Yesterday we traveled down to Jefferson County to Bessemer. Bessemer is located in Jefferson County which was founded in 1819. The county's rich mineral deposits, particularly iron ore, coal, and limestone, fueled its industrial growth. The Geological Survey of Alabama in 1848 identified the area that would become the Birmingham District as having the mineral resources necessary to make iron. Bessemer, Alabama, founded in 1887 by Henry DeBardeleben, grew rapidly as a steelmaking center, earning it the nickname "The Marvel City," and was named after Sir Henry Bessemer, the inventor of the steel-making process.
Now that we have our geographical history lesson completed, we'll move on the culinary history of this restaurant. Bob Sykes Bar B Q is a family owned local tradition since 1957. Founders Bob and Maxine Sykes opened an ice cream and hamburger stand in Central Park area of Birmingham, Alabama. The third generation of family oversees and cooks in the restaurant today.
The restaurant is a member of the Alabama BBQ Hall of Fame.
Upon entering the restaurant, the very first thing you notice is the aroma of meat cooking over an open pit.
You'll need to get in line and order at the counter....
This photo was taken after the rush that hit just as we arrived. While we ordered all of the registers were open and employees were taking orders. Diners were lined 6 and 7 deep at each register.
After ordering, you'll need to find a table, fill your own beverage, and grab some plasticware to eat.
Sweet Harold continued his search for the perfect smoked chicken in Alabama! He ordered the 1/2 smoked chicken plate with onion rings and baked beans.
Granted, the chicken appears to be a little disjointed. Literally. Instead of the usual 1/2 chicken placed on the plate, their version is cut into four pieces: wing, drumstick, thigh, breast.
In his opinion, the dark meat was superb. It was juicy, seasoned nicely, and with a great smoky flavor. The white meat portion was not quite as juicy, which is to be expected, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.
The baked beans had a nice flavor with a sprinkling of onions and peppers, but no additional pork had been added.
Now my turn. I want to continue my quest for the perfect "pulled pork." I ordered the pork plate with macaroni and cheese and fried okra.
Let's dive in to this plate. Sauce on the side is a plus because too much makes a soggy mess and what if I'm not a fan of the sauce?
Consistency of the sauce was thin, tomato based with a hint of vinegar, and touch of heat on the end. It was a nice sauce.
The pork was not pulled but chopped. Unfortunately, it had been chopped for a little too long for my liking. It was beginning to dry out and the sauce couldn't save that chewy texture. There was also a quarter sized piece of bone mixed in with the meat. I know things like that can happen, but I'm thankful I didn't bite down on that.
The fried okra (for a frozen and then fried version of okra) was delicious! Served extra hot and crispy, this was a delicious side.
Here is my meal's redemption! The macaroni and cheese. This is EVERYTHING you want a mac and cheese to be. Baked, cheesy, a browned cheese top......stringy with cheesy goodness.
Look at this!
Admit it, you know exactly what this tastes like just be looking, don't you?? This is a Southern Grandmama macaroni and cheese. Trust me, it is.
We had toasted bread served alongside.
Because I didn't feel like I had the true Sykes BBQ experience due to the pork being not bad, but not great, we decided to order a rib or three to try.
You can't order individual ribs as add-ons here, but you can order a rib sandwich. I know, it's confusing. How does one eat a rib sandwich? Well, as in most Southern BBQ joints, a rib sandwich is served with three or four bones and white bread. Here at Sykes, you get five ribs and a large hamburger bun.
I had such high hopes. Seriously, I did. As we are taught in our BBQ judging classes through the Kansas City BBQ Society, a perfectly cooked rib will allow you to take a bite out of the middle of the bone without any more meat coming off the bone but that one bite. If all the meat comes off the bone with that one bite, it's overcooked. If it's too tough to bite through at all and comes off in hard strips, it's overcooked by a long shot.
Maybe we hit the pitmaster on an off day. Maybe the fire was too hot and the meat was cooked too fast. Maybe there was a reason I noticed most of the people around me dining on wings and burgers. I'll never know. I would think if you're in the Alabama BBQ Hall of Fame you know what you're doing when it comes to cooking meat.
We did try to find as many positives as possible so we went back to the counter to order a dessert.
Our decision paid off! Lemon ice box pie was the bomb diggity.
The filling was tart and lemony and the meringue was the real thing. If you're a fan of anything lemon, order this pie.
Standouts: the smoked chicken, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, and the lemon icebox pie.
Point takeaways: dry/overcooked pork and ribs, ordering at the counter, bussing the table when finished.
Our Score: 80
Well it sounds like you gave them several chances to find positives there.
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