: The story of Alabama white sauce and the giant of a barbecue man who made it famous

Big D’s Butts ‘N Stuff, Monroeville

Several years ago, Donnie “Big D” Ricketts, who worked as a lab tech at a local pulp mill, started smoking meat on the competitive barbecue circuit and got so good at it that he opened a place of his own. Big D’s Butts ‘N Stuff is probably best known for its baby-back ribs, which, in 2014, won the Reader’s Choice award in AL.com’s statewide search for “Alabama’s Best BBQ Ribs.”

Big D’s Butts ‘N Stuff is at 4439 South Alabama Ave. in Monroeville. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: More than just butts at Big D’s Butts ‘N Stuff

Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, Bessemer

Van Sykes was all of 12 years old when he started working the pit at the Bessemer barbecue restaurant owned by his parents, Bob and Maxine Sykes. More than 50 years later, Van is still at it, running the family business with the help of his nephew, Jason Jewell, and a loyal team of pitmasters, cooks and servers. With a history that goes back to 1957, Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q is one of Alabama’s most venerable barbecue joints, and Van Sykes is one of the state’s greatest barbecue ambassadors – more than happy to talk ‘cue all day, any day with anybody who’ll listen. “Daddy told me when I was a little boy that you have to work hard for good barbecue, and I really believe that’s true,” Van says. “I’m not disparaging anybody. I love everybody’s barbecue. I’m just simply making a comparison that we’ve resisted the temptation to do anything different than what Daddy taught me to do when I was 10 or 12 years old.”

Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q is at 1724 Ninth Ave. North in Bessemer. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: This classic Alabama BBQ joint is sweet on ‘the Cake Lady’

Bow & Arrow, Auburn

David Bancroft, the celebrated Auburn chef who won the Food Network’s “Iron Chef Showdown” in 2017 and is a four-time James Beard Award semifinalist, opened Bow & Arrow (the rowdier companion to his more sophisticated Acre) less than three years ago, and, no surprise, it has fast become one of the most talked-about barbecue restaurants in Alabama. The Texas-style smokehouse is inspired, in part, by Bancroft’s childhood growing up in the Lone Star State, but Bancroft also tips his hat to the down-home dishes he remembers from his visits to his grandparents’ farm in South Alabama. “It’s like Texas and Alabama,” he says. “But none of it is forced. It’s not a fusion.” The Bow & Arrow menu features brisket, pork shoulder, smoked sausage, chicken and ribs, along with such sides as potato salad, coleslaw, creamed corn, camp beans, butterbeans and a tater-tot casserole. The Sunday brunch specials include brisket tacos and brisket with biscuit and gravy.

Bow & Arrow is at 1977 East Samford Ave. in Auburn. For more information go here.

READ MORE: Texas-style smokehouse is inspired in part by chef David Bancroft’s childhood in the Lone Star State.

Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit, Montgomery

Owned by the same family since it opened in 1942, Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit is Montgomery’s oldest barbecue restaurant, and it played a key role in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and ’60, serving as a gathering place for organizers of the movement. So, there’s a lot of history here. There’s also some great barbecue. The menu at Brenda’s is carry-out only, and it’s been that way for decades. Customers order at the take-out window and either eat in their cars or take their food with them. While Brenda’s is best known for its ribs, a close second is the pig ear sandwich, a hard-to-find soul food delicacy that is served on white bread and splattered with ketchup, mustard and hot sauce. “If we run out of pig ears, oh my God, we’ve got trouble on our hands that day,” Donetta Bethune, the granddaughter of founders Jereline and Larry James Bethune, says. “The customers are not going to be happy with us if we run out of pig ears.”

Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit is at 1457 Mobile Road in Montgomery. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: This Alabama barbecue joint has been smoking since 1942

Brooks Barbecue, Muscle Shoals

The late Lucille and Sammie Brooks Sr. started Brooks Barbecue in Sheffield in 1965, and more than a half-century later, their surviving children and grandchildren carry on the family tradition at the restaurant’s current location in neighboring Muscle Shoals. The menu features pork and chicken sandwiches and plates, as well as ribs, wings and chicken stew. Brooks is also famous for its pecan, coconut, apple and sweet potato pies, all of which are made from old family recipes.

Brooks Barbecue is at 203 Union Ave. in Muscle Shoals. For more information, go here.

