Alabama Barbecue Fans Name Their Favorite Rib Joints, From Fayette to Mobile
Social media users named their favorite Alabama rib joints, from legendary institutions to food trucks, including Mobile's own Bama Bob's BBQ.
Alabama barbecue lovers recently weighed in on social media with their picks for the best ribs in the state, and the results ranged from decades-old institutions to food trucks still building their reputation one plate at a time.
Among the standouts named was Sam’s Smokehouse in Fayette, a longtime favorite known for hickory-flavored ribs tender enough to pull easily off the bone. Bessemer’s Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, in business since 1957, was cited for its smoky ribs paired with a rich, signature sauce, while Selma’s Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot, one of the state’s oldest barbecue restaurants, was praised for ribs finished with a vinegar-based sauce made from a secret family recipe.
Statewide chain Full Moon Bar-B-Que, founded in Birmingham more than 40 years ago, drew mentions for ribs cooked low and slow over a wood-fired hickory pit, and Leeds’ Rusty’s Bar-B-Q, open for nearly two decades, was recognized for fall-off-the-bone ribs and made-from-scratch pies. Decatur’s Scruggs BBQ, open since 2016, and Huntsville-based food truck Hootenanny BBQ, which smokes its ribs over oak and peach wood, also made the list, as did Tin Top BBQ in Calera and Heard’s BBQ & Soul Food, which originally opened in Maplesville before relocating to Centreville.
Mobile’s own Bama Bob’s BBQ, located on Dauphin Island Parkway, was among the picks, with fans pointing to its rib plate — four meaty ribs served with a choice of two homemade sides — as a local favorite for anyone craving barbecue in the Port City.
Rounding out the list were some of Alabama’s most storied barbecue names: Tuscaloosa’s Dreamland Bar-B-Que, which opened in 1958 serving only ribs and white bread before expanding its menu; Archibald’s BBQ, a more than 60-year-old institution with locations in Tuscaloosa and Northport; Bremen’s family-owned EG’s BBQ; and Austin Whereabouts in McCalla, a former food truck now serving Central Texas-style barbecue, including slow-cooked beef ribs, from its new brick-and-mortar location.
Alabama’s own sauce
Alabama’s best-known contribution to barbecue sauce is white sauce, a tangy mayonnaise-and-vinegar sauce created by Bob Gibson at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, which opened in 1925. Most Alabama rib joints, however, rely on tomato- or vinegar-based sauces like several of those named above.
