Dreamland Bar-B-Que

Been to dreamland a couple times when I first moved to the Iron City and have really enjoyed everyone of my experiences. We had a table of 6 people who could all eat and left full and eager to come back again. We started with cheesy fries and wings. The fries were crispy and they aren’t shy with the cheese. Sometimes the cheese at other places can turn to sog out the fries, but this wasn’t the case. The wings (which I bl think are the best in town) were made and presented perfectly. This we all ordered some variation of rib or pork Sandwhich and we’re all very satisfied with our meal. This was my first time ordering the ribs and I liked, but didn’t love them. Not that they were bad, I just prefer my pork ribs more tender, fall off the bone type. The rub was really good the half order was perfect size with all of the sides we added. My favorite side was the cole slaw and I loved the tea! Can’t wait to come back. Love the atmosphere and our waitress was a boss!

I once had a friend who told me Dreamland has pretty good ribs, but I should really go to his favorite restaurant if I wanted the real thing! He is no longer a friend. And that place he recommended? It closed.
Dreamland is America’s barbecue rib mecca! People come from all around just to eat these ribs, and I am perfectly happy to drive the six hours roundtrip from my house just to have lunch here. I am very stingy with 5-​star ratings and only reserve them for the best places in America.
I am stunned that people can actually give this place a mediocre review. I have eaten here at least 30 times and have never had anything short of perfection! Well, except the one time I tried pulled pork instead of going with the reliable ribs. I would love to know what Becky F. and Dave G. consider to be 5-​star ribs!!! I have searched all over Tennessee, North Carolina, and Alabama going to all the places recommended by the Food Network and various magazines, but NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE can match Dreamland’s ribs!!! Hence the slogan «Ain’t nothin’ like ‘em nowhere.»
The smoky atmosphere is exactly what one would expect, and the rib master is literally steps away from your table, turning massive racks of ribs continuously with a giant set of tongs. You want your ribs to be juicy and tender, and very flavorful, and that’s exactly what you get. Here is the shocker!!! You can order their ribs to be delivered to your doorstep anywhere in America with a jar of their famous sauce and a loaf of Sunbeam bread just like they serve in the restaurant! I admit, I was hesitant when I received this Dreamland box for Christmas, fearing that thawing the ribs and grilling them on my patio wouldn’t quite measure up to the magic of dining at Dreamland in person. But the outcome was perfection!!! Just as good as being there!!!
But here’s a secret… they have the best fried okra I have ever tasted in my life (except for my wife’s and my mother-in-law’s)! Oh my goodness!!! You are really cheating yourself if you don’t order a large basket of this fried Southern delight with this incredible sauce drizzled on top. If you’ve never had fried okra (I lived 40 years and somehow never tried it until my wife came along), then try it here and you won’t be disappointed!

Wow, I don’t like to give negative reviews, but I have to agree with Dave G., these ribs are NOT good! I’m also from out of town (North Carolina) and another in my group is from St. Louis, and another from Philly, and we were not at all impressed. Yes the Ribs are big and meaty, but so dry and chewy! They seem to have been cooked fast and under high heat. While I didn’t care for the Tangy, vinegar-​y sauce, my coworkers thought it was acceptable, however we all agreed it would have tasted much better if the ribs were moist, juicy, and fall off the bone, which is what we all expected to get from such a highly rated Birmingham establishment.
The Ambiance was nice, Cleanliness was good, and Service was very friendly and prompt. Beers were refreshing, but having no options for wines or Bourbons was disappointing. Also, there is no Brisket on the menu! That’s just puzzling. And why not offer a selection of sauces, instead of being stuck with that one and only super tangy sauce?
We also ordered the Chips and Onion Dip… I think we paid about $ 7 for them, and the Chips are from a Bag! And the Onion Dip seemed to be from a Jar. Nothing special. I expected at least house made chips and some creative and unique dip.
I did really enjoy the BBQ Daddy Nachos… but the goodness was all about the toppings, again I was biting into the bagged Wavy Chips underneath. I have to give props to the Fried Okra as well, they were good. Oh and the Banana Pudding is great! But those things don’t make a great BBQ Joint in my book.
All in all we had a nice time there and enjoyed some aspects, but we won’t be going back there again the next time we come to Birmingham, sorry!