Bunyan’s Bar-B-Q, Florence

For nearly 50 years, the flat-topped, red-brick building on West College Street in Florence has been a destination for locals and out-of-towners alike, who come to Bunyan’s Bar-B-Q to grab sackfuls of pulled pork sandwiches and Bunyan’s legendary hot dogs. John Bunyan Cole, who was working at the nearby Ford Motor Company plant at the time, opened Bunyan’s in an old Dairy Queen location in 1972, and one of his sons, Malcolm Cole, continues his late father’s legacy. Regulars like Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton, who used to be in the barbecue business himself, say what sets Bunyan’s apart is its signature hot slaw -- a fiery, mustard-based coleslaw that heats up both the barbecue sandwiches and the hot dogs. “It’s got that spiciness to it, and it’s good and juicy,” Singleton says. “You have to wear a bib or stick your neck way out if you don’t want to get it on your shirt.”

Bunyan’s Bar-B-Q is at 901 West College St. in Florence. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Singing the praises of a North Alabama barbecue staple

Carlile’s Barbecue, Birmingham

Carlile’s Barbecue has a long and colorful history that goes back to 1945, and over the ensuing decades, it became a lunchtime gathering spot for a who’s-who of state and local politicians, radio and TV celebrities, and assorted musicians and sports stars -- most of whom came here for a plate of Carlile’s pit barbecue and a side of those greasy fries. In 2007, fearful that the fabled old restaurant might close for good, Birmingham businessman Charles Collat and his son, Charlie Collat, bought Carlile’s. It has always been the senior Collat’s favorite barbecue joint in Birmingham, and he didn’t want to see it go. “It, in my mind, is an institution,” he says. “I just think it’s been a place that people have enjoyed, (and) a place that people still can enjoy if they will just think about it and come down here.”

Carlile’s Barbecue is at 3511 Sixth Ave. South in Birmingham. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Making a forgotten Alabama barbecue joint relevant again

Champs Barbeque, Wetumpka

When you visit Wetumpka to see how HGTV’ Ben and Erin Napier spruced up this charming little Elmore County town for their “Home Town Takeover,” you’ll also want to make a side trip to Champs Barbecue for a pulled pork sandwich and a serving of their signature Champ Stew.

Champs Barbeque is at 210486 U.S. 231 in Wetumpka.

READ MORE: Things to do in Wetumpka

Chuck’s Bar-B-Que, Opelika

Open since 1976, Chuck’s Bar-B-Que is an Opelika staple that serves its pork three ways: chipped, chopped and chipped on the block. (They’ll be happy to explain the nuances of each.) Unless guests request otherwise, the pork sandwiches are topped with Chuck’s signature barbecue slaw, which is made with chopped cabbage that’s mixed with a mustard-based sauce.

Chuck’s Bar-B-Q is at 905 Short Ave. in Opelika. For more information, go here.

ChuckWagon BBQ, Huntsville and Madison

Texas transplant Mike Holley has carved out quite a reputation around the Rocket City for his beef brisket, which he slices to order for each guest. While the brisket is as good as it gets anywhere in Alabama, regulars say Holley does everything right, from his sausage to the chicken to the ribs.

ChuckWagon BBQ is 11700 Memorial Parkway SW in Huntsville and at 8048 Highway 72 in Madison. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about ChuckWagon BBQ

Cooter Brown’s Rib Shack, Jacksonville

Cooter Brown’s is a favorite of Calhoun County native and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Rick Bragg, so you know they know something about preparing ribs here. Dusted in a dry rub and then smoked to tender perfection, Cooter Brown’s ribs are served wet (with the choice of a mild or a hot sauce) or dry (with the sauce on the side). We prefer the dry, but you can’t go wrong either way. If you’re not in the mood for ribs, Cooter Brown’s also serves some mighty fine pulled pork barbecue.

Cooter Brown’s Rib Shack is at 8464 Alabama Highway 204 in Jacksonville. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: The story behind Cooter Brown’s Rib Shack, a classic Alabama BBQ joint

Cotton State BBQ, Mobile

A relatively new upstart that only opened in downtown Mobile in 2014, Cotton State BBQ does its barbecue a little different from most folks. For starters, instead of pulling or chopping the pork shoulders for their barbecue sandwiches, they use a deli slicer to cut the meat into thin slices, which are piled onto a sesame-seed bun and served with their house barbecue sauce on the side. You may also want to try the BBQ Dog (a Conecuh Sausage glazed with barbecue sauce, topped with coleslaw and served on a toasted bun) or the Loaded Beef Brisket Potato (with thin slices of slow-cooked brisket on top of a baked Idaho potato and served with butter, sour cream and cheese with sauce on the side).

