Archibald's BBQ, Northport, AL

Anyone got any opinions on this joint? 
I gave it a 4 star "It SUCKS" award

You might want to give us a bit more  descriptive comment about the menu, and food details, before condemning it .

mayor al


You might want to give us a bit more  descriptive comment about the menu, and food details, before condemning it .

The menu is really simple, Pork barbecue and spare ribs, chips and/or slaw.  It is located behind a house in Northport, AL at 1211 MLK Blvd.
The Saturday I was there, I had the combo plate (ribs & pork).  I knew I was in trouble when the lady behind the counter had to take a knife and cut a slab of the shoulder  of and then slice it to serve.  This was all done on a large slab of wood (Not a cutting board) that was in front of the pit door.  The board had a deep chopped out place in it and I think I got my full daily allowance of fiber in my pork.
As to the ribs, Ive thrown out better ribs than these were,  I would have to had a set of canine teeth to get the meet off the bone.  Way undercooked and tough as nails.

I haven't been to Archibald's, but as I read the overwhelmingly positive reviews on the web, I certainly want to try it.  Here's an interview conducted by Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi:   
http://www.southernbbqtrail.com/archibalds_bbq.shtml


 

I have only been to Archibald's once and that was in October of 2007.  But our 'que was excellent!  Both the ribs and pork sandwich were delicious.

Buffetbuster, those ribs really look great.

I to had read all of the reviews on the joint and was looking forward to a bait of great bbq, but alas I must have gotten them on an off day. 
One note of interest though, is that even in the above pictures, the slicing of barbecue in Alabama is somewhat of a novelty.  Most barbecue around here is hand pulled.  I know from experience that serving sliced or chopped Q means that they don't have to cook it as long to achieve the pulling stage.  Of course, this also opens up a whole new line of debate depending upon what region of the country you live in (pulled vs. sliced vs. chopped).
After having judged so many barbecue contests I guess I just expect too much from some Q joints.  However, my quest for the world's best Q joint will not be abandoned.

harley130


I to had read all of the reviews on the joint and was looking forward to a bait of great bbq, but alas I must have gotten them on an off day. 
After having judged so many barbecue contests I guess I just expect too much from some Q joints.  However, my quest for the world's best Q joint will not be abandoned.

What is a bait of BBQ?  You have judged BBQ contests ..to (sic)?  Welcome to this site, but frankly I really trust buffetbuster.  Nothing is wrong with sliced pork, as some places are known for that.  He posted photos of his experience, and that sandwich looks very good.
You probably would not like Chinatown, as many of the cooks use essentially a log which has many years worth of hacking and chipping away at that too.
If you only went there once, and as what you admit could have been a off day, I have to dismiss your comments...

mark

 I admit I like Sliced AND Pulled Pork... The bigger the chunks or slices, the better!!  The stuff that lets me down is the pork that is hacked and hammered into sawdust sized tiny piece. No chew to them at all.

My personal favorite of All is Whole Hog BBQ, where you can request Skin, Outside crusty, "Middlin', and inside soft... and then get some Ribs too!

Damn, Bob and I want to go to Speed Queen( best BBQ in town)-he for a pork shoulder dinner, me, rib tips/40degrees today-may have to rev up the Harley for a food experience....

doggydaddy


What is a bait of BBQ? 
It is another term I've heard all my life living in West Tennessee & North Alabama, means a portion or meal.
You have judged BBQ contests ..to (sic)? 
I'm a certified Kansas City Barbecue Society (KCBS) and Memphis In May (MIM) judge.

Nothing is wrong with sliced pork, as some places are known for that. 
I didn't say anything was wrong with sliced pork, it's just that it's not that common in this region.

He posted photos of his experience, and that sandwich looks very good.
My sandwich LOOKED good also, but looks don't equal the "Three T's" (taste, texture & tenderness) and that is what good barbecue is evaluated on.

You probably would not like Chinatown, as many of the cooks use essentially a log which has many years worth of hacking and chipping away at that too.
Don't know which Chinatown your referring to, but I've been to several, LA, San Francisco, Chicago and other through the years.  They may have been using wooden boards but I wasn't in their kitchens.  However, here in Alabama, it's against Health Dept. regulations to use wooden boards.  I found that out the hard way when I had my Qjoint. 

If you only went there once, and as what you admit could have been a off day, I have to dismiss your comments...
Saturday at a Qjoint should never be an offday and I was being kind in stating that, as to dismissing my comment that is your prerogative, since you may go and think it's wonderful.  My review was based on my expectations which weren't met.  As in all food reviews YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary)

Thanks for the welcome and I hope I haven't made anyone mad by posting this thread.  Discussion is good for the soul when it comes to food.  When I write a review of a restaurant, I try to be honest and describe it as best I can.

mark

harley130-
First of all, welcome to Roadfood!  We're glad to have you here.  No, you haven't made anyone mad by voicing your opinion.  You seem to know a lot about bbq, so I hope you stick around. 

