Dreamland Barbeque, Huntsville, AL

Dreamland Barbeque

Huntsville, Alabama

June 17, 2005 

The original Dreamland Barbeque was located in Tuscaloosa, AL and was a favorite haunt of legendary University of Alabama football coach, Paul “Bear” Bryant.  (Even now, Alabama barbeque joints, and even the Rendezvous, in Memphis, almost all have a picture of Bear Bryant by the cash register – often several.  He is like an Alabama barbeque deity inhabiting his shrine.)  I had originally planned on eating at the original Dreamland barbeque in Tuscaloosa, but it didn’t work out right in the schedule.  Besides, my friend, Jim “Dandy” Newman advised me that if I went there, I would be smart to carry a sidearm.  I was glad, therefore, to find a Dreamland in Huntsville.

The building was an attractive white building with green (not burgundy!) trim.  Inside, the walls were festooned with license plates and pictures of celebrities who’ve eaten at Dreamland.  There was also a neon sign proclaiming Dreamland’s #1 rule: NO FARTING!  Thank goodness for that, for there was a great smoky aroma inside.

Dreamland’s motto is, “You can have anything you want, as long as its ribs.”  While the menu is not quite that limited, it is close.  I ordered the half-slab of ribs ($9.55) and Dawn ordered the pork sandwich ($5.50).  We were first presented with a plate of white bread and a cup of barbeque sauce.

The sauce was thin, hot, and peppery, a nice change from the thick, sweet Memphis-style sauce I’d had the previous few days.

The ribs were thick, meaty, and smoky tasting, though a little fatty on the ends.  They were also the sloppiest ribs I’d had in a while, so stock up on the wet-naps.

The pork sandwich consisted of a pile of pork and a couple of pickles on a somewhat stale hamburger bun.  It was okay, but, as a chef-written book I once read said, “Don’t order the fish in a steak place.”  Likewise, when in a rib joint, you should probably order the ribs.

We were told that, should we go to Dreamland, we should order the banana pudding.  Who am I to ignore advice like that?  The banana pudding was excellent.  It was thick and flavorful, seemingly consisting of equal parts of pudding, sliced bananas, and vanilla wafers with a little whipped cream on top.  It is, quite possibly, the perfect desert to accompany barbeque.

In summary, if you like ribs, you’ll like Dreamland.  If ribs aren’t your thing, don’t bother.

Pros:  Good ribs; banana pudding

Cons:  Limited menu; average pork sandwich

BBQ:  ««« ½                                  Service:  «««

Sauce:  ««« ½                                 Sides:  «««

Ambience:  «««                              Overall:  «««