Archibald's, Dreamland Named To Southern Living's Top 50 BBQ Joints In The South

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Two Tuscaloosa County barbecue staples have landed among the top 20 in Southern Living’s 2025 list of the “Top 50 BBQ Joints in the South.”

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

Dreamland BBQ ranked No. 11 and Archibald’s BBQ came in at No. 18 on the annual list, which was released this week by the magazine’s editorial team.

The rankings, compiled by Southern Living contributing barbecue editor Robert F. Moss, are based on personal visits to every restaurant included. Moss considered both the overall dining experience and the quality of the meal when curating the list.

The recognition highlights Tuscaloosa County’s long-established ties to Southern barbecue culture and its growing national profile in the food world.

Dreamland, known for its ribs and white bread, has grown from its original Tuscaloosa location to become a household name across the region.

Southern Living says of Dreamland:

"Alabama barbecue joints have a distinctive and wonderful way of cooking ribs, searing them hot and fast over a blazing hickory fire in big brick pits, and Dreamland does it better than anyone else. The restaurant now has eleven locations in three states, but the original red cinderblock building on the south side of Tuscaloosa is where to find the truly iconic experience. The red walls of the dark, low-ceilinged dining room are bedecked with neon signs and Alabama Crimson Tide memorabilia. Friendly servers deliver paper-lined trays bearing meaty, sauce-slathered slabs, which have a wonderfully chewy texture with crisp bits of char around the edges. Each order is accompanied by a plate of sliced white bread and a cup of warm barbecue sauce for dipping. The rest of the menu is barebones — just chicken, pork sandwiches, and delightfully smoky sausage beans, slaw, and potato salad for sides. And that’s pretty much all that an Alabama barbecue fan could need."

Archibald’s, a Northport institution since the early 1960s, remains revered for its hickory-smoked meats and no-frills atmosphere.

Southern Living says of Archabld's:

"In recent years the grandchildren of founders George and Betty Archibald have made a few upgrades to Archibald’s Bar-B-Q, refurbishing the massive brick-and-cinderblock pit, appending an enclosed dining porch, and adding hot wings and fried fish to the menu. The main attraction are still the massive slabs of Alabama-style ribs, which are cooked hot and fast over a hickory fire in that smoke-blackened pit, which imparts a distinctive firm, meaty texture and delightful crisp, charred bits around the edges. At serving time, the ribs are served doused in spicy, orange-hued vinegar sauce with slices of white bread laid over the top—perfect for creating impromptu sandwiches or soaking up the savory sauce. Add a cup of beans or potato salad and you have a classic Alabama barbecue meal."

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com.