I drove all the way from Auburn, Al to Gainesville just to see if the viral Alabama Rib Shack was the real deal. Spoiler alert: it absolutely is. This isn't just good BBQ. It's "lean back in your chair, close your eyes, and rethink your life choices" good. The atmosphere reminded me of grandma's house, surrounded by family! Friendly folks, generous portions, and flavors that stick with you long after the last bite...no wonder TikTok blew this place up. Believe the hype. This spot is a must-stop. If you're anywhere within driving distance, make the trip. And if you're not, well...it's still worth it. This spot lives up to the hype. read more

Alabama Rib Shack - You've arrived! - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Alabama

See all

my wife and I had read about this rib joint online. We were driving from New Orleans to Birmingham and decided to pull over and drive about 10 minutes off the interstate for it. It was worth the weight. We both had the rib sampler and thought the ribs were outstanding. They were very friendly and paid great attention to us. read more

Mount Rushmore honors some of our past presidents. Why not a Mount something somewhere to honor the folks who played key roles introducing that great American dish, Barbecue, to the masses. A sort of Barons of Barbecue. Whose profiles should be on that high altitude tribute? In no particular order, I'd start with Arthur Bryant who gained fame in Kansas City and told President Carter that "Bryant's don't make no house calls; Big Jim Neely in Memphis who cleaned up a bad neighborhood and draws crowds with his barbecue; Big Daddy Bishop in Tuscaloosa who made barbecue a "must meal;" after every Alabama game - ribs, just ribs on sliced white bread, that's it; Big John Robinson who put Peoria on the barbecue map with his secret sauce "made back in the woods," and now we'd add Jamie Lee Curtis, another bigger than life personality who made his passion, great barbecue, profitable Fifteen minutes off the main highway, on a county road past sprawling fields dotted with lakes and hundreds heads of cattle, is the Alabama Rib Shack in suburban (read: rural) Gainesville, Alabama. The sign says, "From the South to your mouth." JamieLee Curtis built it himself. Literally. Why? Because the bank wouldn't loan him the money. What he built is the consummate rib shack. Picnic tables out front, and inside, a wood paneled restaurant with door sized posters of some of Curtis' favorite musicians (everyone from Howlin' Wolf to Miles Davis), to a line of cowboy hats, saddles and, over the ordering counter, a huge bell that could likely be heard for miles. As JameLee (everyone, he says, calls him that it's one word) puts it, "a barbecue haven with generous portions and a scenic weeping willow seating," and the man is telling the truth. The barbecue is not good; it's very good. And to th point, where some "barbecue joints" really grill their meat, nothing at Curtis' Alabama Rib Shack is ever touched by flame. Smoked. Smoked (low and slow) all the way through. The way barbecue was meant to be cooked. No par boiling, no ovens, no grills - just low and slow in a thick smokey fog. The St. Louis cut ribs (with certifiable red smoke ring) are outstanding. Nice char, almost candied. Bite to get it off the bone (a sure sign the ribs weren't oven baked, grilled, or hadn't spent hours slow cooking under a warming lamp). The chicken, like the ribs , also exceptional. Moist and with a full smoke flavor. The homemade sausage was great. The pulled pork came in a heaping amount atop a king sized bun, moist but a tad short of the fat that captures the smoke (20% pecan, 80% white oak according to the blackboard). Didn't try the smoked ox tails, jerk chicken, baby back or Texas ribs (special rub). And they were out of rib tips (drat, read great reviews about them). The sides, boast JamieLee, are all homemade and all that we sampled (generous portions of potato salad, slaw, mac-n-cheese and baked beans) served up in brightly colored ceramic cups were full flavor, outstanding. Cornbread, also homemade, also very good. They were out of collards which, you've got to figure, probably would have also been very good. There's a bar and, by the way, this being Alabama, if you want moonshine, they've got it. Kool-aid? They've got it. Best of all, brace yourself, they've got Royal Crown soda (didn't see any moon pies to go with my RC). And tee-shirts. The place is neat, crisp, clean, family run. But there's bad news: the bar is open every day, but the barbecue side is only open Saturdays and Sundays. Worth a weekend drive, enjoy great barbecue under sprawling weeping willows , all overseen by a Boston hairdresser who, the story goes, decided to hang up his scissors to come back home and do that which he loves most: make world class barbecue (and chat with everyone who comes through the door). Five stars and a place on The Mount for JamieLee, alongside Big Daddy (Tuscaloosa), Big John (Peoria), Big Jim (Memphis) and Arthur (Kansas City. read more

