ken's hickory pit barbecue

simply great. live in fl now and go back every chance i get. modest familyplacethat makes you feel at home. never disappointed. they might run out of something from time to time, but they cook fresh, not for the masses. keep in mind that you might think it's strange to run out of something early in the day, but it's locally so popular and many get large to go orders. i love the pork (inside cut) and my husband always wants some of the outside cut, since he likes bits of the char that true bbq has. making me want to take a road trip just thinking about it. we have actually gone hours out of the way on road trips time being there at lunch. only think i craved when pregnant and we lived 15 hours away. haven't been in a while and dying to get back.

i went by and got a pork plate to go. the first time i have been by in three or four years. i heard rick sold theplaceand the quality went down. not so. it was better than ever. a new ingredient seems to have been added to the baked beans and they were better than ever. i will be back soon

lunch today at kens. tried the triple combo today. a little pork, a little bbq chicken beast, a little sausage, beans, fries and tater salad. it was all good. the pork melted in your mouth. rick wheeler was even there. he owned or worked at kens nearly 40 years. he sold theplacein 2010 and still eats there. that's got to be a good sign. i ordered the small plate and did not have room for dessert. the warm banana pudding is usually a must have. try it.

i had a lot of hope for thisplacesince it's very close to home and usually packed. however, the ribs i got were undercooked! i had to throw them out, parts seemed raw.

breakfast was nothing special.. i got two sausage patties with eggs, grits, biscuits, and gravy. the sausage was good and my eggs were cooked perfectly. it seems that many restaurants have a problem cooking over medium eggs correctly. the rest of the stuff seemed very run-of-the-mill. my wife ordered scrambled eggs with hash browns. the eggs came out but the hash browns were quite delayed in arrival so that she could not eat the two together. the biscuits did not seem handmade and the hash browns were almost certainly previously frozen, cooked without onions or peppers. there were quite bland. the grits tasted like instant grits. not bad, but nothing special. we saw many other people having pulled pork in various ways for breakfast and it looked delicious. i will have to try that next time. overall, not aplacei would come back to for breakfast, but i would come back to try their bbq.

little heaven on earth. this has been, and always will be, the best bbq in alabama. i remember eating breakfasts, lunch, and the take home plates when just sitting at home was best with a warm plate of ken's bbq!

i started eating there with my father back in 1971 or so and when i am back in birmingham, it is the firstplacei want to go!

there will never be enough "special" places like these in the usa. definitely a landmark for the area as well as in my heart mind & tummy :-)

great bbq and friendly quick service. ken's hickory pit barbecue
4817 pinson valley pkwy, birmingham, al 35215
http://goo.gl/maps/pdoyl

i was visiting my home town last weekend and had the opportunity to take my kids to lunch at one of the very best bbq dives around birmingham. its a smallplaceon hwy 79 near jeff state jr college called simply, ken's bbq. theplaceopened in the early 70s and ive been a customer on and off since then. i once worked down the street for several years and during those days, i stopped there for breakfast nearly every day!

the ownership has changed hands over the years but some of the same folks still work there. they've upgraded the decor and moved the pit into the back of the kitchen , but they kept all the recipes the same. essentially, everything i had for lunch was just like it was in the 70's. all i can say is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!" they've added some new things to the menu as well. my kids had a side of onion rings and they were fried to perfect crispiness!

amidst the hustle and bustle of the friday lunch crowd (and it was packed) i ran into an old school buddy, bill, who i think to be the kitchen manager. he stopped for a minute and i asked him about the pit and he explained that they moved it about 4 years ago and upgraded to a gas/wood smoker that will do a 100 butts at a time. it only burns two pieces of wood a day. talk about green, wow! additionally, he explained they have expanded and now opened a kens in oneonta and soon to be another in trussville on hwy 11.

we all had the pork plate, i got the small, with classic beans, slaw, fries and a piece of white bread. my kids got the regular plate but neither could finish theirs. the portion sizes are just enough for a good lunch. the pork was chopped and nicely smoked, the slaw is a tangy and slightly sweet and the beans are just like i remember them from years ago, just plain good!
the fries and onion rings were all made to order. i didn't sample the pies but they've always been known for their desserts as well.

they open early for breakfast and are known for ham and biscuits. don't order this unless you're really hungry! ive had this before and eaten until im stuffed and still carried a togo box out with enough for another days breakfast!

this is a goodplacewith a down home small town feeling. they have quick service and a friendly wait staff. the food is fantastic!

urban cowgill

my favorite bbq joint. i have been eating at thisplacefor 30+ years and have eaten a lot of bbq all over the country. this is my all-time favorite. they have the best spicy sauce that i have found to date. their bbq baked beans are awesome - again, the best i have ever tasted - spicy with bits of bbq meat in them. i think thisplacehas been in the same family for 30-40 years or more unless they have sold it recently. i live in the mobile area now, so i don't get there very much lately. can't wait to get in there again!