Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Decatur

Big Bob Gibson’s is the second stop on our Easter Break trip. We were originally turned on to Big Bob's by Matt Pittman of Meat Church who told us that they are the originator of the Alabama White Sauce. We are familiar with AWS having loved it at Mission BBQ and the Duke’s (mayonnaise) version. In addition, a couple days before our trip, I saw the April 2025 Southern Living magazine which ranked Big Bob's as the best BBQ joint in Alabama. So I was excited to say the least about trying Big Bob Gibson's BBQ!

Having spent the day at the Space and Rocket Center we made the 30 minute drive from Huntsville out to Decatur. As we stepped out of our vehicle we could smell the glorious fragrance of smoking hickory coals pouring out onto the lot. Like a fish after bait, I was hooked. I couldn't get inside fast enough. The building and interior are a little dated but welcoming and cozy. We were a little before dinner time and there was no wait to be seated. Everyone on the staff was very friendly and attentive.

We had done our homework before we arrived and decided to get the full spread by ordering 2 Pitmaster Feasts for my family of 4. One order was with the quarter chicken and the other was with smoked turkey. Both orders had BBQ Pulled Pork, beef brisket and St. Louis spare ribs. Our four sides were redskin potato salad, mac n cheese, coleslaw and fresh cut fries. We also ordered sweet tea.

We'll cut to the chase, as by now you know what I'm here for. Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Pulled Pork was fantastic! Smoke and bark were apparent and the flavor was great, very tender and moist. I also tried the three sauces. The sauce I preferred with the BBQ Pulled Pork was the white sauce. It's much thinner than most of the white sauces I've tried but the flavor with the pepper was phenomenal. They had run out of bottles of white sauce to purchase at the restaurant but we were able to find them at the local Walmart.

The ribs were great too, I enjoyed them plain but my family liked the ribs with Big Bob's Championship Sauce. The brisket was sliced and smoked to perfection. I liked pairing the brisket with the white sauce. The smoked turkey was also very good, possibly the best I've tasted. I’ve left the chicken quarter for last because I found it to be the star of the show. The flavor of the chicken borders on instantly addictive at first bite. It came sauced with their white sauce which only served to amplify the flavor. Big Bob Gibson’s White Sauce won me so completely that it will be my go to white sauce when I smoke chicken. I highly recommend the chicken quarter.

Each of the sides were good too. Fresh cut fries tasted great as expected. The coleslaw was different and I thought I tasted a bit of horseradish but our waitress said that was not an included ingredient. The potato salad was rich but not overpowering. Unfortunately, I was not afforded a taste of the Mac n Cheese. Even the sweet tea was done very well.

Joining with Southern Living and Matt Pittman, I highly recommend Big Bob Gibson's. They are definitely doing things right. If you're closeby, get here soon. In the event I return to Alabama and am within driving distance, you can bet I'll be back. Keep up...

Right, Decatur, Alabama. Not exactly the culinary capital of the world, is it? More like a sleepy little town where the biggest excitement is probably a Friday night football game. But tucked away on Highway 31, unassuming as a rusty pickup truck, you'll find Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. And let me tell you, it's not what you expect. You walk in, and it's… well, it's a BBQ joint. The smell of smoked meat hits you like a warm, greasy hug. Faded photographs on the wall, the kind of place where you know they've been doing this for a long, long time. This isn't some sanitized, gentrified, farm-to-table nonsense. This is the real deal, the kind of place that's seen a million hungry faces and probably a few hundred hangovers. They've got all the usual suspects: pork, ribs, brisket. And yeah, it's good. Solid. Unpretentious. But then, you get to the chicken. And that, my friends, is where things take a turn. Because they bring out this… white sauce. Now, a white barbecue sauce. Sounds wrong, doesn't it? Like something a health inspector might frown upon, or a culinary school dropout might concoct in a fit of misguided ambition. But this isn't that. This is something else entirely. It's creamy, tangy, with a kick of something you can't quite put your finger on. A little peppery, a little vinegary, a little… magic. They say it's for chicken, and sure, it elevates their smoked bird to something almost transcendent. The skin, crisp from the smoke, shimmers with this otherworldly glaze. Each bite is a revelation: smoky, tender, and then that sauce, cutting through the richness, leaving your palate tingling and begging for more. But here's the thing about this sauce: it's a goddamn universal solvent of flavor. You put it on the pork, and it's a revelation. On the ribs, a revelation. Hell, I bet you could put it on a tire iron and make it taste halfway decent. It just works. It's a testament to the fact that sometimes, the simplest things, the most unexpected things, are the ones that blow your mind. Big Bob Gibson's isn't fancy. It's not trendy. It's just a damn good barbecue joint in a damn small town, doing something truly unique. And that white sauce? That's the kind of thing you'll find yourself dreaming about long after you've left Decatur, Alabama, wondering how something so unassuming could be so utterly, gloriously, unforgettable. Go....

My first experience with Big Bob's was a couple years ago and I just did not like it. However, I got my courage up and decided to try again - all the hype and Memphis in May awards had to mean SOMETHING.

And they did! My favorite places in Memphis are still far superior to BBG's, but this is still some of the best barbecue I've had outside of those.

BBG's has a spacious interior, which is nice because they're constantly busy. Our waitress was nice and was honest when asked about certain menu offerings, which some may find off putting but I appreciated being told what dishes she found lacking and which she liked more.

The four of us got a barbecue hot dog, a loaded pork baked potato, a chicken plate, and a pulled pork plate. Sides were rolls, fries, mac and cheese, green beans, and potato salad.

I wouldn't say any offering was a 5/5 (except maybe the sauces - both red and white sauces were delicious) but most were 4/5, including:

The hot dog - to our surprise, it was quite delicious, a thick hot dog with your choice of a large number of toppings, including mayonnaise (??).

The baked potato - not too great once you eat out all the filling, but a huge serving loaded with all sorts of goodness.

The pulled pork - I thought could have used a touch more smoke but was very pleasing texturally and paired with the red sauce's flavor perfectly.

3/5 included the chicken, rolls, and fries. The chicken was too dry and needed lots and lots of sauce. The rolls were decent but obviously not made in house, and the fries were a little colder and more peppery than I would have liked.

2/5 to the potato salad, mac and cheese, and green beans. Beans were overdone, mac had no flavor, and potato salad was too gooey/wet/not chunky enough.

The sides don't really shine at Big Bob's, but most of the meats were really very good. I'd visit again when I need good barbecue but can't make...