Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q — Restaurant in Foley

Having grown up around Birmingham, I was excited when I learned Foley was getting a Jim n’ Nick’s; they’re all over Birmingham and my memories of those locations were all very positive. But, I’d also heard that they sold out to some investment firm, and that usually spells trouble for restaurants because they always wind up ruining good restaurants in the name of unending profits.

Suffice it to say, this is NOT the Jim n’ Nick’s of yesterday. Here, you order at a counter and self-serve your drinks. There’s a definitely drop in quality, especially with the pulled pork and sides. But, in the grander scheme of things, I’d still rate this as one of the better barbecue restaurants in this part of Baldwin County.

Perhaps the most important thing to note about this location is that it is tiny, and the bulk of the tables are actually outside in a nicely covered patio. It’s fine in the fall and winter but in the summer I suspect this will be a less than ideal setup. There is no real table service. You order at the counter and food (and refills of drinks) are brought to your table. The whole setup is a bit awkward since it’s right in them middle of the restaurant. A smattering of indoor seating is to the right of the order area and a large bar and takeout bay are to the left. From the inside you’d never know there’s a double drive-thru on the other side of the building.

I tried the three meat combo with pulled pork, smoked turkey and smoked chicken, with collards and a cup of brisket chili. The pulled pork was disappointingly mushy, lacking the texture and smoke ring that it had in years past. The turkey was a bit dry, but that is not an unusual thing for this at barbecue restaurants. The smoked chicken was tender, and the smoke flavor was evident throughout. The barbecue sauce and the Morgan County white sauce were excellent, as good as I remember. Their white sauce isn’t quite as rich and creamy as Big Bob Gibson’s, but instead has a great balance of spicy to umami that I like. The brisket chili was good but extremely mild. Ditto the collards; they used to be distinctly spicy with pepper sauce and red pepper flakes. Both seemed to be missing from this batch, although it still tasted “home made” and had a savory meaty flavor. There was no pepper sauce on the table to kick it up, sadly.

One of my dining partners got the rib plate with baked beans and potato salad. This combo proved to be mediocre. The potato salad was bland, but the baked beans were better than Hog Wild’s down in Gulf Shores. The ribs were overly salty.

Another diner got the baked potato with pulled pork. One thing that certainly hasn’t changed from the olden days is the potato’s as big as your head! You won’t go hungry with this potato, that’s for sure. Just watch out, the potatoes can be so big they don't get covered all the way through.

Service after the food was delivered seemed okay. They seem to have a few people who just bounce around as needed, which means some tables get neglected and some don’t. We were checked on a few times, which was good.

Overall, it’s definitely not the great barbecue I remember from years ago, but neither is it awful. I’d rank it several notches above both Down South and Moe’s, but well below my gold standard barbecue restaurant, Hog Wild in Gulf Shores. Of course, Hog Wild’s prices are also gold standard as well, and Jim n’ Nick’s comes in well under them, so I feel like I got the quality I’d expect at the prices charged. If my review seems a bit negative, that’s because this new place is being held to the high standards I remember them having up in Birmingham many years ago, when it was still owned by the original partners. That and Hog Wild are a high bar to reach, one they no longer hurdle. But that said, I’ll still stop in regularly since it’s close and convenient. It’ll just be during off-peak hours because it fills up...

First time at this chain as I'm visiting the south. Stopped in for a cup of brisket chilli and a chopped salad. First off a critique. The girl who answered my call was so disinterested and lacked knowledge on the menu. The interaction was so bad that after I ordered I considered not going to pick it up thats how bad it was. But I really wanted bbq and that chilli sounded amazing. Onto the food. The chilli...... it was not even warm, but it was delicious. Lots of brisket, lots of big chunks of fat if you like that kind of thing, I don't but didnt matter the chilli was tasty. Actually from the pictures you can tell its not hot because the cheese didn't melt. If the chilli was hot it would have been a perfect 10/10 fat and all. The salad was huge, I mean huge, so much stuff and so crisp and fresh. The BBQ ranch I ordered was not bbq ranch and actually the ranch was the worst part of this whole experience, tasted like melted mayo which was disgusting. The smoked chicken breast, my oh my, so juicy, so smoky so perfect, thourally enjoyed that. Also the cornbread mini muffins are soft pillows of joy, really enjoyed that. If wasnt for the girls attitude, the cold chili and the deplorable ranch I'd have been satisfied. Still, I give 5 stars because of that chicken and what the chilli could be if it was warm or hot. Come on people, cold chilli and who is making that ranch? They need to be educated on flavour. I know this is a chain and as a result of my experience I'd never go back to a Jim and Nicks, there are other better bbq places everywhere. Try to...

Good! I’ve been to Down South BBQ, Hog Wild, Moes, Aloha Made BBQ and Pirates Pit. I would rank this #3 behind Down South BBQ and Pirates Pit (Fairhope). However, considering the size of the operation at Jim N Nicks I am impressed by the product. They are running a much larger operation than the others listed above, so I didn’t expect them to beat a place like Down South BBQ.

-Service: 5/5: Excellent service. The restaurant as well as the 2 lane drive thru were slammed, yet they still had steady movement. Very nice order takers. Impressed by how quickly they build and send out plates. Congrats to everyone, well done! -Brisket (marbled): 4/5. Not the best out there but still pretty solid brisket. Gave a slight boost after considering how much product they’re pumping out. -BBQ sauce: 4.5/5. Solid sauce. The good spots have 1 main BBQ sauce and that’s all they need! -Baked beans: 3.5/5. Solid baked beans I can’t complain. -Slaw: 4/5: Cold, crisp slaw. Not too heavy on the dressing! -Cheese Biscuits: 4.5/5. Fresh, tasty, included with every plate meal!

Verdict: If you’re on the beach and Down South is closed (which they are about half the week) I would stop here. Solid BBQ no complaints and a very impressive large scale operation. Also a beautiful establishment that spruces up our main strip in town! I wish Jim N Nicks the best of luck and will...