BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — When people think of Alabama, football, music, history and Southern hospitality may immediately come to mind. But another way to experience the state and its culture is through its food.
From barbecue recipes and techniques passed down through generations to seafood dishes influenced by Louisiana and Mexico, Alabama restaurants are using food to preserve family traditions, build communities and bring people together.
As America approaches its 250th anniversary, those restaurants also offer a look at how food has become part of Alabama’s story.
A fire burning since 1957
At Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q in Bessemer, the restaurant’s fire has been burning since 1957.
Owner Van Sykes grew up in the restaurant and learned early that good barbecue requires something that can’t be rushed.
“The art of barbecue is not in a rub,” Sykes said. “It’s in patience and time.”
Over the decades, Sykes has watched the family business endure wars, recessions, the COVID-19 pandemic and changes from one generation to the next.
Through it all, the family has continued the tradition that started nearly 70 years ago.
“Whatever the world does, we just get up and do what we do every day,” Sykes said. “And that fire has been burning since 1957.”
Keeping barbecue in the family
In Northport, Archibald’s Bar-B-Q has built a legacy of its own.
Generations of the family have worked to keep the restaurant — and the traditions behind it — alive.
“Grandmother said keep everybody together and keep it in the family,” owner Woodrow Washington III said. “So that’s what we’ve done.”
That commitment to family has helped turn Alabama barbecue into more than a meal. For many restaurants and their customers, it is a tradition passed from one generation to another.
Louisiana flavor finds a home in Alabama
Alabama’s food story extends well beyond barbecue.
At Jubilee Joe’s Cajun Seafood Restaurant in Hoover, Louisiana-inspired Cajun flavors have been part of the community for more than two decades.
“We’ve been bringing bold Cajun flavors from Louisiana for 21 years,” Kash Siddiqui said. “When America 250 came along, we wanted to celebrate too.”
For Siddiqui, however, the restaurant is about more than what comes out of the kitchen. It is also about what happens around the table.
“What makes me smile is seeing families gathering together, making memories,” Siddiqui said. “It’s special knowing people choose my restaurant to celebrate life’s big moments.”
Putting a different spin on seafood
In Vestavia Hills, Cajun Seafood House offers another take on seafood traditions, serving everything from seafood boils to blackened mahi tacos.
Chef Avie Soto said the restaurant designed dishes that allow customers with different tastes to share the experience.
“We decided to make one dish where people can choose different seafood so everyone leaves happy,” Soto said.
And in Fairfield, Del Mar Marisqueria adds Mexican influences to Alabama’s seafood scene with house-made recipes and dishes designed to be shared.
“We prep everything ahead of time, and once it’s ordered it takes about 10 to 15 minutes,” owner Isaac McMappie said. “We make all of our cream sauces fresh.”
The restaurants may serve different dishes, draw inspiration from different cultures and have different family stories, but they share a common thread: using food to bring people together.
In a state known around the country for football, music and history, some of Alabama’s most enduring stories are still being told around the dinner table.
Dining and Cooking