Fleur de Lolly: 2025 Alabama BBQ Tour: Madison County

Madison County, Alabama, established in 1808, was named after President James Madison. It's considered the "birthplace" of Alabama, as Huntsville, the county seat, was designated the state's first capital in 1819.

We met up with some dear friends last week at Chuckwagon BBQ in Madison. They live nearby and highly recommended this restaurant for our stop in Madison County.

Ordering is done at the counter with a clear view of the plating process. You place your order and you watch as your food is assembled on the plates and trays and you pick it up at the end of the counter and pay. A stop at the drink station and then off to your chosen table and you're ready to eat.

We jointly decided to enjoy the Texas Sampler: Brisket, Pork, Sausage, Chicken, and Ribs with four side dishes.

Doesn't that look appetizing? Let's take them one at a time and get a closer look.

The smoked sausage was extremely tender, nicely smoked, and lightly seasoned.

Unfortunately, NOT the best picture (all my responsibility), but this chicken was probably the best smoked chicken I've had in a very long time. Shredded smoked meat has a tendency to try out quickly, but this was the exact opposite. It had a wonderful flavor and with the addition of their version of white BBQ sauce yielded the ideal pairing of flavors.

As you can see from the photo, the brisket has a nice combination of tender "inside" meat as well as a gorgeous bark on the exterior. This was an excellent brisket. No sauce needed!

The ribs were tender, juicy, and coated with a smoky dry rub. I chose to add a little of the spicy BBQ sauce to my serving. The spicy version had a subtle heat that snuck up on you slowly. I loved it.

The pulled pork was one of the better offerings we've eaten while on the BBQ Tour. Again, tender with a light smoke flavor and a little of the dry rub mixed in with the meat. Yum!

The mild sauce was a nice choice for the pulled pork.

Ready for the side selections?

We chose potato salad, baked beans, mayo slaw, and macaroni and cheese.

With the exception of the sweet relish, this potato salad could have been prepared in my kitchen! A great balance of flavors with just the right amount of mayo/mustard made this a great side selection.

The baked beans were a group favorite as well. This wasn't the beans "dumped out of a can and reheated version." These yummy bites of goodness had actual pieces of brisket included. A mid level smoky flavor and great consistency had everyone at the table bragging on the baked beans.

Chuckwagon's version of slaw is also a close version of mine as well. A mixture of green and purple cabbage, shredded carrots, and the dressing that's not too wet and not too dry offered a great texture contrast to the other side dish offerings.

While not a "cheese pull" photo opportunity, this was a very nice mac and cheese. With an abundance of cheese flavor and the addition of diced pimentos which add color and flavor, this mac and cheese ranked high.

We were offered Texas Toast and/or Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins. I didn't try the toast, but the muffins were delightful. The presence of jalapenos was obvious in each bite and if that's something you enjoy, you'll need to order some extra of these!