Archibald & Woodrow's BBQ

Visiting from Atlanta, figured I give some Alabama Ribs a try. Tiny place, sort of clean. Nice guys here, and pretty quick turnaround on a large rib dinner, fries, beans and a large banana pudding. Steady stream of customers. Noticed a bunch of larger wing orders were being placed, maybe a good option here. Overall, the ribs were good and smokey. Not fall off the bone type, ya gotta get your teeth on em, but tender and well cooked. Sauce to go was a vinegar style, went well on the ribs and for a little sopping. Beans and fries were fine. Only downside was the pudding. Not very tasteful, and if that is a large, then a small must be a single spoonful. I even asked to confirm. Overall I enjoyed it, so 4 star...but skip the pudding.

Affordable BBQ done right!!! On a old building that resemble the taste expertise of this Pit master. Vinagre based sauce 🤌🏽 Nice service and appreciation make me to comeback every time I do visit T-Town.

Save your money!! Greasy pulled pork 'sandwich' soakin through the sliced bread, the meat texture...😵‍💫, soggy fries, potato salad soup and completely inedible mac & cheese. The BBQ sauce, if thats what you call it, was bizarre and unpleasant. Easily the worst BBQ meal I’ve ever had in 30+ yrs. Tuscaloosa has so much more to offer...Save your money and go anywhere else because this 'meal' was shockingly horrendous

We must have come on a bad day based on all the other reviews I'm seeing. The BBQ was bland unless you put the sauce on it. The sauce was good though, had a little spice to it. The mac and cheese was oily and bland. The fried green tomatoes were good. The banana pudding was a joke. The "large" was 2 small containers and then pudding tasted like all whipped topping and nothing else. There were barely any bananas or wafers in it at all.

Best damn bbq I’ve eaten. Got referred to come here from some Bama fans when they visited Madison last year. It absolutely delivered.

well if look as they a real BBQ this is the place there nothing fancy just good ribs. If a fancy place this not for you. But if want good ribs and pulled pork this come there. We bought a full rack of ribs so good full of meat. we had so much for lunch the next day too. So check it out.

Straightforward Alabama barbecue done right. The ribs were smoky and tender, and that tangy sauce really stands out. Nothing fancy about the place — picnic tables, quick service, lots of locals. Feels like the kind of joint you’re told about quietly because it’s just that good.

If you like a quaint places with stellar food this is your place! This place is outstanding!!!!! Ribs ribs ribs !!!!!! Pulled pork, wings, collard greens, Cole slaw FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, FRIED OKRA!!! Sweet tea is southern sweet, they even have TWO kinds of Koolaid as drink options!! Absolutely can’t wait to go back!!!!! Don’t miss this gem!!!

Oh boy ... these wings are off the chart! I'm giving 5 stars on the wings alone ... there were issues with other things I ordered but the flavor made up for it. Wings - 6, 12, 18, or as many as you want. They are on the small side but comes with huge flavor. 1/2 lb ribs - 3-4 bones. Nice smoke flavor and light sauce. Meat pulled off the bone so easily. Sides - Mac & Cheese was overlooked and mushy. Greens had no flavor but great texture/cooked well. The best part of my visit was the staff; no f**ks given! You better know what you want when you call in your order. This place is so busy they don't have time to answer questions ... come in and order of you don't know!

I would give zero stars if possible. Went on a Friday at lunch. It's a run down looking shack which usually means good bbq. Nope. Tried the ribs, chicken, pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad, banana pudding, and pound cake. Old meat, dry, no flavor. Not sure if the person taking our order was a man or woman, but they had a horrible attitude regardless. Not friendly at all. Do yourself a favor and go to the real Archibalds on MLK. The two may have been affiliated once upon a time but we were told they no longer have any connection.

I just paid $25 for a skimpy meal. The Mac and cheese is just more than one mouthful. Two very small fried green tomatoes. A scoop of pork and 3 small ribs. The cashier seems to be mad at the world. Whatever you do, don't ask where the barbecue sauce is. She watched me come in, sit down, and look for a waitress. It was only after about 6 minutes of sitting here did I realize that I had to go to the counter to order when another patron came in. The lady never said a word though I made eye contact with her several times. This is not a good place to eat!

We have been the times, each time giving them the benefit of a doubt... dry meat, nasty potato salad, bland macaroni and cheese, and horrible customer service. I will never go back or recommend.

