An Irresistible History of Alabama Barbecue

by Don Wilding

  When people gathered in Selma for civil rights work, the employees at Lannie’s Bar-B-Que Spot took food to them. In an article on black barbecue restaurateurs, Shahin says, “Lannie’s is as much a community center as barbecue joint.”186 In 1965, civil rights leaders met at Brown Chapel AME to organize the march from Selma to Montgomery. “When they had the meetings, we used to go down there and feed the people,” said Sam Hatcher. He and his siblings and cousins would head down to the church to supply the workers with sandwiches and other food on multiple occasions. “I know I went four or five times myself. They had the meetings every other night,” he added.187

  When the family reflect on the importance of their restaurant, they tend to focus on its impact on the local economy. “It’s a good business and people have jobs. It’s their livelihood,” said Caroline.188 “It would take the visitors and patrons to tell you anything more,” added Sam.189 Like this family, many African Americans took their skills in making barbecue, often passed down through the generations, and turned them into a path for economic uplift and financial security.

  DREAMLAND BAR-B-QUE

  Like the Hatchers and Bethunes, John “Big Daddy” Bishop grew up in Jim Crow Alabama and aspired to own his own business. In 1958, he quit his job as a cement finisher and opened Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Tuscaloosa. Amid prevalent racial segregation in the 1950s, Bishop turned his dreams into a successful restaurant, which eventually became one of the most celebrated barbecue restaurants in the state and beyond.190

  John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened his restaurant, a dream come true. Dreamland Bar-B-Que.

  Bishop opened his restaurant because he literally dreamed of a better life.191 When asked about these dreams, Bishop responded, “One stayed on my mind—was the café—and I’d be talking in my sleep; and I’d be talking in my sleep, you know, in the café. I’d be waitin’ on [customers]. So, I decided I’d go into business. I’d try it.”192

  When Bishop opened the restaurant, he did not have any training as a cook and tried many things before settling on barbecue. In the beginning, he sold hamburgers and cheeseburgers among other grilled items, but his barbecue was the runaway bestseller. “All the other stuff, I couldn’t sell it. Wouldn’t do nothin’ but throw it out,” explained Bishop. “But people wasn’t buyin’ nothing but my barbecue, that’s all they were buyin’.” Eventually, Bishop scrapped the other menu items to offer only hickory-smoked pork ribs, served with white bread. At the original location in Tuscaloosa near Skyland Boulevard, Dreamland continues to offer nothing but half slabs and full slabs served with white bread.

  Although Bishop’s original location remains a small, humble restaurant surrounding a cinderblock pit, Dreamland Bar-B-Que has turned into a regional chain. Bishop’s ribs garnered a following that cut across color lines and were especially popular with students at the University of Alabama.193 Currently, Dreamland has eight locations in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. In addition to these restaurants, Dreamland sells its products online and at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham’s Regions Field.194

  In 1958, John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened his barbecue restaurant. Although it has expanded across the state and the region, the original Dreamland Bar-B-Que off Skyland Boulevard in Tuscaloosa continues to sell only ribs smothered in their spicy, vinegar-based sauce. Dreamland Bar-B-Que.

  Among the many students who loved the restaurant, Bobby Underwood took his love for ribs to another level. After working as a dentist, Underwood approached Big Daddy about opening another location. He advised him to talk to his daughter, Jeannette Bishop Hall. In 1993, Hall and Underwood worked together to open a Birmingham franchise of Dreamland. Dreamland has continued to expand its location but also its menu.195 In 1996, Dreamland opened a location in Mobile, which required an update on the menu. Customers wanted more than ribs, so Dreamland started selling side items like baked beans, coleslaw and potato salad.196

  In 1958, John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened his first café and Paul “Bear” Bryant took over the University of Alabama football team. For more than fifty years, Dreamland Bar-B-Que has only sold ribs at its original location. Author’s collection.

  Located in the Jerusalem Heights neighborhood south of Tuscaloosa’s Skyland Avenue near the intersection with Highway 82, Dreamland Bar-B-Que has become a destination for Tuscaloosa’s visitors. Author’s collection.

  John “Big Daddy” Bishop poses with his children, John Jr. and Jeannette Bishop-Hall. Dreamland Bar-B-Que.

  In January 2016, John Bishop Jr., the son of John “Big Daddy” Bishop, poses with his truck and license plate outside the original Dreamland location in Tuscaloosa. Author’s collection.

  In 2000, Underwood’s daughter, Betsy McAtee, joined the Dreamland team and rose through the ranks to chief executive officer. Before joining Dreamland, McAtee had experience in a variety of industries. In the 1980s, she studied economics and geology at the University of Alabama. Then, she earned an MBA from the University of West Florida. At first, she worked in retail, selling hosiery. After graduating, she worked at Frito-Lay loading and driving trucks. She worked hard, but she still searched for a better opportunity. She explained, “If I got in and learned an industry at the ground level, that would make me more valuable later on.” For ten years, she worked at Frito-Lay and reached the position of senior key account manager. In 2000, McAtee joined the team at Dreamland as director of marketing and purchasing. As she did at Frito-Lay, McAtee also gained knowledge of the store by working at the Birmingham restaurant as bar and shift manager. In 2010, she became CEO and has continued to grow the Dreamland brand. In part thanks to her efforts, “you can get Dreamland in more places than you could five years ago.”197

  THE ARCHIBALDS’ FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS

  In 1962, the African American husband-and-wife tandem George and Betty Archibald opened their restaurant, Archibald’s BBQ, in the small town of Northport across the Black Warrior River from Tuscaloosa. They each left working-class jobs to pursue the independent challenge of restaurant ownership. George left Central Foundry steel mill in Holt, and Betty quit her job at a paper mill.

