Archibald's Drive Inn

Tuscaloosa, AL
$5-$8 Entrees

Have you ever had ribs so good you wanted to shop-vac the meat off the bones? Well, I hadn't until I tried Archibald's Drive Inn (yes, that is how it is spelled) in Tuscaloosa, AL. I am not sure how they got a health department score of 98. To know what I mean, you'd have to see it. Archibald's is located in a small, low-ceiling building behind the modest Archibald family home. You will know you are getting close if a) you see the smoke rising from the smokehouse or b) your mouth inexplicably starts watering right before the heavenly scent of hickory and pork hits you right between the eyes. If you are driving one direction on MLK Drive, you will not see the sign for Archibald's, which only faces one direction.

The Archibald family has been serving ribs from this tiny, one room shack for almost 50 years. The red paint on the walls is peeling, the floor is, shall we say, unpolished, and five vinyl, black stools line the counter. While you wait for your ribs, you can watch fuzzy baseball games on the tiny TV by the wall, here and there catching glimpses of your ribs cooking in the pit behind a thick metal door near the counter. Or, you can observe the socioeconomically and racially diverse crowd drawn in by Archibald's magnetic force field, including attorneys, politicians, mechanics, retirees, and fraternity boys.

I asked the nice lady behind the counter whether it was true that Archibald's does not use any spices on their ribs. She confirmed this. I then held the squeaky screen door open for a tiny, elderly, African American woman just leaving with her order. She scolded me in a whisper, "You don't need to keep asking all them questions. It's good. I promise." That promise came to fruition when the lady inside defensively but generously handed me a sample rib. I almost fell out. If you're not from Alabama, I'm not going to explain to you what "fell out" means.

The meat was so tender, it almost fell off the bone. The smell of burning hickory wood, which had tantalized me since I had been at least a mile from the restaurant, proved to be all it had portended as the rich flavor hit my taste buds. The thin, vinegar-based sauce was unobtrusive and only served to enhance the succulent meat.

I suggest that you order the large rib plate. This comes with five ribs. If you order the small rib plate, which comes with three, you will only be left wanting more. I wanted more even after the large rib plate ... but you know me (see the subtitle of this blog). At first I thought Archibald's didn't serve side orders, because it was just too complicated. After eating there, I realized that it would be a tragedy for anything other than the ribs to take up even one square inch in a diner's belly. Go to Archibald's on a pretty day, on which you can relax at the picnic tables set up around the two buildings. Be sure to bring cash. Something tells me they aren't hooked up for Visa or MasterCard.

4 Kudzu