To paraphrase Dickens, this is a tale of two restaurants. I stopped by for lunch, which turned into a 70 minute affair. Service was slow, and more than half the orders that came out of the kitchen in my presence were wrong. Believe me, if you order take out, you really want to check the order before you leave! This is a shame because the price point here is excellent, and the food warrants the lofty status the restaurant achieved in Southern Living's 2019 top fifty ranking of southern BBQ. $21.76 purchased a small rib plate (4 meaty bones with membrane intact and the tips uncut served wet) with sides of collard greens and fried okra, a small banana pudding, and a refillable soft drink (Pepsi products). The ribs were beautifully prepared, with a light rub that did not overpower the great, moist flavor of the meat. The slightly sweet greens and pudding were also winners. Only the excessively salty okra disappointed. So, definitely worth the stop, but don't be on a tight schedule when you come here.

It's a cute, little hole in the wall place. We stopped by before taking off to the airport. To our surprise, the ribs were juicy & tender. The fried tomato was interesting & yum. I highly recommend this place if you are in the area.

Came here on a recommendation and it was a win! Very small place but very solid barbecue. Got the ribs, pork, collard greens, baked beans, corn, fried green tomatoes, and whiting. Recommend the ribs, pork, and collards. Ribs are huge! The sauce is really good as well.

I've heard good things about this spot and decided to give it a try while visiting. The location was close to my hotel. Ordered a pulled pork sandwich and a rib plate, which comes with two sides. The pulled pork was flavorless meat on two soggy pieces of white bread. The ribs were tough and not tasty at all. I didn't get my two sides on the plate. The sauce was thin and vinegary. I took two bites of the meat and decided to trash it all. Just wasted money.

It's been an ongoing discussion for years sometimes heated during the slower and colder months get here who has the best BBQ Dreamland or A&W? A&W hand down for me and my family. Absolutely Tuscaloosa's #1

Best Ribs and Pull Pork in town. The portions seems to noticeably smaller all the way across the board on everything which is disappointing but food is still good. Smaller portions cost this review 1 star, however I still do and would recommend this establishment to anyone looking for the best BBQ in Tuscaloosa

If you're looking for a passionate BBQ joint while traveling through Tuscaloosa, put this place on your list. This is classic Southern open pit BBQ. No frills, no fancy foo foo drinks. It's BBQ served in white bread with some sides. I ordered the platter with ribs, pulled pork, mac and cheese, and black eyed peas. The sides are pretty small but tasty. The drinks include Pepsi products and sweet tea. Although I couldn't see the pit where the magic happens, I'm glad I stopped by.

Another very good rib choice in Tuscaloosa. The ribs and BBQ are top notch Wish the staff were a bit nicer sometimes. Please thank you and may I help you go a long way.

Grabbed some sandwiches on our way from Ohio to California. Very good for the price! Would definitely return.

Best pulled pork in the world no question about it. This place is raw and real. Drove through the whole south and this place has no competitio. these brothers know what's up. think we were the only white guys there. just watch a youtube video on how they do their pigs and you'll be driving cross country for this fine blessing to our country.

We ordered 2 slabs,wings bread and xtrA sauce..Absolutely perfect!!! There sauce Isa very "loose" sauce with a pronounced snap of flavor!! The wings were the best carry out wings I've ever had,just for the fact that they still had crispness 30 min. after getting them . we still haven't figured out there flavor..there just spot on in ever aspect!!

Only experience I've had, people were rude and the ribs weren't good, spent 30 dollars on lunch and asked for some BBQ sauce they told me 50 cents. I understand you gotta make a living for dang! Sides were good.

I've been eating Woodrow's Ribs since 1997. These AREN'T only the best ribs in town- they're the best we had outside our own house. Amazing sauce. The locals know it. This is where they go. We've sent ribs home to Florida even. The wings aren't bad either... it's hard to choose.

This was a small local bbq restaurant and it did not disappoint. The ribs were fantastic! The bark was delicious and seasoned very well and the meat was succulent. Green beans, mac and cheese, and corn bread were all good but the ribs were the star of the show.

