Where to get barbecue in Birmingham: Southside, Avondale, Lakeview

Last checked 2026-10-17. Refreshed every three months.

Most of Birmingham’s barbecue is on the Southside, where Dreamland, Saw’s BBQ and the original Full Moon Bar-B-Que sit within about a mile and a half of each other. Moe’s Original BBQ is on 29th Street South in Lakeview, and Saw’s Soul Kitchen is on 41st Street South in Avondale.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Birmingham’s city limits, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 17, 2026. We added Full Moon Bar-B-Que, Moe’s Original BBQ and Saw’s Soul Kitchen from their own sites and checked every address against the city boundary. We left out Dreamland’s Inverness restaurant, which is outside the limits, and two well-known names whose websites would not load for us that day; we will check them again at the next refresh. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Dreamland BBQ is the Southside location of the Alabama rib restaurant, on 14th Avenue South. Its menu centers on ribs, with barbecue sides and banana pudding, and it caters by the tray. The site does not post the restaurant’s hours, so call before you go.

Full Moon Bar-B-Que opened its first restaurant downtown in 1986, its site says, and the 25th Street South stand still serves weekday lunch. Its Valley Avenue restaurant, which the chain calls its Homewood store, is inside Birmingham’s city limits and serves every day. Both list dine-in and catering menus.

Moe’s Original BBQ in Lakeview smokes pulled pork, chicken, turkey, St. Louis-style ribs and wings, with scratch-made Southern sides and Alabama white sauce. The site describes live music, a full bar, a front porch and an upstairs room for private parties.

Saw’s BBQ on the Southside is run by chef Michael Brandon in the former home of Fat Sam’s Sub Station, according to its site. It serves barbecue and Southern food at weekday lunch, with dine-in and curbside pickup, and runs a food truck, Saw’s Street Kitchen.

Saw’s Soul Kitchen opened in Avondale in May 2012 as a sister to Saw’s BBQ. Its site describes a small dining room serving traditional Southern dishes and barbecue, with a few twists on the original menu.

More lists

• Where to eat in Birmingham: all the lists
• Where to get wings
• Where to get burgers
• Patios and outdoor dining
• Restaurant inspection scores
• Birmingham business directory

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get barbecue in Birmingham?

This list has five barbecue restaurants inside the city limits: Dreamland BBQ and Saw’s BBQ on the Southside, Full Moon Bar-B-Que on 25th Street South and Valley Avenue, Moe’s Original BBQ in Lakeview and Saw’s Soul Kitchen in Avondale.

Which Birmingham barbecue restaurants are open on Sunday?

Full Moon Bar-B-Que’s Valley Avenue restaurant lists Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Moe’s Original BBQ and the Full Moon on 25th Street South are closed Sunday, and Saw’s Soul Kitchen lists Monday to Saturday.

Where is there outdoor seating at a Birmingham barbecue restaurant?

Moe’s Original BBQ, 731 29th St. S. in Lakeview, has a front porch, according to its site.

Is Saw’s BBQ on the Southside open for dinner?

No. Saw’s BBQ at 1154 11th Ave. S. lists hours of 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, for dine-in and curbside pickup.