Best BBQ in Birmingham, AL: 6 Smokehouses, Ranked

Bob Sykes BarBQ has cooked in Bessemer since 1957 over a natural fire of hickory coals. SAW's BBQ opened in Homewood in May 2009 and is known for pulled pork with Alabama white sauce. Full Moon BBQ has been in Homewood since 1986 smoking over hickory in a wood-fired pit. The remaining three are Jim 'N Nick's, Dreamland, and Miss Myra's. Rankings follow how many independent local roundups list each joint - tie-broken by verified fact count - and every listing is checked against the joint's own published information.

The ranking

1. 01

   Bob Sykes Barbq

   Bob Sykes BarBQ is at 1724 9th Avenue North, Bessemer, AL 35020. It was founded in 1957 and runs a seasoned pit on a natural fire of hickory coals. The menu covers ribs, pulled-pork, chicken, sausage, and turkey, with homemade onion rings, baked beans, cole slaw, and macaroni salad among the sides. The Tailgate Special is $45.95 and the pit crew is run by Van Sykes with grandson Jason Jewell. All BBQ is cooked on-site daily.

2. 02

   Full Moon Bbq

   Full Moon BBQ is at 337 Valley Avenue, Birmingham, AL 35209. It was founded in 1986 and has been run by the Maluff brothers, David and Joe, since 1997. The pit is hickory wood-fired and cooking is low and slow. The menu lists ribs, pulled-pork, chicken, turkey, and sausage and a Bar-B-Que Pork Sandwich Regular is $7. The signature item is Half Moon cookies and pulled pork sandwiches, with Chow Chow, slime slaw, baked beans, and macaroni among the sides.

3. 03

   Saws Bbq

   SAW's BBQ is at 1008 Oxmoor Rd, Homewood, AL 35209. It opened in May 2009 and the pit is run by Mike Wilson, aka SAW (Sorry Ass Wilson). The menu covers Carolina-style smoked pulled pork, chicken, and ribs, with three styles of sauce including Alabama white sauce and sides like baked potatoes, beans, deviled eggs, and macaroni and cheese. The signature item is the pulled pork sandwich with a white sauce option, and the white sauce is a tribute to North Carolina.

4. 04

   Jim N Nicks Bar B Q

   Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q is at 1908 11th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35205. It was founded in 1985 and the pit runs 12-hour slow-smoked over hickory. The menu covers pulled pork, beef brisket, smoked chicken, turkey, ribs, and sausage with sides like baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, mac and cheese, and brisket chili. The signature items are 12-hour slow-smoked pork and beef brisket and cheese biscuits. It has 63 locations across 7 states and runs drive-through service. All BBQ is served fresh, no freezers, no microwaves, no shortcuts.

5. 05

   Dreamland Bbq

   Dreamland BBQ is at 1427 14th Ave. South, Birmingham, AL 35205. It was founded in 1958 by John Big Daddy Bishop and cooks over a hickory wood-fired pit, basted with a signature sauce. The signature item is the Legendary Dreamland pork spareribs and the only sauce offered is a vinegar-based BBQ sauce. Sides include baked beans, potato salad, mac n cheese, coleslaw, and banana pudding and the restaurant serves ribs, white bread, and BBQ sauce. It has 10 locations across the Southeast.

6. 06

   Miss Myras Pit Bar B Q

   Miss Myra's Pit BAR-B-Q is at 3278 Cahaba Heights Road, Birmingham, AL 35243. It was founded in 1984 by Myra Grissom Harper and the pit is a custom-built brick pit running hickory smoke. The menu covers chicken, beef, pork, ribs, and sausage with all sides made fresh daily, including green beans, coleslaw, and potato salad. The signature item is White Sauce (mayo, vinegar, salt, pepper) on smoked chicken. Delivery is $10 with a $50 minimum and the restaurant has been featured on Food Network (Andrew Zimmern) and NBC13's Daytime.

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