MLK Day and BBQ in Birmingham

MLK Day Alabama Style

This afternoon I was flipping through the Montgomery Advertiser while waiting for my order at Cafe Louisa and I came across this:

I think it speaks for itself.

BBQ in Birmingham

I was win Birmingham on Saturday to see the Met Opera's live HD Broadcast of "Carmen," and afterwards, I checked out Bob Sykes Barbeque in Bessemer (about 20 minutes south of Birmingham). No one had recommended it to me, but RoadFood.com had given it a good review.

From the outside it looks like a McDonald's, but once you get inside, you can see that it's a serious BBQ place. Take a look at the indoor barbecue grill:

You also know that they mean business when there's a roll of paper towels on every table.

Lastly, the menu is pretty intense.

I went with their classic dish: barbecue pork sandwich.

I thought it was pretty good. Most of the barbecue pork sandwiches I've had down here so far, such as the ones at Dreamland, have had way too much bbq sauce, which smothers the flavor of the pork, makes the bread soggy, and the sandwich a total mess to eat. This probably reflects that Bob Sykes puts a lot more effort into the preparation of their meat than other restaurants, and they want to make sure you can taste it.

Next time I go I need to bring a lot of people with me so we can order a lot and do it family style.