The food is great if you can keep Johnny smiling you will have great service. The wings are hot or miss. Sometimes the taste like there are straight from the freezer. The ambiance is a down home ribs vibe

Service was terrible. super rude staff that didn't really want to serve us. food was subpar. don't recommend going anymore. first time was really good, second time was horrible because of the staff alone. food was tough and hard to chew. little hole in the wall place that is cute but sometimes dirty

I do not get the hype behind this place. The ribs were mediocre at best and the service was okay.

We are from Tn, down here for the ball game. This place came highly recommended from locals and I now know why. This place has the best wings and ribs I've ever had. This place is a hidden gem! We will be eating here every time we visit.

No flavor. Terrible dried out, tough ribs. I was seriously disappointed. This was our second visit. We won't be back.

Great food and it is always fresh! The fish is always my go to, but anything you order will be good!

Service is not particularly attentive or inviting, but the food is absolutely amazing. Definitely worth stopping by.

Came down from MD to the great state of Alabama and after having a feast on Thurs I decided it was time to fill the gut on Saturday with some southern ribs. Dreamland is my go-to but after coming out of the only movie theater in Tuscaloosa there was a little hole in the ground with the words ribs located on the building. Now, most people understand the best food comes from these places so I open the door and to my surprise, after 3 steps there is the register. Ordered 1 slab. After 26mins the ribs came out smelling awesome then I take one out and my tastebuds crash. The ribs were extra chewy almost to the point where they looked uncooked. Feeling bad I tasted the sauce. The sauce actually looked like vinegar drippings, not sauce. It had zero pop or lingering taste. So disappointed. Maybe I will get something different next time and stick to Dreamland or Full Moon for my rib fix next time at home. $32 down the drain. Maybe I just got the wrong or not fully cooked batch.

They won my heart and belly! No more Dreamland for me!! We came from Washington state to see my son graduate from UA and he raved about Archibald's BBQ! To sum up our experience---I fell in love with this quaint and tasteful, little BBQ establishment! Great service and reasonably priced!

Quite possibly the best bbq we had our entire trip. I got the smoked chicken and collard greens. My husband got the ribs and Mac and cheese. We will definitely be back next time we pass through Tuscaloosa!

Don't go while you're hungry! They had a 1 waiter working on a Friday night during graduation weekend. We walked in and found a table immediately- an HOUR later we had our food. This is a whole in the wall (which we normally love) but the lack of staff removes any charm. The BBQ is good but not outstanding and definitely not worth the wait. Go ahead and skip this one and head to any on the long list of BBQ joints in Tuscaloosa.

Amazing wings. We love both locations but are closer to this one. You definitely can't go wrong!!

Best ribs since leaving Texas. Great pulled pork as well. Thank you for your friendly welcome. They are doing takeout only to comply with COVID requirements. Works for me. Don't miss this place if you like BBQ. Great prices.

Came to Archibald and Woodrow's expecting great things and have to say we were really disappointed. To start - parking is not great. At all. Maybe room for 9 cars, near a sort of busy street with no other lot nearby for spillover. Lots of carry out business here. I can see why - half the restaurant was without air conditioning. This would be the half of the restaurant where we sat ourselves. The particular corner where we sat also happened to be by a garbage can, one that had not been emptied in quite a while. It stank. As a result, there were A LOT of flies in the restaurant. Not just one or two that may have strayed in because of an open door, but more than 15. That was really rather gross and annoying. Almost a big enough turn off to refuse to eat there, but we were already seated and had read such positive reviews that we decided to weather it. After bringing us our drinks (I was given unsweet tea instead of sweet), our waitress helped us move to the cooler part of the restaurant. She was probably the highlight of the whole experience - she was pleasant and helpful and gave us a free slice of pound cake when there was a mishap in the kitchen that resulted in our food taking extra long to come out. I will say this about the food: the barbecue was the weakest point, and that should never be the case at a joint like this. We both had fries and macaroni and cheese for sides. The fries were the best part of the dining experience, fairly crispy crinkle cuts with the right amount of salt. The macaroni and cheese was simply average, no big or interesting flavors but nicely cooked noodles. Our free pound cake had a nice vanilla flavor but was dry. The barbecue though was just...mediocre. I had the pulled pork sandwich. It is not really a pulled pork sandwich - it's a heaping mound of extremely fatty and greasy chopped pork in between two slices of white bread. In between the fat, grease, and vinegar sauce (Memphis bbq fans beware!), the bread disintegrated before it even hit the table. The pork itself had very little smoke flavor and varied in taste wildly. A few bites were pretty good. Mostly, though, they tasted faintly gamey. I even got a few bites that had the taste and consistency of pot roast - how that happened, I will never know, though I suspect boiling may have had something to do with it. My boyfriend's ribs were described as juicy, but slightly tough, and again with little smoke flavor. So far, he's only had Dreamland in Huntsville, but he says that's better than here. So, there's our assessment. Unfortunately, we also felt queasy most of the evening following. Could be a coincidence, but based on all the greasiness we ingested, I'm not sure it is. No hard feelings, but I don't think this place is for us.