  Their children, George Archibald Jr. and Paulette Washington, worked in the restaurant as children and eventually took it over. Before cooking ribs, Archibald Jr. did various chores around the restaurant. “My first job was mopping the floor,” he explained. “I started behind the counter when I got about 13 or 14.” When he started cooking ribs in his parents’ restaurant, he learned the secret to mouthwateringly tender ribs. They told him, “Just take your time with it.” Archibald Jr. and Washington assumed control of the restaurant upon their parents’ death.198

  First-time customers often need a bit of help locating Archibald’s BBQ at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Tenth Avenue in Northport, but they will definitely remember the route for their inevitable return. By following the scent of hickory smoke that reaches beyond McFarland Boulevard to the north, customers can find the white cinderblock, crimson-trimmed restaurant among lumberyards and cozy houses at the bottom of a hill.

  Since 1962, Archibald’s BBQ has been run by the Archibald and Washington families. From this original Northport location, Archibald’s BBQ has expanded to include several Archibald and Woodrow’s BBQ locations in the Tuscaloosa area. Author’s collection.

  For more than fifty years, Archibald’s BBQ has remained in this same building. Inside, there are only a few seats at the counter. From these seats, customers can watch the Archibalds and Washingtons do their work. In a separate dining room, customers can take a seat at one of just a few tables. Outside, customers can enjoy good weather at one of the few picnic tables. Otherwise, they must park their vehicles in the gravel parking lot to pick up their carry-out orders.

  For many decades, the restaurant offered a limited menu featuring only sliced pork or slabs of ribs. Archibald’s served both choices with white bread and potato chips as the only side items.199 Under the direction of Paulette’s son, Woodrow Wash
ington III, they have added chicken, potato salad and banana pudding to the menu at the original location.

  At the original Northport location, Paulette Washington tends to the ribs and pork shoulders in the hickory pit, which serves as the key to the ribs’ renowned flavor. “Well the pit’s so old, it’s seasoned. And we cook it slow,” explained Archibald Jr.200 The ribs have a deep caramel color with a hint of pink just below the surface and a meaty gray center and, although tender, require a determined chew and pull with the teeth to pry them from the bone.

  To coat the ribs, Paulette prepares the original vinegar-based sauce developed by her parents. The sauce, according to Archibald Jr., has a tangy taste and “a little more swing to it” than most places because it uses less tomato.201 It has an orange appearance with golden specks and adds a bit of kick to the otherwise sweet taste of the pork. After tasting the sauce, it becomes obvious why Archibald’s BBQ always provides each customer with an extra container of it alongside three slices of white bread. To take the edge off, customers can choose between bottled Pepsi products or water.202

  From humble origins, the Archibalds and Washingtons have gained national recognition for their hickory-smoked, open-pit pork ribs. Locally, they pleased the palate of legendary Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, who frequently visited to eat his favorite ribs.203 Nationally, Archibald’s ribs finished in the final four of Good Morning America’s recent quest to find the best barbecue in the country. “There’s nothing complicated about how George makes his barbecue,” explained ABC News anchor Ron Claiborne for Good Morning America. He added, “He just puts the ribs into the pit. And he smokes them over burning hickory wood.”204

  Woodrow Washington III. Jim Shahin.

  Woodrow Washington III. Jim Shahin.

  To expand their presence, Archibald’s BBQ now offers catering and even has a Facebook page. Recently, they added a food truck, which serves the University of Alabama campus. Author’s collection.

  Across the nation, Archibald’s Bar-B-Q has earned recognition from food critics, barbecue enthusiasts and journalists. “If Alabama were a nation,” commented a press release from the Southern Foodways Alliance, “the national food would be barbecue and the first family would be the Archibalds of Northport.”205 Rather than bask in the fame associated with the family business, Archibald Jr. prefers to focus on the process. When asked about the restaurant, he explained, “Well it’s just a small little place.” He added, “Just build a fire and keep the fire low, yes—and cook it slow.”206

  In addition to the famous ribs, there’s something special that Archibald’s Bar-B-Q seems to offer its customers. Despite origins and appearance of their little restaurant, or perhaps due to these characteristics, they have become a model for ambitious barbecue entrepreneurs to emulate. “I took my chefs, local owners, and general managers to Archibald’s in Northport,” explained Nick Pikahis, who founded Jim ’n Nick’s Community Bar-B-Q. He added, “I wanted them to look at the facility and eat the ribs. They have some of the best ribs in the entire country.” He continued, “I want my managers and chefs to develop an appreciation for barbecue, and I think they can discover an appreciation for barbecue at Archibald’s. It’s hard work, so you have to love it.”207

  The Archibald and Washington families have three restaurants in the Tuscaloosa area. They have the original location in Northport founded by George and Betty, but they also have two more restaurants in Tuscaloosa near Skyland Avenue. Paulette’s son, Woodrow Washington III, has opened the two newer restaurants called Archibald & Woodrow’s BBQ. They have one location on Greensboro Avenue and another on McFarland Avenue, both near Skyland Boulevard. Currently, Woodrow Washington III also serves as a captain of City of Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Services and manages all three of the restaurants. The newer locations have an expanded menu, including catfish and many more side items.208 They have also started to cater special events and operate a food truck near the University of Alabama campus.

