Discovering Southern Barbecue

We had been planning a road trip to explore some of the Southern states of the USA, and decided to incorporate lots of barbecue into our journey. The original reason for our trip was more about music, history and wildlife (and to continue our strange love-affair with America), but we decided to give it the southern barbecue moniker as it was a unifying theme through the states we were visiting. It turned out to be a really fun way to experience The South – so, without further ado, here is a run-down of our adventures discovering Southern barbecue.

We ate barbecue in 6 of the 9 states we visited – Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. Don’t worry, Texas, we will visit you on another occasion! Check out the hashtag #HendersonsBBQTour on social channels for pics from our trip!

Florida barbecue

Doce Provisions, Little Havana

Winner: Best bbq hybrid dish

Ok, so you’re thinking ‘what does a Cuban place have to do with barbecue’? Well, the short rib tacos we had at Doce Provisions were an exceptional crossover dish. With the sweetness of the BBQ short ribs, but the lime and cilantro of the latino influence, it was a match made in heaven. Doce Provisions was the first of many restaurants we visited that had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Rob’s Family BBQ, Davie

Winner: Best cornbread

Rob’s Family BBQ was an accidental find. We were driving to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale; and googled for barbecue nearby. We shared the brisket platter and some fried pickles. It was a very generous portion (as was every meal we had in the States), the brisket was melt in your mouth. But the real star of the meal was the cornbread. A southern staple, it was buttery and moist!

Dr. BBQ, St. Petersburg

Winner: Prettiest plate

We paid a visit to Dr. BBQ in St. Petes the night before we left the US, to meet up with the fabulous humans at Sanity Found and Inviting Adventure. This was one of the most stylish barbecue joints we visited. My short rib tacos were tasty, and the hominy appetiser was a surprising new textural experience for me. The corn on the cob was a flavour disappointment, but their peanut butter pie with oreo crust certainly made up for that. Luckily the ribs were sticky and picture perfect.

Georgia barbecue

Southern Soul Barbeque, St. Simons

Winner: Best Brunswick stew

Until our visit to Southern Soul, I had never heard of Brunswick Stew, but it is a southern barbecue classic as it turns out. We subsequently saw it on many menus along the way. Southern Soul’s stew was an absolute winner – a tomato-base with chunks of vegetables and meat, and with a delightful tang. We shared the brisket and ribs platter, and were impressed by the brisket, especially when doused in the divine wet vinegar bbq sauce. Sadly, the ribs were a bit tough on the day we visited. Lucky the stew was a star! Southern Soul has also been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.

Sandfly BBQ, Savannah

Winner: Best potato salad

We aren’t usually fans of sausage as a barbecue meat, but we were glad we tasted the sausage from Sandfly BBQ in Savannah. We visited Sandfly with the lovely folks at Endless Family Travels – it was so good to meet more of the #TravelTribe in person. Sandfly BBQ is based in a delightful old train carriage, which gets super busy at lunchtimes. The best part of our platter was the potato salad – with a mustard mayo dressing, and a yummy crunch, it was the best of our trip.

Georgia Bob’s BBQ, Forsyth

Winner: Best banana pudding

Georgia Bob’s in Forsyth gave us our first and only serving of sweet potato tots. I’m a fan of tots in general, but the sweet potato version was a treat. It was also the first time we had tried banana pudding! This creamy dessert is full of banana pieces and vanilla wafer cookies – needless to say, we fell completely in love with the decadence of it.

Disclosure: We were guests of the Forsyth CVB for our visit to Georgia Bob’s, however, as always, all opinions are my own.

The Whistle Stop Cafe, Juliette

Winner: Best fried green tomatoes

As a child, the movie ‘Fried Green Tomatoes (at the Whistle Stop Cafe)’ was one of my favourite movies. When researching this trip, I discovered that much of the set was still intact in the little town of Juliette, Georgia. If you know the movie, you know the significance of barbecue and the saying ‘the secret’s in the sauce’! Another first for me was trying the fried green tomatoes. Let me tell you, they were a pure delight. Due to being green and firmer than a ripe red tomato, they hold together when fried. The crunchy breading gives a satisfying texture, and the sauce they are served with is a spicy delight! We also tried the Bennett’s BBQ pulled pork sandwich – which was a hugely generous portion.

Disclosure: We were guests of the Forsyth CVB for our visit to the Whistle Stop Cafe, however, as always, all opinions are my own.