The place is clean and well-maintained. Beautiful outdoor seating. Family memorabilia on the walls made it feel welcoming. The staff is efficient and professional. I had a barbecue sandwich and two sides - all great! The owner comes over and chats and even brings out other things for you to try like pigtail, ribs, etc. They have a bar with a selection of beers and cocktails and they are quite strong! My only reason for not giving it five stars is the supposedly married owner hit on my daughter and was very touchy. He left bbq handprints on the back of my shirt. read more

Alabama Rib Shack - The outside view - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Alabama

Friendly people and a great stop on the way home. We got the ribs and chicken and it was super delicious. The sides were baked beans and potato salad, also very good. Son was sad they only do Mac and Cheese on Sundays. Over a great find for us on the way home. read more

Drove 2.5 hrs to check out the restaurant, seen the hyped up restaurant on Tictok. Very disappointed, so we went with some family that had already tried them before. They said they changed some things on the menu. Family owned restaurant and they were super friendly, not a very big place but the decor was nice, older pic of stars and maybe family members. Now the food was bad, cornbread tasted like pumpkin, some of the ribs were just bones, the pulled pork was dry, the potatoes salad had peas and carrots. The greens and baked beans were on point, the chicken had so much pepper that you could barely taste the meat. I could go on but it's was not a good experience. read more

Absolutely loved our experience here. Fantastic ribs, the best sides I've ever eaten, and very friendly service. Randomly stopped here and were not disappointed. It apparently sells out early, so we got there at 4. Cool story - Jamie Lee moved from being a hairdresser in Boston back to his home town to set up this bbq joint, and he puts his heart and soul into the operation, together with his wife. They greeted us and made us feel at home. The St Louis ribs were spectacular, and the potato salad and southern cabbage were to die for. Also had the moonshine punch, which was tasty and strong. read more

They don't even take orders by phone nor do they have an online system! So I have to drive an hour to place my order then wait! Do better!!! Cater to your customers! read more

It's a little off the beaten track, but not by too much, and it's worth the detour! Beautiful setting, BEAUTIFUL family establishment, and world- class FOOD!! My sister and I spotted the article about Chef Jamie Lee's establishment around the same time and called each other immediately to plan a girl's roadtrip!! Alabama Rib Shack lived up to the accolades from the food journalist, and THEN some. Wonderful seasonings and meat rubs, with a slap-your-Momma -- word to the wise, don't try that in Alabama -- flavor that carried on over to the veggies! One of the BEST rib meals in ages and a Guy Fieri DDD "must"! But take the picture FAST cause it's hard to get people to wait while you set up the perfect shot. It was just that GOOD! read more

Very disappointed!!! The prices...I thought it would be amazing. But no. Medicore, at best. Seriously, I believe Dickey's is much better. The meat was somewhat dry. My wife makes much better potato salad and baked beans. I will say the portions are generous, but they should be. 42 bucks for the meat platter, which my wife and I shared. It was filling, but not great. I'll cook myself the next time. read more

I drive to the Shack from Tuscaloosa. Best ribs in the staate of AL. The jerk chicken is worth the drive.

