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[Pledge for some great BBQ Items online!] Holy Smoke Over Birmingham Drive anywhere in the Birmingham, Alabama area and you'll
smell it -- The intoxicating aroma of pork smoking over a hickory fire.
Birmingham loves barbecue. There are more barbecue restaurants per capita in Birmingham than most other cities. Many of them have long-standing reputations for unique recipes and excellent food and nine of the best will be featured in a public TV documentary titled, "Holy Smoke over Birmingham." The documentary will air Wednesday, July 19th at 7:00 p.m. on Alabama Public Television. Bob Sykes Barbecue (1724 9th Ave. Bessemer) has been in business since 1957, when Bob stopped delivering bread and started a new career with his wife Maxine. Their son Van grew up in the family business. Van is proud to carry on cooking traditions that have been passed down through generations. He cooks pork picnic roasts because the bone helps give the meat flavor. The Sykes family operated one of the first drive-through operations in the country. http://www.bobsykes.com
The last restaurant visited in the documentary is just a short drive
north of Birmingham, but it's definitely worth the trip. Just take
Interstate 65 to exit 287, follow highway 31 toward Blount Springs,
and look for the smoke. When you see it, you've found the Top
Hat Barbecue (8725 Hwy. 31 S. Blount Springs, AL). Dale Pettit's
dad and Bob Sykes worked together delivering bread. When the bread
company went out of business, they both started chopping wood and smoking
meat. Pettit carries on the business once operated by his parents.
A Taste of Hog Heaven doesn’t purport to be a complete guide to ‘cue in the state. However, the show includes behind-the-scenes looks at barbecue restaurants with loyal followings across the state. Sho’nuff BBQ in Alexander City started out as a bait and tackle shop. When business dropped off, owner Gerald Atkinson bought a cooker and started selling barbecue. His new enterprise is a growing success, and Atkinson doesn’t sell worms anymore. His most popular item is the barbecue-baked potato, a large baked potato topped with a tossed salad and a generous helping of savory pork. The 13th Street Bar-B-Q in Phenix City isn’t on 13th Street. In fact, there are four locations in east Alabama and west Georgia, and none of them are on 13th Street. If you can find one of them, you’ll want to try the pork chop sandwich, a delectable slice of boneless pork tenderloin covered with a tangy mustard sauce and served on a large bun. Little has changed at Dreamland Bar-B-Que since John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened his Tuscaloosa restaurant in 1958, but the restaurant’s reputation for excellent ribs has spread nationwide and led to other locations in Birmingham, Mobile, and Atlanta. The Tuscaloosa restaurant is small and dark, but people come from near and far to eat pit-cooked ribs with Dreamland’s special sauce. The Boar’s Butt Restaurant in Winfield started as a barbecue stand operated by the local high school football coach. When Joe Hubbert retired from coaching, he expanded the operation to a full-service restaurant offering steaks, chicken, fish, seafood, and a wide variety of vegetables as well as mouth-watering barbecued pork, chicken, and ribs. Bob Gibson was a big man who made great barbecue. He started selling barbecue in his back yard in 1925. Today, Big Bob Gibson’s grandson operates a restaurant in Decatur and caters events across the nation. His barbecue has received top honors at the “Memphis in May” barbecue championships for the past five years. Located in historic Camden, The Dallas Soul Food and Barbeque Restaurant is operated by Luverne Dallas. Dallas carefully guards the recipe for his mild, red, BBQ sauce, but admits that it contains “a little bit of this and a little dab of that.” A large selection of Southern cooked vegetables is on the menu to complement the ribs and pulled pork. Jim Lenoir bought a small barbecue stand along Highway 82 in 1975. Although it is five miles from the nearest town, Billingsley, Jim’s Pit Bar-B-Que has developed quite a following. Now operated by Jim’s daughter, Jeanette, it is a favorite stopping place for truckers and other travelers between Tuscaloosa and Montgomery. It is particularly busy on University of Alabama home football days. The Bar-B-Q Place in Ft. Payne is the best barbecue place in Ft. Payne. It is also the only barbecue place in Ft. Payne. The family-owned business was started in 1984. Their fried potatoes, called JoJos, are a favorite side item. For many Alabamians, barbecue is more than a meal. It’s a way of life. If you fit that description, then A Taste of Hog Heaven is required viewing.
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Carlile's
Barbecue (3511 6th Ave. South Birmingham) has been owned by two families.
The Carlile brothers started it in 1945, but the Evans family has actually
owned it longer. At age 80, Anita Evans still works the cash register
every day although she sold the restaurant to her daughter Vickie Evans
Fuller years ago. Vickie's husband Joe likes to display pictures of their
customers which include Lyle Lovett and George W. Bush.
Bill
Armbrecht is pretty particular about his barbecue. He opened