Fox Bros. Bar-BQ, Atlanta

Winner: Best fried okra AND best sausage

We were delighted to meet up with more twitter friends at Fox Bros. Bar-BQ in Atlanta. The lovely Southerner Says, and foodie extraordinaire Sasha Eats met us for an evening of laughs and delicious barbecue. The jalapeño cheddar smoked sausage with pimento cheese was the best sausage dish of our trip – a flavour explosion. Their fried okra was also a real treat. I’d not had okra battered and fried before, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. By the time we got seated and ordered at Fox Bros., many of the barbecued meats were sold out – so make sure you arrive early!

South Carolina barbecue

Smoke, Charleston

Winner: Best pimento cheese

Prepare to get messy at Smoke in Charleston. Their food is sloppy and decadent and bloody delicious! Their pimento cheese (on both my burger and loaded fries) should be illegal it’s so good. The candied pecans in the coleslaw added something special to an often boring side dish too. We were hungry after our walking tour of Charleston with Road Trips & Coffee, and Smoke provided one heck of a meal to end the day with.

Home Team BBQ, Charleston

Winner: Smoked chicken wings

At the top of Home Team BBQ‘s menu is their ‘Fiery Ron’s Smoked Chicken Wings’, so we just had to try some. They were served with an excellent Alabama white sauce and had us all coo’ing with satisfaction. I wish I’d had more plates of these morsels of deliciousness to be honest.

Tennessee barbecue

Miss Lillian’s Bar-B-Q Corner, Dollywood

Winner: Best smoked turkey leg

Theme parks are all about food you can eat on the go, and the smoked turkey legs from Miss Lillian’s at Dollywood are perfect for eating and walking. Check out the full range of southern barbecue available from Dollywood.

Disclosure: We were guests of Dollywood, however, as always, all opinions are my own.

Bones BBQ Joint, Gatlinburg

Winner: Best spare ribs

Bones BBQ Joint isn’t the best rated barbecue place in Gatlinburg, but there’s a reason you shouldn’t always pay attention to reviews. This happened to be opposite our hotel, and after we returned from a big day at Dollywood, we really just wanted to grab some takeout and chill. So we grabbed a rib and pulled pork combo platter to sample. The ribs were just fall-off-the-bone fantastic, and had a great smoky char – they turned out to be the best of the trip! The coleslaw was vinegar-based and was nice and chunky, which is our preferred slaw style.

Backyard BBQ House / Little River Bar-B-Q, Townsend

Winner: Best brisket

We drove the Foothills Parkway between Pigeon Forge and Townsend, and went in search for Little River Bar-B-Q. There was a sign for barbecue by the river, so we followed it and discovered that the Backyard BBQ House had recently taken it over. There seems to be many changeovers at this place. We were glad to help this new business tweak their menu. They had a unique way to cook their brisket – after slicing, they baste with bbq sauce and then griddle until the sauce caramelises – it was delicious!

Calhoun’s, Pigeon Forge

Winner: Best biscuit

Calhoun’s claim to have the best ribs in America. A big claim, and their ribs were pretty darn great. But alas, they weren’t the best of our trip. However, the meal over all at Calhoun’s was smashing. Their biscuits were buttery and peppery and just crumbled beautifully. We were exceptionally lucky to be able to meet up with Clayton from KnoxDayTripper, another twitter friend and travel blogger, over dinner at Calhoun’s.

Check out these scenic drives around Gatlinburg, TN!

Sugar’s Ribs, Chattanooga

Winner: Best taco sampler AND best view

Can’t decide which meat to try? Want a bit of everything? Well, the barbecue taco sampler plate from Sugar’s Ribs is for you. Showcasing their pork, chicken and brisket, the tacos also allow plenty of scope for trying their many amazing sauces. The view from the balcony out front also provides marvellous views out over Chattanooga (as well as out over their goats that graze in the backyard).

Barrel House BBQ, Lynchburg

Winner: Best grilled cheese

The Barrel House is a little place in Lynchburg Tennessee was recommended to us and we had to try their famous ‘Grilled Cheese on Crack’. Never fear, it isn’t actually crack. This grilled cheese has bbq pulled pork and habanero sauce alongside the cheese. It is crazy good!

