Saw’s is number one on celebrity chef Paula Deen’s list of best barbeque places in America, and if anyone knows a thing or two about southern cooking, it’s Paula Deen. Saw’s has a signature sauce that makes everything on their menu delicious and unique. Try their sandwiches, ribs, stuffed potatoes, hot dogs, pulled pork, and more.

Since the late Mike Wilson opened the original SAW’s BBQ in Homewood 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 does not.) 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 doused with a Carolina-style, vinegar-based sauce, are reliably spot-on. Wilson -- whose “Sorry Ass Wilson” nickname was the inspiration for the SAW’s acronym -- died unexpectedly in 2020, but his longtime friend and business partner, Brandon Cain, continues to honor him well.

Asking Southerners where to get the best barbecue can be a polarizing question. While everyone has their favorite spot, most Birminghamians can agree on the many merits of SAW’s BBQ. The original Homewood location opened in 2009, but thanks to its popularity there are now six locations sprinkled around town. Favorite orders include Carolina-style smoked pulled pork, chicken, and ribs with sides like vinegar-based slaw, potato salad, and the most heavenly whole-fried okra you’ll find anywhere.

Saw’s Soul Kitchen, the sister restaurant to well-known Saw’s BBQ (which you should also make an effort to visit), has a Southern soul. And much like Saw’s BBQ, it draws lines (partially because there are fewer, tighter-knit seats here). There’s a range of meats and menu items offered at Saw’s Soul Kitchen, but this shortlist highlights what we’d recommend: Saw’s Fried Green Tomatoes, their white-sauce lathered Smoked Chicken Thighs, and their (Alabama BBQ-style) Smoked Pulled Chicken.

Awards aren’t everything, but when a restaurant has garnered multiple accolades, it’s definitely food for thought. Among its recognitions, Saw’s BBQ has been named “Best Barbecue in America” by Men’s Journal, and its Pork-Stuffed Tater has been named one of the “100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die” by the American Tourism Department. With locations in Homewood, Southside, Avondale, and Crestline, Saw’s features a variety of menu staples that should not be missed.

You can’t visit the South without getting some really good BBQ, and Saw’s is the place in Birmingham. It was named the #1 Best BBQ in America by Paula Dean and Men’s Journal. There are five different Saws locations, but we visited the original location in Edgewood where Ms. A delivered our meals that included smoked chicken with Saws signature white sauce, my tender pork BBQ, and ginormous pork-stuffed baked potatoes that I don’t think anyone could finish.

The menu features Carolina style smoked pulled pork, chicken and ribs, served with one of three styles of sauce. Sides include baked potatoes, beans, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and banana pudding. In 2012, Wilson partnered with Brandon Cain to open a second location of Saw’s, called SAW’s Soul Kitchen, opened in the former Quick & Split Cafe at 215 41st Street South in Avondale.

Dubbed the best barbecue in Birmingham, Saws BBQ offers a variety of Southern staples. Their “Pork N’Greens” is the south on a plate with collard greens served over creamy cheese grits, pulled pork, and topped with fried onion rings. At Johnny’s, multi-James Beard semi-finalist chef Timothy Hontzas specializes in Southern dishes with Greek influences inspired by his family heritage.

Voted by Men’s Journal as the Best Barbecue in America, Saw’s BBQ is worth a visit!. Here, you can find different meats, like sausages, chicken, pulled pork, and ribs smoked to perfection and served with delicious Southern sides and house-made BBQ sauces. Other offerings include sandwiches with smoked chicken or pulled pork and stuffed tartars.

1154 11th Ave SBirmingham, AL 35205(205) 224-4408 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. Opened in 2019, SAW’s BBQ is a charming restaurant with a Southern-inspired style serving a wide variety of barbeque dishes.