It does seem that the majority of opinions on Archibald's is positive.  But that certainly doesn't make me right and you wrong.  You should see what passes for bbq up here in Pennsylvania!   Sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience. 

Curiously, what is your favorite bbq parlor, in Alabama or elsewhere?

I love both sliced and pulled Q, as well.  Hey, if it's fresh, tender and flavorful, I'm a ready subject!

I've only been to Archibald's three times.I've had the ribs and the sandwich.Both have been excellent.I prefer the ribs to Dreamland and as such Archibald's has become my stop in this area for my BBQ on the road fix.I'm also a big fan of their sauce.Every time I stop I ask for some sauce to take down the road.They look around for something to put it in and it's usually some plastic container used to keep cooking oil or some other liquid.I believe it's a mustard based sauce.Nice folks.Nice Q.

I've got a few good Qjoints that I like.  The Hickory Pit located in Midway, AL is above average. 

Another good place is Big Bob Gibsons in Decatur, AL, Chris Lilly is the Pitboss there and manages the business.  You may have heard of them, they have won numerous awards at Memphis in May and other big cooking events.
One of my latest finds is a place called Porky's BBQ, in Gardendale, AL.  It is a Mom & Pop place that knows how to do good Q.


That's just a few off the top of my head, I'll post some more as I located the pictures.

harley130-
Big Bob Gibson's is much discussed here on Roadfood.  I have never been there myself, but it is a favorite of CajunKing's and that is good enough for me.  Thanks for the names of the other places, which I will seek out next time in Alabama.

I really like that sign at Porky's Pride and it looks like it would be a welcome addition to this thread.
 
 http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Feeling-piggy-Southern-BBQ-parlors-m472452.aspx

I'm originally from Hamilton, Al, so Midway was where I had to buy alcohol if I didn't want to drive to Tupelo, MS (dry county...) Next time I am down that way, is the place in Midway worth the hour or so drive for me?

As for Archibalds, you must have been there on a bad day. The first sign is that you said some woman cut up your Q. If Mr. Archibald himself was not working the pit, maybe you did get an inferior product. As for them slicing up the shoulder on a piece of wood; I never noticed what they were cutting on, I was always to busy looking at the food!

I only had the sliced BBQ on my first few visits, then I began to be hooked on those wonderful ribs... Thats all I've had for years.

The best ribs I've had to this day. Perfectly fatty and juicy. Perfect bark and hickory flavor. Fall of the bone tender and some wonderful sauce to dip them and my bread in. Mmmm.

Dom

I just had Porky's Pride BBQ today on the trip down to Florida.

I would rate them right up there with:

BBG in Decatur
Dreamland in Mobile

Today's sampling was:

Combo of Pulled pork, Ribs and Sausage

The pulled pork was Up near the top of my best of, moist and tender with just the right amount of burnt ends.

The ribs just enough give to them to be perfect, not totally fall off the bone done, but with that just right amount tug to get the meat off the bone.

The sausage I would place their sausage right up there against ANY sausage from Austin, TX area.

The sides were a little lack luster, but the BBQ made up for that fact.

Harry & Shirley Kelley run a great operation there, the inside of the place was immaculate, you could eat off the floor clean.

This goes on my list of must eats while travelling through AL.


(my camera got too cold (battery dead) last night in the car or there would have been pix) 
 
 
 
PS:  I was going to post a thread about this place, isn't it odd how things like this work out
 

Nicely done CK!  This place sounds like a real winner.  I sure don't think about sausage in Alabama, but will definitely try it the next time I am in the Birmingham area.  Thanks for the report back.

===(my camera got too cold (battery dead) last night in the car or there would have been pix)  ====


That is too funny. While in Wisc., it was so cold that the horn to my car froze!!!! It had one tone until I hit warmer climes!!

mark

CK, glad you liked Porky's Pride.  I've stopped there several times after I discovered the place and always have been pleased with their food & service.
I was there on the Wed evening before Thanksgiving and had dinner, I had to carry my wife to the Doctor in Bham and Porky's is our favorite stop on the way home.  They were doing a BOOMING take out business on smoked turkeys and other items for Thanksgiving.  When I saw that I knew that if the locals were patronizing them, that they were a winner.
I class Porky's as one of the type places where the "Locals" go to eat and leave places like Jim and NIcks (which is also good but pricey) to the tourist.

JMO