TRUE 'CUE ALABAMA

There’s an argument to be made for Alabama as the fifth region of barbecue. While Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, and the Carolinas are recognized as the four primary regions, Alabama’s tradition is gaining attention. While Alabama is primarily associated with white sauce, it’s so much more than a single condiment. It’s pork shoulder cooked over wood coals or charcoal. Whether done low & slow or hot & fast, Boston butt or the picnic cut, smoky pork shoulder is the signature flavor of Sweet Home, Alabama. But it’s not alone. Pork spareribs is the other cut that’s put eyes on Alabama. Watch any broadcast of a Crimson Tide football game and they’ll likely mention Dreamland, the neighborhood shed that gained national recognition for their ribs and sauce. The competition over who’s king of pork ribs is so intense, that UAB and the University of Memphis football rivalry is known as “Battle for the Bones.”

Alabama has its own unique regions. In south Alabama, pork is served chopped, chipped, or sliced. You’re also likely to find a bottle of mustard-based sauce on the table. North Alabama is the birthplace of white sauce and coleslaw is automatically served on every sandwich. Then there’s the practice of wrapping pork butts in foil for the last bit of cooking, making them so tender they’ll pull apart by hand. Pulled pork usually comes with a red sauce, which is king in Alabama. Regardless of how it’s served or whether your sauce is red, white, or yellow, pit cooked flavor is our tradition.

The differences between regions aren’t grounds for competition, but celebration. There’s room at the table for all styles while holding true to our roots. In Alabama, a traditional pitmaster can cook that humble pig in a brick pit over hot coals, and it becomes something to brag about. We invite you to join us. Welcome to Alabama!

To learn more about Alabama barbecue, check out sites like https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/barbecue-alabama-style/ and to get recommendations for where to try barbecue in Alabama, visit https://www.thealabamabarbecuechase.com/

To qualify for True ‘Cue AL certification, a restaurant must meet the following criteria:

  1. Be located in Alabama.

  2. Cook the barbecue using wood coals or charcoal as the sole heat source.

  3. Avoid electricity, gas or any other non-wood heat source for the barbecue other than to ignite the wood, to keep the finished barbecue warm, or to re-heat the finished barbecue.

  4. Serve the barbecue on site at the location where it is cooked (exceptions may exist for food trucks and other mobile purveyors, but a restaurant that serves barbecue cooked by another business does not qualify).

  5. Offer regular business hours, with barbecue available on the menu regularly (at least monthly).

  6. Serve pulled pork (typically shoulder, butts or hams), pork ribs, or chicken. Offering additional meats is acceptable--and irrelevant.

  7. Provide a sauce that is regionally appropriate, which in Alabama means anything from vinegar-based to white sauce with vinegar + mayo to light tomato to thick tomato.

Sadly, the traditional craft of cooking real barbecue over wood coals is being replaced across Alabama, as in most of the south, by gas- and electric-assist “set it and forget it” cookers.  We need your help to change this. Please take THE PLEDGE, steer clear of faux ‘cue when possible, and patronize True ‘Cue AL-certified restaurants.

To the best of our knowledge, these restaurants serve barbecue that meets the True ‘Cue ALcriteria (some serve barbecued meats or sauces in addition to those specified above but their menus include traditional AL-style barbecue):

  • Archibald’s, 1211 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Northport, AL 35476. 205.345.6861

  • B&K Bar-B-Que, 2611 Lay Dam Rd, Clanton, AL 35045. 205.755.5574

  • B.B. Perrins Sports Grille, 608 Holly St NE, Decatur, AL 35601. 256.355.1045

  • Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, two locations:

    • 1715 6th Ave SE (US Highway 31), Decatur, AL 35601. 256.350.6969 (the original location)

    • 2520 Danville Road, SW, Decatur, AL 35603. 256.350.0404

  • Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q, 1724 9th Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020. 205.426.1400

  • Brenda’s Bar-Be-Que Pit, 1457 Mobile Road, Montgomery, AL 36108. 334.262.9349

  • Brindley Mountain BBQ, 7472 AL-69, Cullman, AL 35058. 256.796.5350

  • Brother Paul’s BBQ, 200 1st Street South, Alabaster, AL 35007. 205.500.1067

  • Buck’s Barbecue Bait & Tackle, 230 Depot Street, Riverside, AL 35135.