Cotton State BBQ is at 101 North Conception St. in Mobile. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Cotton State BBQ’s brisket sandwich is loaded with smoky goodness

Demetri’s BBQ, Homewood

As famous for its breakfast as it is its barbecue, Demetri’s BBQ began as El Rancho BBQ in downtown Homewood in 1961. Twelve years later, when owner Demetri Nakos moved one block away to the restaurant’s current location, he changed the name to Demetri’s BBQ. Nakos died in 2002, but his son, Sam Nakos, has continued a legacy that now spans 60 years. The menu features pork, chicken, ribs, wings and brisket, as well as the breakfast of champions, a barbecue omelet.

Demetri’s BBQ is at 1901 28th Ave. South in Homewood. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Demetri’s BBQ makes Playboy’s list of 101 Best Breakfasts in America

Dick Howell’s Bar-B-Q Pit, Florence

The Shoals is fertile ground to both great music and exceptional barbecue, of which it has an abundance of both. Few, if any, folks in the area, though, have been doing barbecue longer than they have at Dick Howell’s Bar-B-Q, which has been smoking since 1947 and lays claim to introducing North Alabama’s legendary hot slaw to the region.

Dick Howell’s Bar-B-Q is at 1350 North Pine St. in Florence. For more information, go here.

Dobb’s Famous Bar-B-Que, Dothan

Believed to be the second-oldest barbecue restaurant in Alabama, Dobb’s Famous Bar-B-Que was founded in Tallassee in 1910 by Euell Lee Dobbs Sr., who moved his restaurant to Dothan in 1948. Dobbs’ son, Euell Lee Dobbs Jr., who started helping out around his father’s business when he was 5, continued the family tradition and was a fixture at the front counter until he died in 2017. “I didn’t change much from Daddy’s recipe,” the junior Dobbs told Alabama author Annette Thompson for her 2014 book “Alabama Barbecue: Delicious Road Trips.” “The camp stew is one dish that will never leave the menu.”

Dobb’s Famous Bar-B-Que is at 2636 South Oates St. in Dothan.

Down South Bar-B-Q, Foley

At Down South Bar-B-Q in Foley, you can get two essential Southern foods -- barbecue and cornbread -- in one distinctively Southern sandwich. The cornbread and barbecue sandwich is a hard-to-handle helping of pulled pork barbecue, topped with a mayonnaise-based coleslaw and stuffed between two jalapeno-and-crackling cornmeal hoecakes. Good luck getting a grip on this one.

Down South Bar-B-Q is at 19891 County Road 10 in Foley, Ala. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: 6 BBQ sandwiches that will make you rethink your definition of barbecue

Dreamland Bar-B-Que (original location), Tuscaloosa

If you’ve only been to one of the Dreamland Bar-B-Que locations in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery or Northport but never been to the original in Tuscaloosa, you are depriving yourself of a cultural experience. This is where it all began in 1958, when John “Big Daddy” Bishop had a dream, and in it, according to Dreamland lore, God told him to open a restaurant. He started serving his iconic Dreamland ribs with white bread and that addictive sauce, and the rest is Alabama barbecue history.

The original Dreamland Bar-B-Que is at 5535 15th Ave. East in Tuscaloosa. For additional locations and more information, go here.

READ MORE: A brief history of Dreamland Bar-B-Que

Fat Boy’s Bar-B-Que Ranch, Prattville

Danny Loftin was a trucker and cattleman who got into the barbecue business after he started cooking for his church and folks encouraged him to open a place of his own. Later, when some real-estate investors came along and made Loftin a serious proposition on a piece of property, he got on his knees and prayed about it. “The Lord spoke to my heart, and he said, ‘Trust Me,’” Loftin recalls. He opened Fat Boy’s Bar-B-Que Ranch on June 1, 1998, and, undeterred by a fire two months later that forced him to temporarily close and rebuild, Loftin has been spreading the gospel of barbecue ever since. The “Fat Boy” in his restaurant’s name is a reference to his trucking days, when he went by the CB handle “Alabama Fat Boy,” and “Ranch” is a tip of the cowboy hat to his days as a cattleman.

