One of Alabama's top BBQ restaurants is Dreamland, originally founded in Tuscaloosa, Ala. [Photo/Encyclopedia of Alabama}
“Ain’t nothing like ‘em nowhere” is the famous motto of the Dreamland barbecue chain, and many agree with their claim to the best BBQ ribs, among other delicious dishes. Barbecue is a fundamental part of southern cuisine, and Dreamland is arguably the most famous BBQ chain in Alabama ever since its founding in 1958. It has ten locations across the Southeast, ranging across three states with multiple locations in Birmingham and Montgomery. It’s a staple of “best of” lists of southern BBQ, and according to Southern Living the original Dreamland location “in Tuscaloosa is a true Alabama classic.”
Covered in Dreamland's secret sauce, BBQ ribs, slices of white bread and a glass of sweet team make a perfect meal. [Photo/Dreamland.com]
John "Big Daddy" Bishop [Photo/Dreamland.com] According to the Dreamland Bar-B-Que website, “It all started with a Dream… and it was in that dream that God visited John “Big Daddy” Bishop and told him to open a restaurant.” The Alabama food legend had an eclectic beginning, selling everything from burgers to postage stamps. However, it was their hickory-fired ribs that delighted the locals, and drew folks to the restaurant. The delicious combination of ribs, white bread, and vinegar-based BBQ sauce was an effortless crowd pleaser and still is sixty years later.
John “Big Daddy” Bishop was a cement finisher when he prayed to God for an idea for a new career and the answer came: open a restaurant. In the segregated south, Bishop wanted a place “where black people could gather” and the original location in Tuscaloosa took three years for him to build. It was popular from the beginning due to its variety of dishes but most of all, for its signature BBQ sauce. There are persistent rumors that the original sauce contained moonshine, but whether it did or not, the “orange-hued liquid miracle, uh condiment” (according to an AL.com writeup) has been the core of Dreamland’s lasting success.
It's not just the tender ribs served with soft white bread and slightly hot sauce that are perennial crowd pleasers. Various locations offer the “legendary” BBQ sandwich, fried okra, Brunswick stew, and a savory banana pudding that, like the BBQ sauce, is prepared according to a secret recipe. If you are unable to get to a Dreamland location in time for the next special occasion or game day, you can make some of their signature dishes at home, for their website offers recipes for everything from Dreamland’s BBQ pork & collard skillet pizza to corn & sausage fritters with honey BBQ sauce.
But what is the secret in the sauce? Many people want to know what the mystery behind the tangy and inimitable flavor is. According to a 2008 article for USA Today, the trailblazing Bishop never disclosed the secret ingredient before he passed away in 1997, and no one has since. Whatever the ingredient is, people keep coming to Dreamland as its ten locations and sixty years in business attest. Undoubtedly, “Big Daddy” Bishop’s legacy will continue as future generations keep eating at the legendary restaurant, for as long as they have ribs the adage will hold true: “Cook 'em, and they will come.”
John “Big Daddy” Bishop was a cement finisher when he prayed to God for an idea for a new career and the answer came: open a restaurant. In the segregated south, Bishop wanted a place “where black people could gather” and the original location in Tuscaloosa took three years for him to build. It was popular from the beginning due to its variety of dishes but most of all, for its signature BBQ sauce. There are persistent rumors that the original sauce contained moonshine, but whether it did or not, the “orange-hued liquid miracle, uh condiment” (according to an AL.com writeup) has been the core of Dreamland’s lasting success.
It's not just the tender ribs served with soft white bread and slightly hot sauce that are perennial crowd pleasers. Various locations offer the “legendary” BBQ sandwich, fried okra, Brunswick stew, and a savory banana pudding that, like the BBQ sauce, is prepared according to a secret recipe. If you are unable to get to a Dreamland location in time for the next special occasion or game day, you can make some of their signature dishes at home, for their website offers recipes for everything from Dreamland’s BBQ pork & collard skillet pizza to corn & sausage fritters with honey BBQ sauce.
But what is the secret in the sauce? Many people want to know what the mystery behind the tangy and inimitable flavor is. According to a 2008 article for USA Today, the trailblazing Bishop never disclosed the secret ingredient before he passed away in 1997, and no one has since. Whatever the ingredient is, people keep coming to Dreamland as its ten locations and sixty years in business attest. Undoubtedly, “Big Daddy” Bishop’s legacy will continue as future generations keep eating at the legendary restaurant, for as long as they have ribs the adage will hold true: “Cook 'em, and they will come.”
About the Author
Katharine Armbrester graduated from UAB in 2019 with an MA in history and received an MFA in creative writing from the Mississippi University for Women in 2022. She loves the world of periodicals, Alabama history and writing.
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