  AN INCLUSIVE TABLE

  Over four centuries, African Americans slowly gained an equal seat at the table. During enslavement, they prepared the food that fed white Americans at political rallies and celebrations of freedom, despite lacking freedom themselves. As the main preparers of the food, they influenced the technique of barbecue preparation as well as its flavor profile, integrating ingredients borrowed from Native Americans, Europeans and their own African cultures.

  After emancipation, African Americans continued to make barbecue for white Americans, but they also made it for themselves. They used it to build up their own communities, segregated from the rest of society.

  In the mid-twentieth century, however, barbecue became fully inclusive with regard to race. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act, they could visit any barbecue restaurant. African Americans had worked in white-owned barbecue restaurants, but now they started to have places of their own.

  The Archibalds, Washingtons, Bethunes and Hatchers have operated barbecue restaurants in Alabama for more than fifty years. They started their restaurants in a golden age of Alabama barbecue, when black- and white-owned barbecue joints started popping up all over the state.

  CHAPTER 6

  HOG HEAVEN

  The Proliferation of Alabama Barbecue Restaurants, 1950–1980

  After World War II, many Americans made the jump into the middle class. In 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act, known as the GI Bill. Over ten years, 12.4 million Americans veterans benefited from the GI Bill’s programs, specifically tuition assistance for college education. With a college degree, these veterans helped shift the economy from blue-collar manufacturing to white-collar sectors, such as finance and technology. Americans also flocked to defense industry jobs, which remained a vital sector of the economy after World War II because of the emerging Cold War with the Soviet Union.209

  With these new jobs, Americans moved out of the cities and into the suburbs, creating a boom in the housing market. By the 1950s, a majority of American families owned their own homes. To fill these houses, Americans bought appliances and other consumer goods. Americans had a strong desire to spend their money, thus creating even more jobs.210

  During the Cold War, Americans improved and expanded their roadways. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower worked with Congress to pass the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act, which remains the largest public works project in American history and revolutionized American travel. Due to the new legislation, Americans widened existing roads, paved old roads and created the interstate highway system, thus allowing travelers to bypass country highways. As a result, people could travel farther distances commuting to work or for family adventures.211

  Due to the rise of the middle class and the creation of the highway system, restaurateurs relocated and remodeled their restaurants to attract more customers and updated menus to broaden their appeal. In this era of easy travel and material prosperity, middle-class families more frequently dined out together. Restaurateurs recognized this trend and adapted. They minimized counter service in preference for booths and tables, which improved comfort and facilitated family interaction during the meal. They expanded the menu to include lighter offerings and smaller meals, specifically prepared for children. The postwar change in the economy and demographics affected restaurants around the country, including Alabama’s barbecue restaurants.212

  Alabama’s barbecue restaurateurs modernized their establishments by relocating, updating and rebranding. In 1948, for example, Euell Dobbs Sr. moved his restaurant, Dobb’s Famous Bar-B-Que, to Dothan to take advantage of the new highway, in this case U.S. 231.213 Originally, Big Bob Gibson served barbecue from his backyard at a makeshift stand on the side of the road. In 1952, he relocated the restaurant to Sixth Avenue, also known as U.S. Highway 72. At the same time, Gibson expanded the menu, and his successors have continued to change it.214 When the Williams family opened Golden Rule Bar-B-Q, the restaurant had dirt floors.
In 1971, Matsos took over ownership and relocated the restaurant to a spot off I-20.215 These places, among others, adapted to the new way of things and have continued to serve customers from Alabama and around the world.

  From the 1950s to the 1980s, Alabamians enjoyed a golden age of barbecue as new barbecue restaurants opened across the state. In 2015, the Alabama legislature and Governor Robert Bentley wanted to recognize the barbecue restaurants that have served customers for more than fifty years. In conjunction with the Alabama Department of Tourism, they created the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame. Of the twenty-nine restaurants that have met the fifty-year requirement, twenty-five opened after World War II. In fact, many of the restaurateurs had served in the military as part of either World War II or the Cold War.

  In general, the newer restaurants did not develop the same way as the older places. They did not have dirt floors or makeshift lunch counters. From the beginning, these newer restaurants generally provided full service and expanded menus, which made them palatable to travelers and workers but also middle-class families. The new generation of restaurants benefited from highway and interstate travel. As routes changed, however, some restaurants had to relocate or rebrand as interstates bypassed old country highways.