This was my third visit here and I just have to upgrade my rating. A lot of barbecue under my belt since my first time here and I have to paraphrase my new friend Roll T. and say that this is probably one of the most underrated BBQ joints in the country. This is my kind of BBQ. They don't overdo anything here. They let the ingredients speak and don't overwhelm you with sweet, spicy, salty, sticky etc. The meats are complemented by their subtle seasonings and perfect smoke levels. The sides all taste like the ingredients. The baked beans taste like baked beans, not just molasses or cayenne or chile powder etc etc. This is just really solid Southern home cooking with soul. Lots of the most famous and overrated like Southern Soul in Brunswick could take some lessons here! The ribs and pork I ordered came swimming in a beautiful jus/sauce that was a little tangy and had great balanced spice. Both were moist and tender without being mushy and overcooked with that dead pork taste you'll get with overhandled Q. I've also had Q with way too much fat, it's too rich. This has a perfect amount. After all, fat is flavor but too much is too much. The greens are terrific. Some of the best you'll find anywhere. I like the baked beans too. Everything I've tried here is well thought out and delicious. The fried catfish is crispy, perfectly fried and never greasy. I wish they'd take the Texas Pete off the table. It has preservatives and isn't nearly as good as Louisiana, Crystal or Tobasco. Please rethink this one and give us something that will be as good as your food! This is real Dixie BBQ. The real deal. Skip Dreamland, come and visit Archibald and Woodrow's!

Mixed bag here. Actually been twice and the first time the food was awesome. The service, not so much. This is a small family owned business that understands very little about customer service, so know that going in. The food was pretty good though. Stick with meats, but don't expect much from the sides. They are just not good. Now my update. Called in a carry out order on Friday. Seems to be a bad day for them. First, order wasn't ready. Second, order wasn't correct. Third, service was yet again terrible...almost uncivil. Finally, food was disgusting. The ribs were very good, but cold. The pork was a gelatinous mess of fat. The flavor was ok, but not enough to make anyone want to eat this mess. Oh, and it was cold. The beans were hot, and somewhat flavorful, but not a single piece of meat so calling them bbq beans is a bit of a misnomer. Finally the corn...which summed up the whole experience...it appeared as if it had been biking in water for days. It was a pathetic, waterlogged, lacking in flavor side that was thrown in the trash. Serving this, charging patrons for it, is an absolute no-no if you want return customers. With hit or miss quality, 100% miss on customer service, I won't be back. Best of luck if you try this place out.

I have been eating here for years, from the house 43 location back in the 90s to Greensboro Ave across from Academy Sports. Best barbecue for the next 90 miles.

Really probably a 3.5, is what I'd give if I could. Ribs were ok. Black eye peas were good from the little I tasted. Corn bread was good. Maybe this isn't the prime of the multiple locations but it didn't live up to hype I heard.

We were from out of town and wanted a good barbecue place. Some guy at the hotel recommended this place. It is nothing more than a hole in the wall. We got two dinners and when we got to the hotel room We realize that they did not give us the two sides for one of our dinners. Also, the size of the side items were so small that the container was empty after four bites. The barbecue sauce was disgusting. The ribs were tough and tasteless. What we needed was a bottle of Sweet baby Ray's. We had also ordered the Boston butt. That was dry and tough. I brought what we did not eat to my dog when I got home. She loved it. However she also eats birdseed so there's A question about her taste.

Had the catfish dinner on labor day (6 pieces of catfish and 2 sides). The catfish although small was pretty good, but the sides I got were pretty disappointing for a BBQ joint. The mashed potatoes were cafeteria level and the mac n cheese was just decent.

