The Brown Bag Review: Dick Howell Bar-B-Q, Florence, Alabama

Shoals Barbecue Trail, Stop #4

Dick Howell Bar-B-Q

Florence, Alabama – This week’s quest for the best Barbecue in the Shoals area took us to what some folks call one the “Holy Grail” sites of barbecue legends in the Shoals. Since the 1940’s there has been the sweet smell of pork being slowly cooked awash in the smoke of locally harvested hickory trees in North Florence. Nothing said you’re in the Deep South like the smell of hickory-smoked meat being converted into barbecue.

Dick Howell’s Bar-B-Q on North Pine St. is known for cooking some of the best barbecue in our area, not a large operation by any means; however, they still pay attention to details and quality. On the day we visited there was a waiting line to get take out orders as well as dine in orders, we dutifully waited our turn and placed our order to dine in.

My dining partner ordered the large barbecue sandwich along with chips and a drink, and for future reference, they do serve Golden Flake chips and Coke products. I ordered the barbecue plate and a drink, and, even with the large number of orders being placed, it didn’t take long for the kitchen to get our food ready and be brought to our table.

As you can see from the pictures below, the barbecue sandwich was loaded with a generous portion of meat smothered with Dick Howell’s signature hot mustard slaw and hot sauce. My barbecue plate came out of the kitchen in a “togo” box, which I unpacked to dine in. The plate had a good portion of barbecue pork, we estimated 6 or 7 ounces of meat, hot mustard slaw, bbq beans, and potato salad. Again, additional points were awarded because of the sauce being served on the side. The sauce being served on the side means one thing “Nothing to hide here, so dig in.”

So I dug right in, the first thing I noticed when I tasted just the pork barbecue meat was that it had a fresh taste to it. Not the stale flavor of barbecue being rewarmed or held for hours at the Health Department’s required temperature of 140 degrees. Again, bonus points awarded.

Dick Howell’s barbecue pork rated very high on both of our scorecards and was truly the star of the show that it should be. The hot mustard slaw also rated well with it blend of sweetness, tamed by vinegar and a cayenne pepper after kick. It rated right up there with some of the better hot mustard slaws we've eaten. The bbq beans again started out life as pork-n-beans but were kicked up a couple of notches with additions of brown sugar, bbq sauce and shredded pork. Not the best bbq beans I've ever eaten but still rated well. Now, that leaves the potato salad, can’t much be said about it, just run of the mill food service mediocre tater salad. It was OK, just not something to write home to Momma about. The last thing tasted was the sauce, a delightful concoction of vinegar, black pepper, tomato base, cayenne pepper and other spice blended well together. It’s safe to say you won’t get the recipe for it just by asking.

Both my dining partner and I agreed that Dick Howell’s indeed is keeping the tradition of good barbecue alive and well in North Alabama. In fact, he ordered two slaw dogs and another large barbecue sandwich to take home for him and his wife’s dinner. Now that’s showing some love for a q-joint.

The interior of the restaurant is well kept, clean and tidy with not a whole of decorations on the wall. Of course, there isn't a whole lot of wall space to decorate with as many windows as there are in the dining area. The restrooms were clean and stocked, and, all in all, they run a tight ship at Dick Howell’s as is witnessed by their health department score.

Dick Howell Bar-B-Q
1350 N. Pine St.
Florence, Al 35630
256.712.5092

So here are our numbers for the meal:

Judge 1 scoring		Score
Barbecue Pork		8
Sauce		8
Hot Mustard Slaw		9
Slaw dogs		6
Service		6
Atmosphere		6
Cleanliness		7
Style		6
Cooking Method		7
Value		7

Judge 2 Scoring		Score
Barbecue Pork		7
Beans		6
Slaw		7
Sauce		6
Service/Friendliness		6
Atmosphere		6
Cleanliness		7
Style		6
Cooking Method		7
Value		7

Overall Rating: A 7.5

(Rating Index is Here)

Overall Recommendations: Pulled Pork is excellent as is the hot mustard slaw

Facebook Page: Dick Howell’s BBQ Pit

Credit Cards		Yes
Catering Service Available		Yes
Recommendations		BBQ pork for sure
Suggestions		Slaw Dogs a buck each
Alcohol		No
Ambiance		Small town diner
Service		Country friendly
Vegetarian Friendly		Ugh, it’s a q-joint, you figure it out
Price Range		$
Health Score		97 (5-21-13)
Smoke Free		Yes, except for the hickory smoke

The opinions expressed in this review are the honest opinions of the author and fellow judge, and who are solely responsible for its content. These opinions were not influence by any third party whatsoever. If and when you visit the reviewed restaurant your opinion may vary greatly. So as always YMMV!