Alabama Style BBQ — Style Guide
Region: North Alabama
Signature dish: White Sauce Chicken
Wood: Hickory
Alabama BBQ carved its own path with the invention of white sauce — a tangy, peppery blend of mayonnaise, vinegar, horseradish, and black pepper. Created by Big Bob Gibson in Decatur in 1925, this sauce is traditionally served on smoked chicken, giving it a creamy, tangy kick that's completely unique in the BBQ world. Beyond chicken, Alabama pitmasters also smoke excellent pork and ribs with a style all their own.
Key Meats
- Smoked Chicken
- Pork Ribs
- Pulled Pork
History of Alabama Style BBQ
Alabama white sauce was invented in 1925 by Robert "Big Bob" Gibson in Decatur, Alabama. The story goes that Gibson would smoke whole chickens over a hickory pit, then dunk them directly into a vat of his tangy white sauce. Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q still operates today, run by the family's fourth generation. The white sauce tradition has spread across North Alabama and is now gaining fans nationwide.
What to Order at a Alabama Style BBQ Joint
- Smoked Chicken — Half or whole bird dunked in white sauce
- Pork Ribs — Hickory-smoked with a dry rub or red sauce
- White Sauce (extra) — Get a bottle to go — you'll want more
- Smoked Pork — Pulled or chopped, served on a bun
Alabama Style BBQ Sauce
The legendary white sauce — mayonnaise-based with vinegar, horseradish, black pepper, and lemon. Tangy, creamy, and utterly unique in American BBQ.
Top Alabama Style BBQ Restaurants
- Moe's Original BBQ — Mobile, Alabama
- Green Top Cafe Dora BBQ — Dora, Alabama
- Miss Myra's Pit Bar-B-Q — Birmingham, Alabama
- Moe's Original BBQ — Mobile, Alabama
- Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q — Decatur, Alabama
- Moe's Original BBQ — Daphne, Alabama