Me and a friend of mine decided to do a quick BBQ road trip this weekend and I had seen this place before and decided it looked like a good destination. That being said, this is a good ways out. So if you're not from around there, expect to drive a while. I'll start with the pros first. The ambience inside and outside was great. Love the wood piles and the smell of smoke in the air. We got the platter for 3 that came with different styles of ribs, jerk and smoked chicken, rib tips, pig tail, sausage, and two sides with cornbread. The standouts for me was the Texas style ribs, the jerk chicken, sausage, and the collards and cornbread. Meat had a nice smoke flavor without being overpowering. Now for the cons. We got there around 1:30-1:45pm. There was a good bit of people inside and out but we were able to walk straight up to the counter. The young man at the counter told my friend that he would have to wait 5 minutes before he took our order cause they were backed up in the kitchen. The owner, who I recognized from the YouTube videos on online pictures, told him to go ahead and take our order. We got a couple of beers and sat outside. Now again, the platter was for 3 people but it cost a whopping $120. So you're looking at around $35-40 per person which to me is steep for BBQ. I also noticed that no one had there food yet, except for a large party outside that was finishing up. That to me was not a good sign as I knew we were in for a wait. We also ordered a couple of sweet teas but I didn't care for it. It tasted like some type of canned Gold Peak style Arnold Palmer tea/lemonade. The one waitress who was bringing food out called out the #14. We looked at our ticket and we were #28. That's when we knew the wait was long. At one point she came out and asked what number we were and when we told her, she replied with something to the tune of "Ya'll aren't even close, it's going to be a while" The total wait time was around 40-45 minutes. Way too long since BBQ and sides should already be done in advance. The staff was not rude nor were their overly friendly. No one ever asked if we wanted another beer or refill while waiting or to even apologize for the wait, which would have went a long way. We could tell there was some disorganization in the kitchen. It didn't look like they were short staffed. So we're not sure what was going on. I wasn't crazy about the sauce either. It wasn't bad but it had a certain taste I couldn't quite figure out. The downside is they put the sauce on some of the items on the platter. So if you don't like it on the meat, you might want to tell them to put it on the side. Bottom line was we didn't complain about the wait while there. We enjoyed being outside drinking a beer and soaking up the sunshine and warmer weather. We live a couple of hours away, so this is not a place I'm going to drive down to anytime soon. The food was good enough that I would get certain things again, but the wait time has got to improve. read more

Alabama Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Alabama

See all

Everything about this place is amazing. There's a bar that serves moonshine. They have Kool-aid which are both10/10. There is seating outside as well which gives a picnic feel on a warm day. The food, the service, and the ambiance are all 10/10. The owner came out and spoke with us about how he built the place himself which I think is outstanding. The purple eyed peas are grown locally. They are fresh and very flavorful. The Mac n cheese was perfectly seasoned. I enjoyed this place and will definitely be back when I'm in Alabama. read more

See all

Saw this place featured on AL.com multiple times and decided to give it a try. It's the perfect southern rib joint. Wood exterior, wood interior. It was Busy, clean and we had friendly service. Ordered the Big Sampler for 2. They were out of jerk chicken but our food did not disappoint. The St Louis style ribs are fall off the bone delicious, the jerk pork is like meat candy and even the collards were seasoned perfectly. All in all, we had more food than we could eat and it was the best smoked ribs and bbq I've had. read more

Alabama Rib Shack - Big Sampler...jerk pork, pig tails, sausage, pulled pork, 3 styles of ribs, greens, beans, & corn bread. - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Alabama

Awesome barbecue! That jerk chicken and the greens though!!! All of it was really delicious. I see why this place always ranks among the best! Yummy! read more

The food was amazing! We ordered the Big Sampler which said it fed 2 adults and a kid. There were 5 of us and we had plenty. We actually had leftovers. It was definitely worth the hour drive. read more

We made our way to Alabama Rib Shack Sunday afternoon and when we couldn't decide on what we wanted to eat as it all looked so good, we ordered the Big Sampler. And it was Amazing!!! With the sampler, we had St. Louis style ribs, Texas style ribs, baby backs, sausage, barbecue chicken, jerk chicken, pulled pork, rib tips, pig tail, collards and mac and cheese and some cornbread. We ate and ate and ate some more and loved every bite! Thank you for having such a cool place with the best food. The staff and owners were so friendly and helpful and the outdoor seating area with the weeping willows was beautiful. It's a bit of a drive for us (about two hours) but so worth it. We'll definitely be back! read more