Fat Boy’s Bar-B-Que Ranch is at 154 First St. in Prattville. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: A brief history of Fat Boy’s Bar-B-Que Ranch

Full Moon Bar-B-Que (original location), Birmingham

Brothers Joe and David Maluff bought the original Full Moon Bar-B-Q on Birmingham’s Southside from Pat James, who coached football under Paul “Bear” Bryant, and his wife, Eloise, in 1986. And while the Maluff brothers have grown the Full Moon brand to include 16 locations throughout Alabama, we always love going back to the original spot -- a cozy, little cinder block building with the Full Moon logo painted on the outside and probably a couple hundred Alabama, Auburn and UAB sports photos covering the inside walls. At lunchtime, you’ll typically find Joe Maluff taking care of business on his cell phone or his laptop at a table along the back wall. From the hickory-fired ribs to the sliced pork, the luscious carrot cake to those delectable “Half Moon” cookies, we love everything on the menu. That said, our go-to meal is the sliced smoked turkey sandwich with chow-chow and a side of that marinated coleslaw, which we pile on top of the turkey. It’s so good it’ll make you forget you’re not eating pork.

The original Full Moon Bar-B-Que is at 525 25th St. South in Birmingham. For additional locations and more information, go here.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about Full Moon Bar-B-Que

Gibson’s Bar-B-Q, Huntsville

An extension of the legendary “Big Bob” Gibson barbecue family tree, Gibson’s Bar-B-Q started in Huntsville in 1956, when Gibson’s daughter, Velma, and her husband, Paul Hampton, branched out to open a place of their own. Now, 65 years later, co-owners Art Sanford and Paula Mabry, great-grandchildren of “Big Bob,” keep the fires burning at Gibson’s. In addition to pulled pork, smoked chicken, smoked turkey and ribs, Gibson’s also serves barbecue stuffed potatoes, barbecue salads and Brunswick stew.

Gibson’s Bar-B-Q is at 3319 Memorial Parkway in Huntsville. For more information, go here.

Golden Rule Bar-B-Q, Irondale

No barbecue restaurant in Alabama has a longer history than Golden Rule Bar-B-Q, which goes all the way back to 1891, when the Williams family opened the first Golden Rule not far from its current location in Irondale. The original building was along a dirt road, and in addition to serving barbecue, they sold beer and cigarettes and even did occasional car repairs. Decades later, Birmingham restaurateur Michael Matsos of Michael’s Sirloin Room bought Golden Rule around 1970, and when I-20 was being built, Matsos moved the restaurant across U.S. 78 into a new building strategically positioned near the Irondale exit ramp. It’s been there ever since. Matsos died in 2012, but his son, Charles Matsos, continues to run the business. Part of the charm of eating at Golden Rule is the open kitchen with the glazed brick pit, all of which is in full view of the guests. “If you’re paying attention, you can actually hear them call out your order, and you can look and see everybody moving to put it together,” managing partner Sammy Derzis says. “When we are going good, it’s a beautiful thing.”

Note: The first Golden Rule franchise location, which opened in the 1970s on U.S. 31 in Hoover, changed its name to Archie’s Bar-B-Q & Burgers in 2020. It is still owned by Nick Manakides.

Golden Rule Bar-B-Q ‘s flagship location is at is at 2504 Crestwood Blvd. in Irondale. For additional locations and more information, go here.

READ MORE: A quick history of Alabama’s Golden Rule Bar-B-Q

Hancock’s Country Bar-B-Que, Selma

The family-owned Hancock’s Country Bar-B-Q opened on County Road 46 in Selma in 1973, and it’s been a favorite of locals and out-of-towners alike for nearly 50 years. Over the years, Kathryn Tucker Windham, the beloved Alabama storyteller who was born in and died in Selma, helped spread the word about Hancock’s well beyond her hometown. A framed, hand-written letter from Ms. Windham hangs on a wall in one of the wood-paneled dining rooms. “When a visitor from Texas says, ‘This barbecue is so good, it makes me want to move to Selma, you know it is super good,” she wrote. “Of course, I’ve known for years how superior, how true to the finest Southern tradition Hancock’s barbecue is. That’s why I like to bring guests to your place to eat, why I like to introduce folks in other parts of the country to real barbecue, and why I like to eat it myself.” We couldn’t agree more.

Hancock’s Country Bar-B-Que is at 72 County Road 46 in Selma. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: It’s all in the family at Hancock’s, an Alabama BBQ gem

Hog Wild BBQ, Gulf Shores

Yes, we get it. We, too, were skeptical of a barbecue restaurant in a beach town, but after we ordered some of Hog Wild BBQ’s pulled pork and smoked chicken on our annual boys’ getaway to Fort Morgan a couple of years ago, we were converted. And we’ll most certainly be back.

Hog Wild BBQ is at 911 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores For more information, go here.