Come hungry, very hungry! My personal favorites are the wings (both types are delicious) and of course the ribs. Okay, you gotta try the Mac & cheese and don’t you dare leave without ordering banana bread pudding.
Large group: order an appetizer like pickle chips or a smaller plate of wings to share for the table, choose a local beer like Avondale or snake handler, then for the main event order one or two slabs of ribs (1slab=2−3 people) or pulled pork sandwiches. They accommodate banana bread pudding by providing 4 sizes (separate spoons and cups).
Small group or couple: the appetizers are delicious but be careful to not to get full too early, there are a couple different pulled pork sandwiches to choose from or you can try the Tips and Chips!
Cool idea: they bring whitebread w/​delicious kicking, tangy dipping sauce for free, but pace yourself or you’ll need Tums before leaving the restaurant:)
Before you leave, thank the pit crew below or grab a T-​shirt to rep a local legendary restaurant!

I’m not from the area, so I was looking for an intriguing place to try for dinner. After perusing thru numerous options, Dreamland seemed like a no brainer! Great local following, decades-​long reputation, big juicy ribs… how could you go wrong?!
Well, the ribs were certainly BIG, but that’s where the «good» ended. This just isn’t BBQ. The ribs were massively overcooked and dry. Clearly not slow-​cooked /​smoked at all. These bad boys had clearly just been thrown over some hot coals and cooked QUICKLY. No seasoning, no rub, no fall-​off-​the-​bone deliciousness, no … anything! Just some big meaty charred ribs tossed on a plate and slathered with sauce (the sauce was very good, in their defense), but the sauce could only do so much to mask what was really going on. Really really disappointed with the quality. No idea if this is some sort of underground local Alabama style of ribs that I’m not familiar with, but DEFINITELY not my style. If you like gnawing at tough rib meat to get it off the bone, more power to ya, but just know what you’re getting into before you venture in.

An Alabama staple for decades. The original location is in Tuscaloosa, but I’m glad we have one of our own right here in Birmingham. I really like this location. It is clean, friendly staff, and plenty of space. So you rarely have to wait.
I have tried a few various things at Dreamland. But vast majority of my trips are all about those ribs. They may not be the most tender I have had… but the flavor is amazing. Pair that with their incredible sauce and you will keep me coming back! The plain white bread it comes with is a perfect compliment to that sauce. Sometimes it is just the simple things.
They also have GREAT sweet tea. And although I am not a dessert person, their banana pudding is an exception. I am always willing to make that one of my sides. Always worth the trip!

Stopped in with the family while in Birmingham. Dreamland is one of those places that everyone should visit while in town right? A few of us had been there, but the rest had not.
Everyone loved the pulled pork sandwiches they got. This is what I’ll order next time. The Big Daddy BBQ sandwich was piled high with pork. This should be enough for even a hearty appetite!
I ordered the ½ rack of ribs and they were good. They were a little toothier than I expected, but I would not call them tough by any means. I know there are BBQ folks who prefer their ribs this way, but I prefer them falling apart. But, this is just a matter of personal preference so I wanted to let you know. They were still very tasty! I left nothing but bones! I love Dreamland’s sauce as well as the shake seasoning.
I ordered the house made BBQ chips, which came out as bare chips. I think someone missed a seasoning step. But, I was hungry and they were crispy and tasty as is.
My granddaughter got the chicken strips. They seemed to have been dumped out of the frozen food bag and fried. The breading was just OK.
Service was great. We would definitely visit again. I consider the prices to be very reasonable.

Five stars for Dreamland’s ribs. Big. Meaty. Tasty. What more do you need? I got a half rack to eat back at the hotel with a side of mac & cheese. My order only took a few minutes (it was a slow Sunday night) and they were still warm when I unpacked them from the pizza box and then tore off what was maybe three feet of aluminum foil. Oh, my. Still a good amount of sauce on there, I cleared the plate. Like nothing left but bare bones. And the sauce? I scooped it over to the mac & cheese.
Their sauce is tasty and maybe a little spicy. My lips were buzzing when I was done with this meal.
I’m not sure the point of the plain white bread that was served with the ribs. But the birds outside sure liked it!
Totally would return for the ribs which were excellent.

My husband and I ate there for lunch. It was awesome! We both had the ribs which were tasty! The baked beans were yummy too. Unless you like super sweet tea, I would have them give you ½ regular and ½ sweet. The service was great and the food came out fast. It’s lent so no banana pudding so I have to go back and try it.