Dreamland Bar-B-Que

When I decided to go to Samford, there was a man at my church in Florida who told me I had to go to Dreamland Bar-B-Que.  He had gone to the University of Alabama and was a hard-core fan of both the Crimson Tide and Dreamland ribs.  For the next several years, every time I would see him at church during one of my college breaks, he would ask hopefully, "Well, have you been yet?" I would politely smile and usually say something about how barbecue really wasn't my favorite.  Clearly, I didn't choose a college based on the local favorite food because (much to my disappointment) we always had BBQ at Samford's big events like Dinner on the Dirt, Family Day, etc.  

Well, I decided that after almost nine years of living in Alabama, it was time to give Dreamland a try.  Although there is one in Birmingham, I thought I might as well go to the original one in Tuscaloosa.  So, my brother and I ventured here after church on a warm April day a few weeks ago.  The first thing that surprised me was that Dreamland is in the middle of nowhere.  In my mind, it would be very commercial and nice maybe a little like Jim n' Nick's, and it would also be close to the Alabama campus or downtown.  Nope.  It's just tucked away in a rather poor neighborhood of Tuscaloosa where there is an odd mix of industry and run-down houses.  I also thought it would be super crowded since it's so famous.  Nope-wrong again.  This explains why I got a rather odd response when I called asking if they did reservations.  There were plenty of people eating there, but there was still a lot of empty tables ready for hungry customers.

We seated ourselves at one of the outdoor tables, and I looked over the small menu.  It's a good thing I had already decided on their famous ribs because there were not a lot of other options.  The service was friendly and fast though, and there was an interesting variety of people eating there ranging from a family with kids to a large triathlon team.  The ribs were fairly tasty and came drenched in a sauce that was both spicy and sweet.  Plain, white bread also accompanied the meal which offset the spiciness nicely as long as I tried not to think about how bad this addictive bread was for me.  However, the best part was definitely the side dish of banana pudding I ordered.  I may not be a big barbecue fan, but I absolutely love banana pudding, and this Southern version of it was quite delicious.

If you're looking for a good, authentic Bar-B-Que restaurant in Alabama, Dreamland is your place.  As a bonus, you'll also be able to cross of one item on the "100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die" list.  This concludes my first Dreamland experience, which was also a cultural experience for me.  I think there is only one appropriate way to end this post, as much as it pains me to say it, "Roll Tide."