JJ’s BBQ, Elba

JJ’s BBQ has such a sweet story behind it that you can’t help but love this place. Chequita Walker, who learned a thing or two about cooking barbecue from her father and grandfather, opened her place about four years ago to make a little extra money to pay for daycare for her adopted son, JJ. Her to-go-only barbecue joint soon became a big hit in this small town, and in 2020, JJ’s BBQ was judged Bama’s Best Pulled Pork in a contest sponsored by the Alabama Pork Producers. “I knew I could cook good barbecue, and my family knew,” Chequita says. “But now everybody else knows that I can cook great barbecue. And I appreciate that, I really do.” And so do we.

JJ’s BBQ is at 509 Claxton Ave. in Elba. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: A small-town Alabama BBQ joint and the little boy who inspired it

Jim’s Highway 82 Barbecue, Billingsley

This roadside barbecue joint along U.S. 82 between Montgomery and Tuscaloosa has been a favorite of Alabama football fans traveling to and from home games in T-Town since Jim Lenoir bought an old service station and began smoking meat here in 1970. Mr. Lenoir died in 2004, but his daughter, Jeanette Hughes, carries on the family barbecue tradition, which includes long hours of working the pits and waiting on customers. “I wanted to keep his legacy and just keep it going for him,” she says. “That’s why it’s still called Jim’s.” One of her biggest fans is ABC 33/40 chief meteorologist James Spann, who ranks Jim’s No. 1 on the list of his favorite Alabama barbecue joints. “If I’m anywhere close, I will go to Jim’s,” Spann says.

Jim’s Highway 82 Barbecue is at 3657 U.S. 82 in Billingsley. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Preserving a legacy at this roadside Alabama BBQ joint

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, multiple locations

Yeah, we’re well aware that Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q has grown into a regional empire with nearly 40 locations across seven states, but before it became a chain, it was a single, father-and-son barbecue joint started in 1985 by Birmingham restaurateur Nick Pihakis and his dad, Jim. The fact it has grown throughout the Southeast (and into Colorado) is a testament to its consistently great barbecue and efficient, friendly service. We’re partial to the classic pulled pork plate with collard greens and mac and cheese on the side. The challenge every time we go, though, is to not fill up on those cheese biscuits before our barbecue arrives.

Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q has 14 locations throughout Alabama. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: This Alabama barbecue joint’s cheese biscuits are beloved nationwide

Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot, Selma

Four generations of family members have stoked the fire at Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot, where the late Lannie and Will Travis started barbecuing hogs in a cinder-block pit next to their house back in 1944. Regulars know to order the pulled-pork sandwich, which is soaked in a fiery house-made sauce, topped with a crispy pork skin, and served between slices of white bread.

Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot is at 2115 Minter Ave. in Selma. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Preserving a family barbecue tradition at Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot in Selma

LawLers Barbecue, multiple locations

Brothers Jerry and Phillip Lawler, who were born and raised in Athens, got started in the barbecue business in 1978, and after partnering with Jim Kelly several years later, they have grown the LawLers (with a capital “L” in the middle and no apostrophe at the end) brand to include 13 locations, including 12 in North Alabama and one in Tennessee. To keep up with the demand and to maintain quality and consistency, they opened a state-of-the-art commissary in Ardmore in Limestone County in 2016. The LawLers slogan is “Cooked Slow . . . Served Fast,” and in addition to their pulled pork sandwiches, the most popular items on the menu, Phillip Lawler says, are the ham stuffed potatoes, the St. Louis-style ribs and the smoked turkey sandwiches.

Lawlers Barbecue has 12 locations in North Alabama. For locations and more information, go here.

Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Que, Dora

In 1951, the Green Top Cafe was one of the first businesses to open along what was then known as “the new” U.S. 78 highway. Strategically located in western Jefferson County near the Walker County line, the concrete-block building was one of the last places along the highway that sold beer, as Walker and the counties west to Mississippi were dry back in those days. So it was better known as a beer joint than a barbecue place. Then, in 1973, coal miner Leo Headrick and his wife, Susie, bought the Green Top for $25,000. At the time, Susie Headrick thought her husband had lost his mind. She grew to love the Green Top, though. “My husband made two good decisions in his life,” she told Southern Foodways Alliance oral historian Amy Evans in 2006. “The first one was marrying me, and then the next one was buying the Green Top.” Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Que, as the Headricks started calling their place, soon became renowned for miles around for its pit barbecue and spicy, vinegar-tomato sauce, which their son Richard Headrick made from scratch on top of the stove. Leo and Susie have since died, as has Richard, but Tony Headrick, Richard’s son, carries on the family tradition.

Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Que is at 7530 U.S. 78 in Dora. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: A brief history of Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Que

Meat Boss, Mobile

Another relative newbie on the Mobile barbecue scene, Meat Boss opened about eight years ago but has quickly developed a loyal following. The meat menu features pork, chicken, turkey, ham, ribs and brisket – as well as chicken salad and a Boss Burger. Sauce options include sweet, sweet and spicy, Carolina, spicy Carolina and a white sauce. For a little something different, try the Rib Candy, which is smoked rib meat that has been caramelized with the sweet barbecue sauce, brown sugar and honey.

Meat Boss is at 5401 Cottage Hill Road in Mobile. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about Meat Boss

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q, Vestavia Hills

With all the new barbecue places that have opened in Birmingham over the past 10 to 15 years, Miss Myra’s Pit-Bar-Q in suburban Cahaba Heights tends to get overlooked, but its ribs and smoked chicken remain some of the best around. Just ask globetrotting chef Andrew Zimmern, who, when he came to Birmingham to film his Travel Channel show in 2013, posted on Instagram that Miss Myra’s chicken was the best “I have ever eaten” and the ribs were in his top five “for sure.” Whether you get the ribs or the chicken – or both – be sure to save room for a serving of that heavenly banana pudding. Zimmern loves that, too.

Miss Myra’s Pit Bar-B-Q is at 3278 Cahaba Heights Road in Vestavia Hills. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Andrew Zimmern calls Miss Myra’s chicken the best ‘I have ever eaten’

Mud Creek Fish Camp & Bar-B-Que, Hollywood

Mud Creek Fish Camp & Bar-B-Que is as well known around Jackson County for its fried catfish as it is its smoked meat. The barbecue side of the menu includes ribs and smoked chicken, but the main attraction is the chopped pork sandwich, which is served with a yellow coleslaw and a vinegar-based sauce. Founded in 1946, Mud Creek Fish Camp & Bar-B-Que was among the original inductees into the Alabama Tourism Department’s Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame.

Mud Creek Fish Camp & Bar-B-Que is at 844 County Road 213 in Hollywood.

Promise Land B.B.Q., Woodstock

After passing by this take-out-only barbecue stand on the back road to Tuscaloosa for years, we finally “discovered” Promise Land B.B.Q. on one of our best ribs quests for The Birmingham News in 2008. We haven’t driven by without stopping too many times since. The ribs are meaty and satisfying, but Promise Land also serves a saucy pulled pork sandwich that will fill you up, too. Plus, the prices are reasonable, and they’re just nice folks who take great pride in what they do.

Promise Land B.B.Q. is at 20482 U.S. 11 in Woodstock.

Pruett’s Bar-B-Q, Gadsden

“Some little pigs go to the market,” the playful sign above the kitchen pass-through window at Pruett’s Bar-B-Q reads. “Some little pigs stay at home . . . But the best little pigs end up at Pruett’s.” We’re not sure how the little pigs feel about that, but the customers here have been going hog-wild about Pruett’s pigs since the family-style barbecue palace opened 45 years ago. The Pruett’s menu features chopped pork and chicken, as well as hickory-smoked ribs, which sell out often. Also popular is Pruett’s famous Sweet Potato Fluff, a creamy, sugary delight that is featured on the Alabama Tourism Department’s list of “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.”

Pruett’s Bar-B-Q is at 1617 Rainbow Drive in Gadsden.

The Rocket, Jacksonville

Gary Marbut was just a little fellow when his parents, Cecil and Eunice Marbut, launched The Rocket in 1958 in the Calhoun County college town of Jacksonville. By the time he was a teenager in the late 1960s, he was putting in long hours here, doing everything from sweeping the floor to flipping burgers. These days, you’ll still find Marbut working the barbecue pit on the back side of the restaurant and manning the grill inside the cramped kitchen. “I just needed some spending money, and I got stuck here,” Marbut recalls. “First thing I knew, I woke up one morning, and I was 50 years old. Where did the time go?” In 2015, though, all of that hard work was rewarded when The Rocket was inducted into the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame -- a well-deserved honor.

