Moe’s Original Bar B Que is “a southern soul food revival” in Orange Beach, Alabama

It all began with three Bama boys, Mike Fernandez, Ben Gilbert, and Jeff Kennedy, who met and became instant friends at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Their mutual interests were BBQ, blues, college football, and whisky. In 1988, Mike learned the ways of the pitmaster from Moses Day, which to this day makes up Moe’s flavor of barbeque. The boys received their call to the mountains and landed in Vail, CO to refine their ‘queing skills. With fruit-wood smoked meat and two sauces, Vail became home to their first location pairing BBQ with southern-style sides and desserts. Now with 53 locations stretching from California to Virginia (and 5 more locations coming soon), Moe’s is spreading their love of BBQ one city at a time.

Dedicated crew at Orange Beach

Moe’s always had an eye on doing a BBQ beach shack. In 2006, they partnered with Mark “Pinto” White to test out the BBQ waters of Alabama and it became a success. This country kitchen gazes out into the Gulf of Mexico with 40 interior seats and 20 on the outside deck. It is truly an amazing experience eating barbeque on the beach! During the summer, the line can stretch around the building and into the parking lot. But, their consistency and dedicated employees keep guests coming back for more, no matter how long the wait.

Let’s take a look at some of the menu items I tried:

Basket o’ Pork Rinds ($4.50) are a southern delicacy tossed in Moe’s dry rub and served with white sauce. These tasty pork rinds are made to order and have a snap/crackle/pop noise to them when ready. You can hear it well after it is brought to your table. White sauce is a mayo based sauce seasoned with Moe’s dry rub and other ingredients (sometimes referred to as “white BBQ sauce”). It reminds me of a southern flavored ranch dressing, but thicker and more robust. It is great for dipping both pork rinds and French fries. As a purest, I just love the pork rinds on their own with their crispy porky flavor. Rating: 5/5

Platters are served with cornbread, 2 sides, and a drink. The combo platter is a great way to try a couple of meats at one sitting. I chose Southern Fried Catfish, Ribs, House-Fried Chips, and Banana Puddin’.

Southern Fried Catfish is Alabama farm-raised, fried catfish fillets served with a side of homemade tartar. The catfish had a crispy, blistered, golden-brown exterior with a tender succulent interior. This is now in my Top 3 best fried catfish I’ve ever had! The flavor is very clean and does not taste like the catfish you get at the local grocery store. I can’t wait to get a full order of these next time! Rating: 5/5

Ribs are smoked slow & low and served with BBQ sauce and pickles. They are very tender and fall-off-the-bone great. They also have a beautiful smoke rings and smoky flavor. The rub adds a nice peppery flavor. The BBQ sauce is light, not too sweet and not too bold/robust. The seasoning and sauce really allow the pork flavor to shine through. Rating: 5/5

House-Fried Chips were ultra-crispy, not super thin, and dusted with seasoned salt. Once you eat one, it is hard to stop. I suggest getting your own side because you won’t want to share! Rating: 5/5

Banana Puddin’ was very light and tastes homemade. You can see the banana seeds inside the pudding like you would see vanilla bean flecks in a premium vanilla ice cream. It is so southern and will make you happy, happy! Rating: 5/5

The Jalapeno Cornbread is just a tad sweet with a good jalapeño flavor. You get a slight kick but it’s not overly spicy so you can enjoy the jalapeño flavor. The texture is just right, not to moist and not too dry. Rating: 5/5

It was time to head back to the hotel to wind down. Day 4 of the World Food Championships continues with the Bacon World Championship!

Atmosphere: 5 out of 5 stars

Service: 5 out of 5 stars

Décor: 4 out of 5 stars

Food: 5 out of 5 stars

For more information:

Moe’s Original Bar B Que

25603 Perdido Beach Blvd

Orange Beach, AL 36561

+1.251.981.7427

Hours: Currently closed for renovations. Check website for status updates.

Seating: Interior and exterior

Reservations: None, first-come, first-serve