​Archibald’s, Dreamland Named Among South's Best BBQ Joints

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Two Tuscaloosa County culinary institutions have been named to Southern Living's list of the "South's Top 50 Barbecue Joints."

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As part of the rankings, Archibald's BBQ in Northport was ranked No. 7 overall, while Dreamland BBQ ranked No. 32.

ALSO READ: 'A Family Tradition': Archibald's BBQ Celebrates 60 Years

Opened in 1962 by George and Betty Archibald, Archibald's BBQ's hickory-smoked flavor and acclaimed sauce transformed a humble Northport family into culinary royalty and a small building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Northport into the Mecca of Alabama barbecue.

"Really, it's the style of cooking, because it's an open pit, just an old hickory pit," owner Woodrow Washington III told Patch in March as Archibald's celebrated 60 years in business. "We use all hickory wood, and it's about being consistent. We use high heat, sometimes low heat depending on the timing. But when you need something ready, you have to get it good and hot."

SOUTHERN LIVING SAYS:

"The Archibald family is famous for their hickory-cooked ribs, which they pile atop slices of white bread to soak up the spicy, orange-hued vinegar sauce. It's a bare-bones operation, serving just ribs and sliced pork, but the grandchildren of George and Betty Archibald have expanded the offering a bit in recent years. For decades the only accompaniments were potato chips and sodas, but you can now order beans, slaw, and banana pudding. The meat is still cooked hot and fast over a hickory fire in the original brick-and-cinder block pit, but instead of ordering ribs to go you can now eat them at one of the long the picnic tables on the recently-added enclosed porch. Meaty, smoky, and with just the right slip-it-from-the-bone-with-your-teeth texture, they're my pick for the best barbecued ribs in the entire country."

Across town, Dreamland Bar-B-Que has also built up a popular reputation following over its 64 years in business.

First opened by "Big Daddy" John Bishop in 1958 in the Jerusalem Heights neighborhood of Tuscaloosa, Dreamland has grown into one of the most recognizable BBQ brands in the southeast.

The growth for Dreamland has seen it expand from one humble location to franchises in Georgia and Florida, along with adding a second restaurant in Tuscaloosa.

"We prepare our legendary ribs using the same technique Mr. Bishop taught us more than six decades ago," Dreamland boasts on its website. "Our pitmasters grill our pork spareribs over a hickory wood-fired pit and baste them with our signature vinegar-based BBQ sauce. The result: Meaty, full-flavored ribs with a distinct pull from the bone ... Our Southern-style BBQ sauce is vinegar-based and packs a little bit of heat. It’s the BBQ sauce we are known for, and the only one we offer."

SOUTHERN LIVING SAYS:

"There are now ten Dreamland Bar-B-Ques in three states, but the original location in Tuscaloosa is in a league of its own. The menu is slim—just ribs and smoked sausage with a couple of sides—but with ribs like these you don't need anything more. Cooked hot and fast over hickory coals, they're long, thin, and delicious, with a wonderful chewy texture and crisp bits of char around the edges. They're served with a generous dose of dark yellow sauce that's sharp with mustard but still slightly sweet, with enough peppery heat to leaves your lips tingling. It's a true rib-lover's dream."

Click here to see the full rankings by Southern Living.

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