The Rocket is at 1508 Pelham Road South in Jacksonville. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: This Alabama burger and BBQ joint keeps rocking, 62 years later

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, Birmingham

Yes, Rodney Scott grew up in South Carolina, where he learned and perfected the fine art of smoking whole-hog barbecue from his father, Roosevelt Scott. But ever since he partnered with Birmingham restaurateur Nick Pihakis of Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q fame and opened the second location of his Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in the Magic City in 2019, he spends as much time in Alabama as he does in the Palmetto State. So, we’re claiming him -- and his barbecue. The Rodney Scott’s menu features slow-smoked whole hog barbecue, ribs and chicken served with Scott’s vinegar-based sauce, as well as such sides as collard greens, hush puppies, coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad and banana pudding for dessert. “The menu basically came from my childhood,” Scott, the 2018 James Beard Award winner for best chef in the Southeast, says. “My mom would cook banana pudding on Sunday. Baked beans, that was usually on a Wednesday night.’’ A second Birmingham-area Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ is expected to open later this year in Homewood.

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ is at 3719 Third Ave. South in Birmingham. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: The story of Rodney and Nick, brothers in barbecue

Rusty’s Bar-B-Q, Leeds

Jonathan “Rusty” Tucker grew up in Birmingham and went to culinary school at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte. After a couple of years working in fine-dining restaurants, though, he discovered that wasn’t for him. So, in 2009, he opened Rusty’s Bar-B-Q in Leeds, and we’re so glad he did. “I would rather just do good comfort food and make people happy,” Tucker says. “And I think barbecue does that. It’s very approachable. It’s very democratic.” Tucker and his wife, Beth, who used to make the desserts at Rusty’s before she became a stay-at-home mom, won the “Best Mom ‘n Pop” category in the Alabama Tourism Department’s Alabama Barbecue Battle in 2015. Tucker’s family has had a hand in just about everything on the menu at Rusty’s Bar-B-Q -- from the smoked meats to the sides to the sauces. “My family always enjoyed cooking barbecue,” Tucker says. “That’s one of the first things I learned how to do, was cook on the grill in the back yard with my dad. And my grandfather’s sauce recipe was a huge part of that. So, a lot of things we serve here are kind of family recipes.”

Rusty’s Bar-B-Q is at 7484 Parkway Drive in Leeds. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about Rusty’s Bar-B-Q

Saucy Q Bar B Q, Mobile

Saucy Q Bar B Q founder Elbert Wingfield and his family have been serving their slow-smoked ribs and savory collard greens to appreciative Mobile diners for about 30 years, starting in the parking lot at the Mobile Flea Market before settling into their current home on Government Street. “This is a happy place and everybody who is here is happy,” Wingfield told longtime Press-Register and AL.com food writer David Holloway in 2015. “I said it when we first opened, and I still say it today, that we have got the best ribs you will ever eat. We do everything the old-fashioned way here; we don’t inject our ribs, we don’t add any rubs, we just cook them with lots of TLC.”

Saucy Q Bar B Q is at 1111 Government St. in Mobile. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Saucy Q’s banana pudding is a fitting end to a great meal

Saw’s BBQ, Homewood

Mike Wilson, who previously worked in the test kitchen at Cooking Light magazine, opened his little barbecue joint in suburban Homewood in 2009, and it was a hit from the get-go. Saw’s serves pork, ribs and chicken, and does all three of them exceptionally well. While we are partial to the smoked chicken with white sauce, both the pulled pork and the ribs, which are served with a vinegar-based sauce, are consistently delicious. Over the years, Saw’s BBQ has grown to include Saw’s Soul Kitchen in Avondale, Saw’s Juke Joint in Crestline Park, Saw’s Southside near UAB, Saw’s BBQ at The Backyard in Leeds, and the Saw’s Street Kitchen food truck. Each is every bit as good as the original and all have their own special menus, but whenever we’re feeling nostalgic, we go back to where it all began in Homewood. Wilson died unexpectedly in 2020, but his barbecue legacy lives on.

Saw’s BBQ is at 1008 Oxmoor Road in Homewood. For additional locations and more information, go here.

READ MORE: About those ribs at Saw’s BBQ

Smokey C’s Bar-B-Q & Wings, Decatur

You’ve got to hand it to brothers Cory and Casey Culver -- the two C’s in Smokey C’s. It took some capital A audacity to open yet another barbecue joint in the buckle of North Alabama’s famed barbecue belt, in the long shadow of the legendary “Big Bob” Gibson himself, no less. But after years of trial and error on their Big Green Egg, the Culver brothers honed their skills and built up the confidence to open Smokey C’s. Business was slow that first year or so, but six years later, their hickory-smoked ribs were judged Alabama’s Best BBQ Ribs in a statewide contest sponsored by AL.com. “It was a huge leap of faith is all it was,” Casey Culver says. “We never expected it to be as successful as it has been.”

