Dreamland

I consider Birmingham the barbecue capital of the South. You can find a barbecue restaurant on just about every corner, each with it’s own style. I ate at a different place every week to select a few favorites that I patronized while I lived there. Because of this, it seemed odd to me that a friend in college encouraged us to get on the interstate and head over to Dreamland one day after a long night of drinking.

Dreamland was already an institution, but at that time a quiet one. It was before every sports and lifestyle magazine and television show on barbecue or Tuscaloosa had made their pilgrimages. Once you got past the barking dogs, you entered a dark, slightly worn shack of a building with a non-service-oriented staff. Dreamland had ribs, chips, beer, tea and soft drinks. And white bread. The “in” people knew not to ask for anything else. Dreamland’s motto – “ain’t nothing like ‘em nowhere” was true. The sauce was slightly sweet with a spicy bite. Their ribs were the best – worth the many quick drives from Birmingham-Southern that we would make when the cafeteria fare was inedible.

I was excited when Dreamland built a large building right near the interstate years ago. It was a sign to me that Mobile was seen to be able to handle and support a place with such a reputation. Some people immediately turned up their noses, saying that it was not the original so the ribs tasted different. I did not find that to be the case. On the weekends, or game days/nights cars have consistently filled the lot since the beginnings. With a sparse, yet comfortable atmosphere with large wooden booths, the cavernous space works. Televisions are mounted within everyone’s eye range. I have both good and not so good eating experiences at Dreamland.

After searching in vain to find a local place to eat one recent Tuesday night, my car came upon Dreamland. It had been some time since I had been in, and though they deserved a visit to see how they are doing. Tuesday evenings are typically the slowest restaurant nights of the week. The restaurant had about 10 or so tables, either watching American Idol or the Braves. We opted for the “Bravos.”

My daughter and I love ribs. Even at 8 years old, she can put some away. The last time we ate ribs, she devoured half the slab. While we both were quite hungry, we played it safe and ordered just one Slab of Ribs ($17.95). We could always order more. Of course while we all waited on our food, we mowed through about a loaf of Sunbeam bread, sopping up a cup or two of sauce. So much for saving our appetite for the main course.

When our ribs arrived, they looked glorious. Puddles of hot barbeque sauce fell onto the plate as we each grabbed our first one. All of them were large, with a thin piping of burned meat on the edges. But upon first bite, we both looked at each other with distaste. The ribs were dry and tough, could hardly chew them. We sent them back. Many readers have told me that they never send anything back. Do not eat or pay for bad food. It is one thing to take a rubber roach with you to the pizza place and put it under the last slice so you can get your money back. If the food tastes bad, is poorly prepared or cold, send it back.

The next slab was a little more tender. I am accustomed to juicy, meaty ribs that fall off the bone. These had plenty of meat, and little fat but by no means fell off the bone. My guess is that most all of the ribs in the pit had been hanging out in there all afternoon. We ended up not finishing them, taking almost half a slab home. I covered them in sauce and re-heated them the next evening and this softened them up a bit.

After several years with an outlet here, and in Birmingham, Dreamland succumbed to those who wanted more than ribs. The menu was expanded to include smoked chicken and pork plates and sandwiches. Sides were added beyond Golden Flake chips (the best). Cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad and fries are now on the menu. Although I have been always too full to eat either, pecan pie and banana pudding are served for dessert. I hate banana pudding, but am told that it is quite good.

The Kid’s Pork Plate ($3.95) comes with one side. Large chunks of pork are piled high on a hamburger bun and served with fries. While some of the pieces were grisly, for the most part this was an acceptable sandwich that is big enough for an adult. My wife chose the One-half Smoked Chicken ($6.50) – white meat. The pieces were so large that the two breasts and wings were almost the size of a whole chicken. The coffee-colored skin encased a succulent bird. The slow smoking brought depth to the quality cuts of chicken. I tore into the swathes of skin my wife discarded. This chicken needs no sauce. In fact it would take away from the softness of the meat. The baked beans were passable, slightly sweet. The fries at Dreamland are the best around. They are well-fried, crispy with a slight dusting of seasoning. Mix some of their sauce in with your ketchup. A basket of the fries is a meal into itself.

We once had a dearth of barbecue restaurants in town, and now, I think all of them have their own style and flavor. While Dreamland is somewhat of a carpetbagger, in the past their food has been reliable. I hope that my rib experience was abnormal. If the ribs get tough, so will business

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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