The AL.com staff recently let the world know where Alabama stands in the barbecue world. In short: It stands tall, and dripping with the best sauce in America.

As one of the great barbecue destinations in the U.S. — check that — the world, the state has legendary spots up, down and across the map.

Call it a bucket list or whatever you prefer, just make sure you check all these boxes before all is said and done. And grab extra napkins.

MORE: Readers also got in on the barbecue fun — here are their picks

Alabama Rib Shack

9316 State St. in Gainesville. www.facebook.com/alabamaribshack/.

The story behind this hidden gem in rural Sumter County in Alabama’s beautiful, bountiful Black Belt is just as good as the white oak-and-pecan-smoked meats that pitmaster Jamie Lee Mitchell serves his appreciative guests. Mitchell grew up around here, and after working as a barber in Boston for nearly 30 years, he came back to his tiny hometown of Gainseville in the summer of 2020 and started building the sturdy, handsome A-frame log cabin that would house his dream restaurant. It opened two years ago. Along with Texas, St. Louis and baby back ribs, the Alabama Rib Shack menu features pulled pork, smoked sausage, smoked chicken, jerk chicken, rib tips and pig tails, along with such sides as baked beans, candied yams, potato salad, collards, coleslaw, and mac and cheese. — Bob Carlton

Order this: The pulled pork and ribs combo comes with a half-pound of pork and three ribs of your choice (Texas, St. Louis or baby back), along with two sides and cornbread.

MORE: A slice of barbecue heaven in Alabama’s Black Belt

Archibald’s Bar-B-Q

1211 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Northport. archibaldbbq.com.

Archibald’s, as we have said before, is the hallowed ground of holy smoke, the Wrigley Field of rib joints, and a pilgrimage to this modest, soot-scorched, cinderblock shrine should be a must on any barbecue lover’s bucket list. During basketball season, we make that trip at least a half-dozen times or so for our pre-game meals. Archibald’s is revered for its ribs, which are grilled over a bed of hot hickory coals in a well-seasoned brick pit that’s right behind the front counter, so guests get a front-row seat to watch the Archibald’s pitmasters in action. In recent years, they’ve added a screened porch to accommodate the overflow crowd (a good thing) and expanded the menu to include hot wings (highly recommended) and even fried catfish. Otherwise, not a lot has changed since the late George and Betty Archibald opened the place behind their home in Northport in 1962. Woodrow Washington III, their grandson, continues their legacy with the help of his siblings Lashawn, Reginald and Dalvin. (Washington also opened a second location, Archibald & Woodrow’s BBQ, on Greensboro Avenue in Tuscaloosa in 2002.) — Bob Carlton

Order this: To get the true experience, we recommend the mixed plate, which comes with four or five big and meaty ribs, an ample serving of sliced pork, several slices of white bread and a small Styrofoam cup of Archibald’s atomic-orange barbecue sauce. For the full effect, wash it all down with an ice-cold Grapico.

MORE: A quick history of Archibald’s Bar-B-Q

Bark & Barrel BBQ

3414 Governors Drive S.W., Huntsville, facebook.com/barkandbarrelstovehouse

The bark in this appellation has multiple meanings. The pleasing charred part of a piece barbecue, called bark, but also a nod to Bark & Barrel’s original name, Clyde’s BBQ, which was in honor of the founders’ dog. Clyde’s BBQ was a perfect name. So perfect, in fact, that a Washington D.C. area restaurant already held nationwide trademark of the word “Clyde’s” for restaurants and bars. Alas, this Clyde’s, which started with a since-shuttered Madison, location, had to change names. Founded by Tina Ford and Stan Stinson, the clever restauranteurs also behind HSV standout Earth and Stone Wood Fired Pizza, Clyde’s BBQ is part of the diverse offering at popular “food garden” and entertainment hotspot Stovehouse. — Matt Wake

Order this: The rugged and tender brisket, available in lean or fat-on cuts — opt for the latter for maximum awesomeness. The side-item move? House-fried pork skins, bespoke crunchy brilliance.

READ: Add this spot to the list of Alabama barbecue must-do’s

Bay Barbeque

59 N. Florida St., Mobile

You really want to get to Bay Barbeque early. We visited a little before 1 p.m. on a recent Friday. Big orders had wiped out the ribs and brisket, and literally all that was left was four chicken thighs. We grabbed them, with no human feeling whatsoever for the patrons coming in behind us. Meanwhile, pitmaster Arthur Green preached barbecue gospel: “It’s too much work that goes into this stuff to just throw sauce all over the top … the rule is around here that you’ve got to try the meat before you put sauce on it.” — Lawrence Specker

Order this: If you can see something on a menu called “erotic ribs” and not order it, there’s something wrong with you. These are baby back ribs with a dry rub that has “a little kick to it.”

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q

1715 Sixth Ave. SE and 2520 Danville Road SW in Decatur. bigbobgibson.com

Mention Alabama white sauce, and the name that immediately comes to mind is “Big Bob” Gibson, the towering railroad man who invented the peppery, vinegar-and-mayonnaise-based sauce back in the 1920s, when he started smoking whole chickens and pork shoulders in a pit that he dug in his backyard. So, yeah, Decatur’s Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q is a sacred place among barbecue aficionados, and nearly a century after Big Bob lit the fire, his grandson, Don McLemore, and McLemore’s son-in-law, Chris Lilly, and now, Lilly’s sons, Jacob and Andrew, are the third-, fourth- and fifth generation keepers of the flame. Chris Lilly, who is widely regarded as one of the top pitmasters in America and loves sharing his knowledge of and passion for all things barbecue, has led the Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q crew to a record five grand championship titles at the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, the Super Bowl of barbecue. — Bob Carlton

Order this: When you’re at the birthplace of Alabama white sauce, you get the pit-smoked chicken, which is cooked to a golden brown for precisely three-and-a-half hours and then dunked into a big pot of the legendary sauce before serving.

MORE: The origins of Alabama-style white barbecue sauce

Boarhog’s Barbeque

2118 Hwy. 72 E., BoarhogsBarbeque

Now housed in a former laundromat, Boarhog’s got its start in 2015 as an embedded eatery inside a Citgo gas station. Boarhog’s was founded by married couple Roger and Becky Owens. They had a construction business but were looking for another revenue stream. Roger cut his teeth cooking in barbecue contests and helping a cousin open a restaurant. Back when he was driving a truck in construction, Roger’s CB radio handle was “Boarhog.” Sounded like a pretty good barbecue restaurant too, so they went with it. The Boarhog’s clientele skews blue-collar, enhancing its salt-of-the-earth appeal. A key difference in their food: Boarhog’s uses cherrywood to smoke their meat, instead of the Southern de-rigor, hickory. — Matt Wake

Order this: The softball-sized large pulled pork sandwich, with vinegar slaw, pickles and mayo (mayo works better than you might think here), is a meal onto itself. Their hashbrown casserole side-item is essential too.

RELATED: The story behind Huntsville’s must-do barbecue sandwich

Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q

1724 Ninth Ave. North in Bessemer. bobsykes.com.

Van Sykes was 12 years old when he started working the pit at the Bessemer barbecue joint that his daddy, Bob Sykes, and mama, Maxine Sykes, started in 1957. Sixty-six years later, Van and his nephew (and Bob and Maxine’s grandson) Jason Jewell still do things the way Van’s daddy taught him, cooking pork shoulders, ribs and chickens over hickory coals in an open pit that you see (and smell) the second you walk into the restaurant. But while Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q remains defiantly old-school, it has also evolved with the times, serving tacos on Tuesdays, brisket on Wednesdays and loaded potatoes every day of the week. Like its personable, 68-year-old owner, it has aged well. — Bob Carlton

Order this: For the best of both worlds, get the combo plate with ribs and chopped pork, along with baked beans and onion rings on the side. Save room for a slice of Sharon Mayes’ famous red velvet cake.

READ: 60 years (and counting) at Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q

Bow & Arrow

1977 East Samford Ave. in Auburn. bowandarrowbbq.com.

Texas meets Alabama at Auburn chef and “Iron Chef Showdown” winner David Bancroft’s Bow & Arrow, a Texas-style smokehouse that is inspired, in part, by Bancroft’s childhood growing up in the Lone Star State but also heavily influenced by his visits to his grandparents’ farm in South Alabama. Brisket is what Bancroft does best, but the Bow & Arrow menu also features pulled pork, smoked turkey, St. Louis-style ribs and jalapeno-cheddar sausage, along with such sides as hashbrown casserole, brisket beans and sweet corn rice. In addition to the regular menu items, Bancroft is constantly coming up with such inspired concepts as beer-battered-brisket-burnt-end corndogs and house-smoked venison sausage kolaches. We’re pretty sure you won’t find those at any other barbecue restaurant in Alabama. — Bob Carlton

Order this: To sample a little bit of everything, get the three-meat combo and choose from brisket, turkey, pork or sausage, along with two sides.

MORE: Texas-style smokehouse is inspired by chef David Bancroft’s childhood in the Lone Star State

Brookins Smoken On The Go

1108 Andrew Jackson Way, Huntsville, brookinssmokenonthego.org

Of all worthy Huntsville barbecue spots, there’s only one where you can also purchase a faux-fur jacket to go along with your pork sandwich. Brookins Smoken On The Go shares a Five Points area space with a thrift store/consignment store. Character in a barbecue restaurant can be picturesque. But it means nothing if the victuals aren’t happening. And I dig how Smoken On The Go does pig. Hickory smoked downhome bliss. Smoken is owned by the Brookins family. They’d been catering barbecue for around 10 years before they opened their restaurant in 2020. It all started with the late Walter Brookins, a retired Army sergeant. — Matt Wake

Order this: Pulled pork dinner (enticing mix of tender meat, char and smoke-magic) with smoked mac-and-cheese (superior to your average mac) and potato salad (cookout fresh). Their banana pudding (a creamy-jungle-fruit blackout) is no joke either.

READ: Is this Huntsville spot a barbecue joint? A thrift store? Both

ChuckWagon BBQ

8048 Highway 72 West in Madison. thechuckwagonbbq.com

If the Marlboro Man smoked meat instead of cigs, he’d be Mike Holley. Founder of ChuckWagon BBQ, Holley, a cowboy-hatted Pecos, Texas, native and retired oil worker, opened the original Madison location in 2008. At their original location, a wood-planked shack, regulars entered through the back door like six-gun outlaws, and the décor featured lassos, wagon-wheels and slogans like “PLEASE KEEP ALL WEAPONS HOLSTERED UNLESS NEED ARISES. IN SUCH CASE JUDICIOUS MARKSMANSHIP IS APPRECIATED.” There, Holley frequently worked the line, slicing up pork, brisket and chicken to order, with a big-ass knife. A few years ago, ChuckWagon relocated to a newer, sleeker space. The food is retaining its rustic greatness, though. — Matt Wake

Order this: The two-meat plate is a cowpoke’s delight. You’ve got to do the simmered brisket and, depending if you’re feeling die-with-your-boots-on or not, either the ribs or smoked chicken.

MORE: ChuckWagon BBQ earns every inch of this Madison joint’s big reputation

Cotton State BBQ

101 N. Conception St, Mobile

Hole-in-the wall barbecue joints don’t come much smaller than this spot, and it’s just far enough off the beaten path (i.e. Dauphin Street) to be somewhat obscure even among downtown diners. But it’s only a block off Bienville Square, and those who know, know. Mainly they know that it’s worth waiting for one of those few tables to open up. The BBQ sandwiches are just fine but the loaded fries, nachos and potatoes are where it’s at. Also, you’ll want to keep your eye on the venue’s Facebook page for daily specials, such as the recently offered bacon beef ‘n’ cheddar sandwich and loaded Conecuh potato. — Lawrence Specker

Order this: Get yourself a loaded potato topped with brisket.

READ: Slow-smoked brisket sandwich from Cotton State BBQ was The Best Thing I Ate Last Week

Dreamland Bar-B-Que

5535 15th Ave. East in Tuscaloosa. Go to dreamlandbbq.com for additional locations.

For many of us, a trip to the original Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Tuscaloosa’s Jerusalem Heights neighborhood is as much about the nostalgia as it is about those hickory-fired ribs served with that peppery sauce. Dreamland founder and Alabama barbecue legend John “Big Daddy” Bishop opened his rib shack in 1958, and we’re lucky enough to remember when he would sit in that big chair at the back of the restaurant, smoking his pipe while keeping an eye on the slabs of ribs that cooked hot and fast over the glowing hickory coals. His chair sits empty now, but, thankfully, a new generation of pitmasters still does ribs the same way Mr. Bishop did all those years ago — and that sauce still causes us to break a sweat. As they like to say at Dreamland, “Ain’t nothing like ‘em nowhere.” — Bob Carlton

Order this: Ribs + white bread + sauce. What else could you possibly need?

MORE: A brief history of Dreamland Bar-B-Que

Full Moon Bar-B-Que

525 25th St. South in Birmingham. Go to fullmoonbbq.com for additional locations.

Full Moon Bar-B-Que is one of those rare barbecue gems that does just about everything exceptionally well, and it does so with remarkable consistency — not just the hickory-smoked ribs and the sliced pork sandwiches, but also the zesty marinated coleslaw and the smoky baked beans, the luscious carrot cake and those famous Half Moon Cookies. Brothers Joe and David Maluff have grown the Full Moon brand to include 17 locations across Alabama and into Mississippi since they bought the business in 1997, but it all began in a cozy, concrete-block building that former football coach Pat James and his wife, Eloise, opened on Birmingham’s Southside in 1986. The Jameses nicknamed their place “The Best Little Pork House in Alabama,” and it was no idle boast. It was then, and still is now, our go-to spot for real-deal Birmingham barbecue. — Bob Carlton

Order this: The smoked turkey sandwich smothered with barbecue sauce and topped with chow-chow and some of that coleslaw is so good it will make you forget you’re not eating pork.

MORE: 5 things to know about Full Moon Bar-B-Que

Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot

2115 Minter Ave. in Selma. www.facebook.com/p/Lannies-Bar-B-Q-Spot.

The roots of the family tree run deep at Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot, where, in 1944, the late Lannie and Will Travis started cooking hogs in a cinderblock pit next to their house in Selma’s Tuxedo Park neighborhood. As word of their smoked pork got around, they eventually added a storefront with a pick-up window. Business boomed, and Lannie’s continued to grow. Three subsequent generations — from their children to their grandchildren and their great-grandkids — have continued to stoke the fire since. Floyd Hatcher, one of the grandchildren, is the guardian of Lannie’s secret sauce recipe. “It’s written down and locked up,” Floyd told AL.com in 2018. “I’ve been married for 40 years, and my wife doesn’t even know it.” (Please note: Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot closed for renovations on June 2, but it is scheduled to reopen on Sept. 1. A second location, Lannie’s Bar-B-Q #2, is open on 205 Medical Center Parkway in Selma.) — Bob Carlton

Order this: Regulars know to ask for the pulled-pork sandwich, which is soaked in a fiery house-made sauce, topped with a bark of crispy pork skin and served on slices of white bread. It may be the best barbecue sandwich you’ll ever put in your mouth, but trust us, you’ll need to use a fork.

MORE: Preserving a family barbecue tradition at Lannie’s Bar-B-Q Spot in Selma

Meat Boss

5401 Cottage Hill Road, Mobile

The late Benny Chinnis worked in construction and barbecued on the side prior to Hurricane Katrina. In the years afterward he turned pro, opening a tiny lunch spot that rapidly expanded into a thriving family-run breakfast and lunch spot. The lunch menu is heavy on customization. Pick a meat (Boston Butt, brisket, chicken, smoked turkey or ham, sliced pork loin), decide what you want it to sit on (bun, wrap, sliders, spud, salad), choose a sauce, add toppings, sides and a drink. Ribs and chicken salad also are offered, as well as the Boss Burger, with half a pound of brisket-chuck blend. — Lawrence Specker

Order this: It’s all good but Saturdays are special thanks to breakfast options that include the “Hog in a Blanket:” Bacon, ham, patty sausage and Conecuh sausage wrapped in a gigantic pancake.

READ: Alabama’s Best BBQ Sandwich: 5 things to know about Meat Boss

Rodgers Bar-B-Q

2350 St. Stephens Road, Mobile

When you roll up to a barbecue joint in early June and there’s already a prominent banner out front saying that it’ll open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 4, it’s clear that the people inside know their business and don’t play at it. “The best thing smoking since 1978″ is takeout-only, so you’ll have to make plans to enjoy your meal somewhere else. It takes willpower to make it out of the parking lot before digging in. — Lawrence Specker

Order this: Go straight for the ribs, which come lightly sauced but not drenched. Note that the smoked chicken also has legions of fans.

Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ

3719 Third Ave. South. Go to rodneyscottsbbq.com for Homewood and Trussville locations.

Of course, we know Rodney Scott is from South Carolina, but since teaming up with Birmingham restaurateur Nick Pihakis of Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q fame, he has opened not one, not two, but three locations of his Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ in the Magic City metro area. So, we have just as much right to claim him – and his barbecue – as anyone. The pit-smoked pork served with Rodney’s vinegar-based sauce reminds me of the barbecue I grew up on in Marengo County, and those tender and meaty ribs offer just the right amount of resistance when you gnaw them off the bone. Add collard greens and mac and cheese on the side and some banana pudding for dessert, and you’re in barbecue heaven. — Bob Carlton

Order this: The whole hog pork sandwich comes loaded with Carolina-style barbecue mopped with Rodney’s signature vinegar-pepper sauce and is served on a toasted bun.

READ: The story of Rodney and Nick, brothers in barbecue

Rusty’s Bar-B-Q

7484 Parkway Drive in Leeds. rustysbarbq.com.

Jonathan “Rusty” Tucker was out there all by his lonesome when he opened Rusty’s Bar-B-Q in Leeds 14 years ago. Once word got around about his hickory-smoked pulled pork and fall-off-the-bone ribs — as well as his kickin’ collard greens and chunky Brunswick stew — Rusty’s fast became a favorite pit stop for drivers and crews who come here to race at the nearby Barber Motorsports Park. The pork and the ribs are just right without any sauce, but for those who prefer it, Rusty’s offers five house-made condiments, including a vinegar-and-tomato-based house sauce and an Alabama white sauce, as well as sweet, spicy and mustard sauces. Many of the desserts, including the peanut-butter pie, are from recipes developed by Tucker’s wife, Beth, the pastry chef in the family. — Bob Carlton

Order this: The sampler platter comes with pulled pork, smoked half-chicken, two ribs, a choice of two sides and jalapeno cornbread muffins.

READ: 5 things to know about Rusty’s Bar-B-Q

Saucy Q Bar B Que

1111 Government St. in Mobile. thesaucyqbarbque.com.

It’s fair to say this is an institution. Elbert Wingfield and various family members have been serving up ribs and tasty sides since 1989, when they started in the parking lot of Mobile’s flea market. Saucy Q has changed locations several times over the years, growing considerably along the way. Back in 2015, Wingfield’s son Jarrett Wingfield told AL.com that the restaurant made and served 20 pounds of banana pudding every day. The ribs were included in a ranking of 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die. They say their recipe is “smoke, fire and love.” How can you go wrong? – Lawrence Specker

Order this: Saucy Q is known for its ribs, and you definitely should start there. But come back for the pulled pork sandwich.

MORE: Saucy Q’s banana pudding was a fitting end to a great meal

SAW’s BBQ

1008 Oxmoor Road in Homewood. Go to sawsbbq.com for additional locations.

Since the late Mike Wilson opened the original SAW’s BBQ in Homewood’s Edgewood neighborhood in 2009, SAW’s has added five more locations around Birmingham — plus a food truck — and each has its own personality and menu. (You’ll find the famous pork ‘n’ greens, for instance, at SAW’s Soul Kitchen in Avondale, but not in Homewood; Homewood serves ribs, but Avondale doesn’t.) While we are partial to the smoked chicken with white sauce at the Homewood SAW’s, both the pulled pork and the ribs, which are served with a Carolina-style, vinegar-based sauce, are reliably spot-on. Wilson — whose “Sorry A** Wilson” nickname was the inspiration for the SAW’s acronym — died unexpectedly in 2020, but his longtime friend and business partner, Brandon Cain, has honored him well. — Bob Carlton

Order this: The SAW’s Sampler comes with two ribs, pulled pork and a smoked quarter-chicken, white bread and the choice of two sides.

MORE: A few things to know about SAW’s BBQ

Ted’s Bar B Q

212 Andrew Jackson Way, tedsbar-b-q.com

Ted’s Bar B Q is clean and obvious – sure, two strikes against barbecue-coolness — but it’s also really good, so there. Opened in 2012, Ted’s is part of David Martin’s empire that also includes local taco monolith Rosie’s Cantina, Steak-Out, Walton’s Southern Table and other HSV faves. Ted’s is named for Martin’s dad Teddy Martin, who ran Muscle Shoals barbecue spots during the Polaroid-toned yesteryear. At Ted’s, blues music pipes over the dining room and images of B.B. King and Ray sound-system adorn its walls. Like Martin’s other ventures, Ted’s Bar B Q is well run, dialed into local palates and hits the value/flavor bullseye. In addition to their original Five Points location, there’s also a Ted’s in Madison. — Matt Wake

Order this: Ted’s Sticky Ribs, St. Louis style, lean and dry rubbed and falling off the bone tender. Accented with sweet drizzle. Pro tip: Also grab some of Ted’s soft-and-zesty tamales – yep, tamales at a barbecue joint – available as an entrée or a side with one of the restaurant’s plates/combo meals.

READ: Huntsville restaurant brings tasty eats and blues vibe to Five Points

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Alabama’s best burgers: Our Top 10