Greenbrier Barbeque, Decatur, AL

Greenbrier Barbeque

Decatur, Alabama

June 16, 2005

We were in town visiting an old college friend, Jim “Dandy” Newman and his lovely wife, Beth.  Since we’d already visited Big Bob Gibson’s, Jim Dandy suggested Greenbrier Barbeque.

The interior of the building was large and roomy.  It was clean and tasteful, though a little bland as far as decoration.

Greenbrier Barbeque was more than just a barbeque joint.  They, without a doubt, had the most varied menu of any of the places we went.  In fact, Dawn had catfish and Beth had popcorn shrimp.  Jim had the pork plate and I had a combo plate with pork and, because I can’t resist them, if available, fried oysters.  Ribs were not on the menu, though barbequed chicken was.

Jim told me that when you order barbequed pork, you should ask for some “outside”.  This way, you’ll receive some of the crusty outer shell which contains much of the flavor and smoky taste of the pork.

The pork was very good.  It was tender with as heavy of a smoky taste as I’d experienced on this trip, which I like.  It also had a generous portion of “outside”.  The pork was good in its own right, but it was well complimented by the sauce.

The sauce was thick and sweet, but not overly sweet.  It had a very good flavor, with a nice blend of spices.

The baked beans were also thick and sweet and were a nice change after some of the disappointing beans we’d had in Memphis.

For completeness sake, let me just say that my oysters were good, though scanty.

Greenbrier barbeque was the first place that served hush puppies to accompany the meal.  These had good flavor and texture, though they were a touch greasy.

Jim Dandy told us that the way you could judge a barbeque restaurant was by the quality of their chocolate or coconut pie.  In that case, we figured that we had no choice but to order the pie.  The Greenbrier does not serve coconut pie, so we ordered the chocolate.  Dandy was disappointed to learn that the Greenbrier does not make its own pie.  Still, I thought it was quite good.  The pie was served warm with whipped cream on top.

Overall, when in Decatur, I would go to Big Bob Gibson’s, but if you are eating more than one meal, the Greenbrier is a good choice.  Jim Dandy informed us that Whit’s Barbeque is actually the best barbeque in Decatur, but it is take-out only.

Pros:  Good smoky taste; wide variety on menu, if your dining partner doesn’t like barbeque; good pie, even if not made in-house.

Cons:  No ribs; not strictly a barbeque joint.

BBQ:  ««««                                              Service:  «««

Sauce:  ««« ½                                             Sides:  ««« ½

Ambience:  «««                                          Overall:  ««« ½

 

Big Bob Gibson's, Decatur, AL

“Big Bob” Gibson Bar-B-Q

Decatur, Alabama

June 12, 2005

Big Bob Gibson is know as the originator of white barbeque sauce, a sauce that is really found only in and around Decatur  As good as the white sauce is, Big Bob Gibson’s is certainly more than just a one-trick pony.  Getting out of the car at 3:00 Sunday afternoon, we could smell the wood smoke emanating from Big Bob’s.  Unfortunately, the scent inside reminded me more of citrus cleaning products.  The dining room is fairly large and wood paneled.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted just inside the door by several huge trophies from various elite barbeque contests.  More large blue ribbons are framed and hanging on the walls.  This is a seat-yourself place, at least at this time on a Sunday afternoon, which means that the waitresses were not always immediately aware of when someone new was seated.  Speed of service, then, was variable.

The waitresses at Big Bob Gibson’s look just like waitresses at a southern barbeque joint should look – most had easily reached the half-century mark and all looked like they’d lived a tough life.  One old gal was even serving sans teeth!  That can’t be good for business.  Our waitress informed us that she’d been waiting tables at Big Bob’s for 25 yrs.  She told us that the Gibson family treats their employees so well that once you are hired, you don’t want to leave.

Both Dawn and I ordered combination plates.  Hers had ¼ chicken and brisket.  I had ¼ chicken and pork.

The chicken was very good – tender, but not soft.  After being cooked, it had been dipped into the white sauce just before serving.  It made the chicken look a little like it had leprosy, but it was delicious!  More white sauce was available at the table and was generously applied.  The story behind the white sauce is that a friend of Big Bob Gibson was allergic to tomatoes and asked Big Bob if there might be another kind of sauce he could use.  The white sauce is mayonnaise based, but is fairly thin.  It is tangy and compliments both the chicken and pork well.  I really enjoyed it, though by the end of the meal, it was beginning to wear a little thin.

The red sauce is very good in its own right, having won several awards at major barbeque competitions.  It is sharp and sweet and of medium viscosity.  I went well with both the brisket and the pork.

Speaking of the brisket and pork, they were both quite good – tender and with a slightly smoky taste.  Given the choice, my preference would be for the pork over the brisket.

I had the baked beans and coleslaw as my sides.  Dawn had the baked beans and potato salad.  The baked beans were very good.  They were sweet, but had a bite to them, courtesy of jalapenos.  I thought that was a nice touch.  The coleslaw was a vinegar slaw rather than the more usual (at least to us Yankees) mayonnaise-based slaw.  I’m not a big coleslaw fan.  I thought that it was okay, but a bit soggy.  Dawn thought the potato salad was good, but nothing to write home about.

Our waitress informed us that there were three types of pies available for desert – chocolate, coconut, and lemon – but that the coconut had just been taken out of the oven and was still warm.  It was an excellent recommendation.

In summary, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q is a good stop for a barbeque aficionado if, for nothing else, to sample their famous white barbeque sauce.  You won’t leave hungry or poor.  Our meal only set us back $21.98.

Pros:  White sauce; red sauce is also good; overall good meat; jalapeno baked beans; good pie; good price. 

Cons:  Service initially a little slow; soggy coleslaw; no real ambience

BBQ:  ««««                                  Service:  «« ½

Sauce:  ««««                                 Sides:  «««

Ambience:  ««                                  Overall:  ««««