Martin’s Bar-B-Q Joint, Sugar Hill

Winner: Best baked beans

We actually scoffed our food so quickly at Martin’s that we didn’t take any photos! A sign of a good dinner? I think so! I wish I had taken a photo of the baked beans, because they were absolutely out of this world. They were the sweet variety, sticky and satisfying. We met up with the delightful The Wannabe Gypsy at Martin’s, which made for another great #TravelTribe #TweetUp.

The Stillery, Nashville

Winner: Best mac n’ cheese

While The Stillery isn’t a barbecue place, it is still the purveyor of some barbecue-adjacent food items! Purveyors of delicious Nashville hot chicken, and creamy portions of macaroni cheese, it needed to me mentioned as it won my Mac n’ Cheese award! We were over the moon to meet up with more Twitter pals, Touring Tastebuds, at The Stillery, which made the evening even better!

Central BBQ, Memphis

Winner: Best barbecue sauce

There were so many options for good southern barbecue in Memphis, but we didn’t have the time or appetite to hit them all, so we just picked one. We settled on Central BBQ by combining reviews, word of mouth, and location. And praise the BBQ gods, it was a fantastic choice. I was despairing at the lack of salad on a lot of menus, so was delighted at finding a salad option at Central BBQ. Combine the pulled pork salad with the incredibly tangy mustard bbq sauce for a dressing and my face was very happy indeed!

Alabama barbecue

Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ, Decatur

Winner: Best coleslaw, best bbq chicken, best white sauce, best pie + ALL ROUND WINNER!

While in the planning phase of this trip, someone suggested that I couldn’t go on a southern barbecue tour without visiting Big Bob Gibson in Decatur. Since we wanted to visit the nearby Muscle Shoals anyway, we decided to add in this detour. And thank goodness we did, as it turned out to be the all-round winner as a total southern barbecue experience.

Not only that, but I have to give it some individual plaudits too. The coleslaw was done in a mixer and was perfectly vinegary – just the way my grandma made it. Talk about nostalgic eating. The roast chicken was basted in their house-made Alabama white sauce, and was so tender. A dash more on top made it beyond tasty. Roy had the brisket and was impressed by the juiciness, while the outside was crunchy with the rub and the smoke ring was strong. Then there were the cream pies – I had the coconut cream, and Roy had the peanut butter cream – both were utterly divine!

If you add the exceptional food experience with the general feel of the place (bustling, booth seats, and a diverse customer base), alongside the incredible value for money – Big Bob, you win!

Another restaurant in Alabama that we were recommended, but didn’t have the opportunity to visit, was The Shed Barbecue & Blues Joint in Mobile Alabama.

Mississippi barbecue

Memphis Barbecue Co., Horn Lake

Winner: Best baby back ribs

Memphis Barbecue Co. is another restaurant that has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives – although once again, we didn’t know this until after we had eaten! This place was recommended to us by one of our taxi drivers in Memphis. Their baby back ribs were so delicious – less meaty, but more bacon-like in flavour, a bit of crunch and chew, and sticky with sauce. They typified southern barbecue for me, because they left you messy and needing extra napkins! We also had their pulled pork nachos – the tortilla chips were fantastic, and the queso was a good contrast to the bbq pork.

Abe’s BBQ, Clarksdale

Winner: Best rib tips AND best bbq pork

Abe’s BBQ is on the famous Devil’s Crossroads in Clarksdale, and is the self-proclaimed home of ‘swine dining’. A local legend of bbq, this family establishment has been in business since 1924. We had the rib tip platter, plus some hot tamales with a side of bbq pork. The sauce slathered rib tips were so morish, it was hard to slow down. The hot tamales were a nice diversion from the usual bbq menu, and the side of bbq pork on top was perfect. If you find yourself down in the Mississippi delta, head to Clarksdale for some blues music, and to Abe’s for some proper authentic southern barbecue.

Disclosure: We were guests of Abe’s BBQ, however, as always, all opinions are my own.

Discovering Southern Barbecue

Without a doubt, discovering the delights of southern barbecue was a fun and filling thing to do on our travels. We only needed one meal a day with the portion sizes, but gosh it was all so yummy! I didn’t approach this from the perspective of a barbecue connoisseur or with the nuances of competitive barbecuing; but simply as an enthusiastic eater of southern classics. We enjoyed the diversity of sauces, rubs, sides, and meats across the six states we sampled. The only thing I was disappointed in was the prolific use of single-use plastics in the majority of barbecue joints – I hope this changes soon!

If you have any barbecue suggestions useful for those planning a similar trip, please do leave your tips in the comments below!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhoneX.