McMillan Barbecue

Found this family bbq restaurant while passing through. Quickly pulled over and had to try some southern bbq. Place is small, it’s a family business. Very friendly staff. Exceptional quality ans service. The portions are huge. I ordered the number 1 combo: consisting of half rack of ribs and ½ bbq chicken. My order came out I could not belive it was two take out containers. ½ rack of ribs was enough to feed 3 hungry people. The meat was so tender and delicious it basically fell of the bone. I’d stop by again when passing through. remember it’s a family business and the food was fantastic. Definitely no some fancy chain restaurant with fancy décor and mediocre food. I do like they had a old style jukebox.. That was still operating. One blogger wrote it was a bad part of town., I don’t think it was bad as they seemed. Overall it was a fantastic home cooked bbq experience.

For openers, if you believe the best barbecue is usually found in the worst part of town, in a place with bars on the windows and just enough grease on the table to write your initials — then this is it.
This is the way it’s supposed to be: a barbecue joint nestled in a hole-​in-​the-​wall in an area you’d normally prefer not to be at night (and where there’s never a problem)… think Daddy Z’s in Atlanta, Jim Neely’s Interstate and the Cozy Corner in Memphis, the legendary Mrs Gates Atomic Barbecue in East St. Louis, Fincher’s in Macon. and McMillans five minutes off the highway in Whistler, Alabama.
R.C. McMillan «opened» this concrete block joint back in 1973 and for highway travelers who knew barbecue, this was a must stop. Sadly, Mr. Mac passed away a few months back and while it’s still good barbvecue, it’s no longer great.
The pittmaster is the lanky James Sampson who likely has forgotten more than most will ever know about barbecuing; but equally as sadly, his ‘cue has lost a step — if barbecue can lose a step, but then you know what I mean.
For a guy who has spent aa lifetime in pursuit of the perfect barbecue (read 70+ other barbecue reviews from across the country), I’d say the ribs are from good to very good; the chicken is good and I have no idea at all what they call their barbecue beef is. I do know it’s not brisket in any shape or form and looks like it came out of a can before being drowned in Mr Mac’s secret recipe sauce — which is pretty good as sauces go, but not good enough to make bad ‘cue good.
What I also don’t understand is why, in the heart of the deep South, McMillans doesn’ serve pulled pork, much less Brunswick Stew.
My choice, the rib dinner (the five bone, St. Louis cut) comes in a styrofoam tray with your choice of sides for all of $ 13.340, tax included; the chicken, same deal including two slices of white bread (the perfect accompaniment of real barbecue) for $ 11.65. Their only other dinner deal is beef on a bun — forget the price and skip it.
McMillans offers your choice of two sides with each dinner, but you only have three to chose from: baked beans (nothing special, give them a miss), collard greens (likely as good as you’ll find) and potato salad (probably the best on the South).
All their desserts (and they have five) are homemade and those who have tried them (the guys at the next table) said they’re great.
The service is tops from the time you make your way through the door when Dorothy and Tonya (she’s the shorter of the two with the slightly bigger smile) go out of their way to put you at ease and to make sure they please.
This 41 year old barbecue joint didn’t (and you’ll find this hard to believe) serve tea — and now they do: sweet tea. None of that regular, just sweet. There was a time they didn’t take credit cards — and now they do. Now they don’t serve pulled pork (James says it takes too long to cook) Brunswik Stew — and it’s time they do.
Three Stars from the Brown Shoe Gourmet. Why? Because this is the sort of place people should go to enjoy ‘cue… a hole in the wall joint in a bad neighborhood in a place with bars on the windows and good ribs at a bargain price, but they can do better.

Was craving BBQ on my drive from New Orleans home to Atlanta and found this place on Unilocal.Am I ever glad that I did! The potato salad alone is worth the 5 hour drive from Atlanta. Everything is good! The sauce was sweet, thick and had a kick. The perfect complement to both beef and pork. On top of the great food and friendly staff it’s CHEAP!

Wow… Mobile, AL — If your looking for great barbecue, listen up! This is the BEST (day-​time /​pick-​up) barbecue anywhere around town. Trust me when I say I know good barbecue. I just really can’t say enough good things about this place. The couple that run the place rock! Service, service, service… Oh, the southern hospitality! You will want to call in any large orders in advance because it is in a bit of a sketchy neighborhood to be sitting around waiting to long. (93) on the posted Health score card… Great tasting food. Did I mention those greens, OMG! & very inexpensive to top it all off. Must go!