The atmosphere and people are very nice! You can tell it's ran off of that family love. The food was good, but, however, they run out of options within 5-6 hours after opening. If you don't get there first, you more likely won't be able to get what you want. That does create hype but at the same time it can be disappointing when you have no option to just eat a double side of potato salad. Their sweet tea is a hit though! It's different from the standard but definitely worth a try! Overall, I would recommend giving it a shot but have a lot of patience because they may be understaffed. read more

See all

From the moment I walked in, knew this place was amazing. This has to be some of the best barbecue I've ever had in my life. I sure hate I didn't know about this 3 years ago when they first opened. I would definitely make this a regular on my trips to Gainesville Alabama. I need to make it a destination. LOL read more

See all

The BEST barbecue we've ever had. The ribs are all amazing! Pulled pork, chicken and sausage will melt in your mouth. Pit-master Jamie Lee and his staff are beyond nice. They are super accommodating and welcoming. This place is a fantastic detour to any trip that comes close to Gainesville, AL. Don't think twice - just stop. You won't regret it! read more

Alabama Rib Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Gainesville, Alabama

Saw the story on True South, and vowed I would stop if ever in the area. Had the pull pork sandwich w/ baked beans and greens. Wife had the special (jerk pork) and ate off it for 2 days. Portions were plentiful. read more

This the third time I stopped by the first time the meat is good, but the sides are not tasty as a true southern side is known for, last year on my way home from Tuscaloosa stopped by they were out of food early in the day. Then on 3/4/23 drove 2.5 hours one way with my wife got there at 3:15 PM and they were were sold out again. Unless you live locally don't make no special trips. The service is less than desirable as well and who makes instant tea in the south. read more

Okay, everyone. You need to make plans to come out here and try this place. Mike read an article about it and we decided to check it out on our way back from Mississippi. Please understand when I tell you that these were the best collards I have ever had in my life!! All the sides were great! But the ribs! I got the sampler with St. Louis style, Texas style and Baby Back. All outstanding!!! The food is spectacular, but the people are even better. So sweet and just customer service all day long! The bar is super cute and the building is so beautifully designed. It's an absolutely gorgeous place inside and out. Believe me when I tell you that we will be driving an hour back out here very soon for this food and overall experience! I mean ... it is truly a phenomenal, hidden Alabama treasure! read more

Called prior to driving over an hour to try what we hoped would be great food. Was assured by the girl that answered they had plenty of everything. We walk in, no wait and the same girl that answered that they had plenty tells us they are sold out of everything except slaw, St Louis ribs, and barbecue. I could understand being out of 1 thing possibly in an hours' time but no way did they sell out of everything on menu in an hour. Plus, there was no wait, so it wasn't that busy. Food looked good but I would never try to visit there again. If she is to lazy to get up and ck for sure about how much they had when I told her about the drive I will spend my money elsewhere. Also, had another couple we spoke with in the parking lot that drove 45 minutes after being assured they had plenty and were leaving empty handed also. So, that's 6 people that want ever be back. If you go you better not call and just go hoping for the best. Totally waste of time! read more

Stopped by driving from Atlanta to Butler AL. Had the ribs and jerk chicken. Excellent customer service and beautiful atmosphere. The chicken we good. The rids were tender but needed seasoning. Would stopby again if in the area to try the pig tails. read more

Aye cabron!! Passing thru from Los Angeles Ca. Stopped by had incredible food and even better company. Shout out to Winston from Gainesville and all the family at Alabama rib shack. Special shout out to pit master Lee keep on doing what you do. I will definitely be by again. Chops in California read more

Nothing was out of a can. Not a franchise. This is homemade food and the meat is cooked on a real smoker with wood. You can clearly taste the difference. This fact, plus the limited hours means you should get there early to ensure that you get some read more