When it comes to the national barbecue scene, Bib Bob Gibson is Alabama’s heavy hitter.  They’ve earned a national, and even international, reputation by confronting the best and kicking butt.  They’ve won competitions in some of America’s most iconic barbecue cities, such as Memphis and Kansas City.  And they’ve shown out in multiple categories, winning for multiple meats and sauces.  It’s an amazing feat and has helped them build a national reputation as the best barbecue restaurant in the state.

During my last visit, I was talking with the lady at the register while taking a few pictures of the numerous trophies packed into the entrance.  I joked that before long they’d need to expand the entrance to hold all the awards.  She very matter-of-factly said, “There’s a storage room that’s packed full of trophies.”  You know you’re good when you need extra storage for your hardware.  That tipped my curiosity so I checked their website and there’s an entire page dedicated to awards that include state, national, and international championships.  They’re the proof that this joint is special.  There’s an aura about the whole place, emitting from the staff and the dining room style.  While captivating, the real energy of this joint comes from the food.

The pork is smoked and served coarsely chopped, which allows you to see the beautiful pink color of the smoke ring that fades as it gets towards the center of the cut.  The meat is soft along with some bark that gives some textural variety and a more aggressive flavor.  My serving needed sauce, which is fine because their award-winning red sauce is fantastic!  It’s sweet and mild with a delicate flavor that I think has some citrus notes that keeps it bright.  You can tell there are lots of ingredients but they meld into one award winning flavor.

Great barbecue joints also have to deliver on the sides and Big Bob Gibson’s does that.  The baked beans were sweet and smokey, infused with molasses, bell pepper and onion.  This trip I went with the fries, which were fresh cut and fried to a golden color, with a slight crisp on the outside and soft inside.  I love when joints send the fries out hot, straight from the fryer.  There’s an aroma unique to such a preparation and it adds to the sensory experience.

I decided to treat myself to pie and teetered between the chocolate and coconut.  I gave in to the chocolate.  The slice was a generous portion but surprisingly light.  Even for a novice baker I could tell the pie was homemade.  The crust was flaky and the merengue was extremely airy.  The filling wasn’t overly sweet and delivered on my chocolate craving.  I wish I could get dessert at every restaurant and I would if I was a younger man. I miss my fast metabolism.

One final tip, Big Bob Gibson has an award-winning white sauce.  Their chicken is dipped in the sauce before it’s thrown on the pit, which gives it a signature flavor.  I can’t stop myself from ordering the pork but I still have a craving to try the chicken, so that’s on my to-do list.  I am a huge fan of the white sauce and keep a bottle of it in my fridge.  It goes on anything and everything poultry, a winner every time.  Just like the trophies tell you.

(Special thanks to my buddy, Lamarr Chaplin, for the pic of the ribs.  He is a rib fiend and these look amazing with their sidekick, baked mac-n-cheese.)

Bonus Points:

Exceptional baked beans

Sauce on the table

Fountain drinks