  • Carlile’s Barbecue, 3511 6th Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35222. 205.254.9266

  • Coach Brown’s BBQ, 3078 Dawes Road, Mobile, AL 36695. 251.487.1730

  • Demetri’s BBQ, 1901 28th Avenue South, Homewood, AL 35209. 205.871.1581

  • Down South BBQ, 19891 Baldwin County Road 10, Foley, AL 36535. 251.955.6622

  • Doug’s BBQ, 39360 US-280, Oak Grove, AL 35150. 256.510.7007

  • Dreamland Bar-B-Que, a growing Alabama-based chain with multiple locations in the state (plus two in Georgia not listed here):

    • 7900 Vaughn Road, Montgomery, AL

    • 12 West Jefferson Street, Montgomery, AL

    • 3314 Old Shell Road, Mobile, AL

    • 5535 15th Avenue East, Tuscaloosa, AL (the original location)

    • 101 Bridge Avenue, Northport, AL

    • 101 Inverness Corners, Birmingham, AL

    • 3855 University Drive, Huntsville, AL

    • 1427 14th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL

  • Full Moon Bar-B-Que, an Alabama-based chain with many locations in the state and beyond, including the original location at:

    • 525 25th Street South, Birmingham, AL 35233. 205.324.1007

  • Golden Rule Bar-B-Q and Grill, 2504 Crestwood Boulevard, Irondale, AL 35210. 205.224.2014

  • Heard’s BBQ & Soul Food, 01 Birmingham Road, Centreville, AL 35042. 334.543.6856

  • Hook’s BBQ, 103 Scouting Circle, Troy, AL 36081. 334.808.8008

  • Leo & Susie’s Famous Green Top Bar-B-Q, 2215 Highway 78 E, Dora, AL 35062. 205.648.9838

  • The Pit BBQ, 2820 10th Ave N, Birmingham, AL 35203. 205.328.1515

  • Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, a small South Carolina-based chain with two Alabama locations:

    • 2701 18th Street South, Homewood, AL 35209. 205.922.7733

    • 312 Main Street, Trussville, AL 35173. 205.825.8925

  • Tin Top Bar-B-Que 2, West 121 Old Highway 25, Columbiana, AL 35051. 205.670.0583

  • Uncle Sam’s Barbeque, 3043 Allison-Bonnett Memorial Dr, Hueytown, AL 35023. 205.491.1333

  • Whitt’s Barbecue, an Alabama-based chain with multiple locations, including in its home state:

    • 1397 East Elm Street, Athens, AL 35611. 256.232.7928 (original location)

    • 525 Marion Street, Athens, AL 35611. 256.232.3385

    • 2532 Spring Avenue SW, Decatur, AL 35601. 256.350.2748

    • 918 6th Avenue SE, Decatur, AL 35601. 256.351.6294

    • 22747 Alabama Highway 24, Moulton, AL 35650. 256.974.9476

Certifications are performed by our volunteer team of True ‘Cue Inspectors.  Restaurants may choose to display the True ‘Cue AL Real Barbecue certification on their premises, but it is not required.  If you think you know a restaurant that meets the True 'Cue AL criteria, let us know.  If you think a place on the list now cooks with gas or electricity, drop us a line at truecue@gmail.com and we’ll check it out (we don’t want to start a flame war, so to speak).  

We believe that these restaurants also serve barbecue that satisfies the True ‘Cue AL criteria, and are working to verify it with a site visit:

  • TBD

We conduct inspections and re-inspections as time, money and cholesterol levels allow.