Smokey C’s Bar-B-Que & Wings is at 3075 Highway 20 in Decatur. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Smokey C’s Bar-B-Que & Wings is the home of Alabama’s Best BBQ Ribs

Smokin’ on the Boulevard, Florence

A roadside shed with a screened-in porch and an industrial-sized smoker, Smokin’ on the Boulevard serves take-out barbecue only, including racks of ribs, whole pork butts, whole chickens, bologna and a house specialty, smoked cabbage. While there, you’re sure to get into a conversation with pitmaster Jeff Carter, who has never met a stranger. And after eating a slab of his ribs, you’ll want to be Jeff’s friend for life.

Smokin’ on the Boulevard is at 4080 Florence Blvd. in Florence. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Meet the Florence folks whose ribs smoked the competition

Tate’s BBQ, Scottsboro

Tate’s BBQ is an old-school barbecue joint with a drive-thru window and a couple of picnic tables. We recommend the pulled pork sandwich, which is served with slaw (unless you request otherwise) and a choice of three sauces.

Tate’s BBQ is at 103 West Stewart Road in Scottsboro. For more information, go here.

13th Street Bar-B-Q, Phenix City

A Phenix City favorite since 1988, 13th St. Bar-B-Q serves chopped, chipped or sliced pork sandwiches and plates, barbecue chicken, and St. Louis-style ribs. But the restaurant is perhaps best known for its “world famous” pork chop sandwich, which comes with two thick slices of pork loin served with sauce and slaw on a Kaiser roll. A second location, 13th St. Bar-B-Q of Ladonia, opened in 2002.

13th Street Bar-B-Q is at 1310 Seventh Ave. in Phenix City. For more information, go here.

Tin Top Bar-B-Q, Calera

Every time we travel the backroads from Birmingham to the Black Belt, we make a point of going through Calera to get a smoked pork sandwich at Tin Top Bar-B-Que, which is located along County Road 33 about 10 miles south of town. It may be a little out of our way, but it’s always well worth the trip.

Tin Top Bar-B-Q is at 3477 County Road 33 in Calera. For more information, go here.

Top Hat Barbecue, Blount Springs

Top Hat Barbecue opened in 1952 on U.S. 31 about a half-hour north of Birmingham, and 15 years later, Wilbur Pettit bought it after he lost his job about 10 years shy of retirement. The restaurant has been in the Pettit family ever since. Wilbur’s son, Dale Pettit, came home from the Navy in 1971 to help his dad. He started working the pits, arriving at 3:30 every morning to get the fires going in time to put the meat on by 6 a.m. He continued to work well into his late 60s. “I’ve been trying to retire for two years now,” he said in a 2017 interview with William Thornton of AL.com. Sadly, Pettit died last year at 71. His daughter, Heather Mahaffey, continues her father’s legacy.

Top Hat Barbecue is at 8725 U.S. 31 in Blount Springs. For more information, go here.

READ MORE: Fifty years of history (and then some) at Top Hat Barbecue

Whitt’s Barbecue, Athens, Decatur and Moulton

Although it now has nearly 30 locations in Alabama and in Tennessee, Whitt’s Barbecue began when bricklayer Floyd Whitt started smoking meat in one of his custom-built barbecue pits, which he made as a hobby. He opened his first location of Whitt’s Barbecue at the end of a dirt road in Athens in 1966, Mark Whitt, one of Floyd and Laura Whitt’s four children, said in a 2005 interview with The Decatur Daily. The famous Whitt’s Barbecue pork sandwich, which is served with a sweet coleslaw and a choice of sauces, was named “Alabama’s Best BBQ Sandwich” in AL.com’s statewide barbecue hunt in 2016. Whitt’s has two locations in Athens, two in Decatur and one in Moulton.

Whitt’s Barbecue has two locations in Decatur and one in Moulton. For information about those locations, go here. For information about the Athens location, go here.

READ MORE: 5 things to know about Whitt’s Barbecue

Wilson’s Barbecue, Albertville

Wilson’s Barbecue in Albertville is a little brick barbecue joint with a drive-through window and a few picnic tables for those who want to eat under the shade trees, which is what we did on our visit. The menu features chopped pork sandwiches served a vinegar slaw, as well as ribs and smoked chicken.

Wilson’s Barbecue is at 900 Highland Ave. in Albertville.

READ MORE ABOUT ALABAMA BARBECUE:

6 BBQ sandwiches that will make you rethink your definition of barbecue

Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame: Class of 2015

The best regional barbecue, according to experts

Alabama Barbecue: Delicious Road Trips

5 Birmingham barbecue restaurants even Memphis fans should love

Meet the winners of the Alabama Barbecue Battle