Ribs, ribs, ribs!!! Always consistent and some of the state's best: smoked well yet still moist and full of flavor. The tangy vinegar based sauce complements the meat perfectly. The rib plate gives you lots for $12-with plenty of fresh white to sop up what's left. What makes Archibald's and Woodrow's even better is the classic soul food kitchen menu. My group this week loved the whiting and catfish, amazed at the quantity and quality for the price. Lots of sides--my recommendation is the fried okra--crispy well drained. Add the hot sauce. The baked beans are excellent too according to my table mates. Always a fun time at A & W. Always friendly greetings. No doubt Archibald's in Northport is the way to go in Tuscaloosa when you are grabbing for the road but when you have a group or just want to sit down, find this old concrete block building on Hwy 215 south of downtown. Chain establishments have taken over a lot of the local market but here is the real deal. Not to be missed, just savored.

I ordered ribs and pork with some sides and all the food tasted like it had freezer burn (including the bread). I paid for banana pudding, and it wasn't in my to go bag. I wouldn't spend my money here.

Terrible bbq..it was like pork with Frank's red-hot on white bread..ugh. dobt waste your time or money here

Travelling cross country from California- glad we stopped at this place. Really great bbq, my first time in Alabama. Very different style to the stuff in San Diego. Very tender falling off the bone, but moist and juicy. Not dripping in thick sticky sauce, the sauce is light and tasty and not to sweet. Staff are nice, portions huge. Highly recommended. Try the collard greens and black eyed peas.

5/28/21 Went here today. The man at the register was rude! He just seemed disgusted with working and customers. Very bad vibes and first impression!!

I stopped here for lunch after I got out of my car across the street to buy gas and smelled the wood smoke wafting across the street. It was well worth the stop. I was here for a tour of the University of Alabama so I asked for a pulled pork sandwich to go. It is definitely something you cannot eat while driving. It comes on a plate and the BBQ comes between two slices of white bread. It requires a fork to be eaten when sitting in your car. The BBQ was amazingly good with the vinegar-based sauce but it was a little messy. I'm so glad I made the stop.

What to even say about this amazing place?? We've had good barbecue in Texas, in NY, and in Mississippi. But NOTHING has even come close to Archibald and Woodrow's. 1/2 chicken dinner: extremely moist and full of flavor, right down to the bone. Ribs: falling off the bone, smoke ring halfway through, tender and delicious. Beans, Mac and cheese, potato salad, fries: everything just as good as the main attractions!

Disclaimer: I'm going to try and get through this review without drooling on my keyboard, but there are no promises. Archibald & Woodrow's is personally my favorite BBQ in the State of Alabama. Strong words, I know, but this place isn't joking around. I'm a huge fan of vinegar-based BBQ sauces, so if that isn't your thing, you may not care for their BBQ, but there are plenty of other delicious options on the menu. I have a few friends that swear by the fried catfish. I can never decide if I want ribs or pulled pork...lucky for me, they offer a mixed plate option that is out of this world (it comes with two sides and white bread as well). I always leave uncomfortably full (in a good way) and have enough food left over for lunch the next day. This is a very small restaurant with limited parking, so it may be tough to get in during peak lunch/dinner hours or after a Bama game, but it is so worth the wait...

So many wrongs with this place first thing is the person that took our order was very rude with his nasty attitude as if he's doing me a favor. Food was horrible ribs dry and tasteless, I never tasted collards greener that was so sweet what a miss this place needs to shut its doors .

Ribs have no flavor, no snake. Sauce is not very good. Workers have attitudes. Prices are high.

When my pulled pork sandwich came on sliced white bread swimming in a pool of juices, I knew I was doomed, I didn't even try to pick the thing up. The bottom slice of bread was a gonner. Now mush. I threw the top slice to the side and went at it with a fork. Sliced white bread?? The pork was very juicy and had a decent flavor. Kind of a cider/vinegar thing going on which i liked. No BBQ sauce on the meat which is fine. True BBQ should stand on its oen but not even any sauce at the table? This is a BBQ restaurant right? The coleslaw was flavorless a pile of watery mayo basically. The BBQ beans, all sugar. The banana pudding was so thick, you could turn the cup over and it wouldn't fall out. I think it was cream cheese? On the road headed to TN, it was convenient but I wish we had gone elsewhere. Not recommended.

Great food, love the wings and Bbq sandwiches...baked beans and fries are great...not a fan of the mac n cheese, awsome cornbread...great bushwackers