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[Bar-B-Lew]

While in Muscle Shoals, AL visiting historic recording studios and other sites, I finished my list of things I wanted to do earlier than planned so I drove an hour east to Decatur to go to Big Bob Gibson's.  I had turkey, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, mac n cheese, and green beans.  All were average to above average.  I would go back again if I was ever in the area.  I doubt I will be which is why I did the two hour round trip since I was that close.  Huge portion for $20ish.  I ate half and took the other half back to the hotel for dinner.

On my way to the MS Gulf Coast from Muscle Shoals today, I stopped at The Shed, another one of those TV show now celebrity BBQ places.  Disappointed and overrated in my opinion.  I don't know how they win those big competitions based on what I ate.  I had ribs, sausage, mac n cheese, and corn on the cob.  All below average in my opinion.  The corn on the cob was the frozen kind you heat in hot water.  Kraft mac n cheese is probably better.  Sausage looked like Hillshire Farms.  All of the meat fell off of the ribs on the first bite regardless of where on the bone you bit.  The BBQ sauce had so much brown sugar in it you could feel the grit in your mouth when you chewed.  I ordered the jumbo version and it was about a quarter of the food I got at Bob Gibson's.  Rip off for $20.

[Kristin Meredith]

I don't think the folks from The Shed were ever on the KCBS bbq circuit or competed in any of the big events -- the Royal, Memphis in May, the Jack, etc.  They were on food tv and did "competitions" on food tv against other food TV folks. Bib Bob Gibson does compete on the KCBS circuit and at all the major events and often does well.

Good to hear your thoughts on these places Lew.

[CaptJerry]

Kristen, the Shed has won events numerous times at Memphis in May.
If I remember correctly as recently as last year.

Bar B Lew is exactly correct though on the Shed.
I've ate there twice because I occasionally camp at that campground their restaurant sits on.
The second time I ate there was I thought maybe the first time was an off night.
Bar B Lew is to kind. I thought the place sucked.

I've never tried BBG's but intend to in the coming months.
I want to go to camp at the space museum at Huntsville and run over to Decatur.

[triplebq]

Here is a list of their awards from their site: http://theshedbbq.com/awards/

[David]

I ate at the Shed one time about 10 years ago I thought it was below average.

[Kristin Meredith]

Thanks, I see that they have primarily been Memphis in May with just a couple of KCBS -- doesn't surprise me since I have always thought that Memphis in May was more about the "show" a team puts on and the personality of its head cook -- i.e., it is not true blind judging.  KCBS is true blind judging and it is always a chuckle for me how teams which do well at MIM can sink into oblivion at a KCBS contest.

[Canadian John]

 Thanks Lew. It appears you aren't alone in your call on The Shed..This may save me some disappointment should I venture there.

[reubenray]

I remember reading a while back about a family disagreement or something that could have led to the Shed's downfall. 

[Clonesmoker]

Reminds me of Smoky D's on the north side of Des Moines .  They have won a ton of competitions, but by far some of the worst brisket, I have ever had. It was bordering on jerky. Their ribs on the other hand were great.

[glitchy]

Reminds me of Smoky D's on the north side of Des Moines .  They have won a ton of competitions, but by far some of the worst brisket, I have ever had. It was bordering on jerky. Their ribs on the other hand were great.

Have you experienced this multiple times? I've only eaten there like 3 times, but have always had good food and I recall actually thinking the brisket was pretty decent. I'm not sure how much of it Darren and Sherry cook themselves either. Maybe a bad piece of meat or a cook that was having a bad day.

In general, I greatly admire anyone that can run a good restaurant or small restaurant chain and do it well pushing out consistent food. I been served food several times over the years that never should have left the kitchen and was obviously screwed up to the point where when I showed my server and they ran back to the kitchen and told off the cooks. Things like a chicken breast or burger being charred beyond recognition on one side, so they make sure they cover that side with cheese or put it facing down on the plate. You know the owner isn't cooking that way. I'd bet the people putting in on the plate would never eat it themselves, but feel OK serving it? Are they afraid of getting in trouble for messing something up? In this Yelp and social media world, you can't afford too many bad meals to hit someones table. They probably cost 100 times in lost potential revenue over what throwing that messed up item in the trash would.

The people that are successful either work their tails of or the treat there help really really well or both.

[Gringo]

Reminds me of Smoky D's on the north side of Des Moines .  They have won a ton of competitions, but by far some of the worst brisket, I have ever had. It was bordering on jerky. Their ribs on the other hand were great.

I agree on Smokey D's.  I travel to Des Moines frequently for my job.  A colleague from Des Moines took me to Smokey D's for dinner one night a couple of years ago.  He had told me that it wasn't the best BBQ, but it was decent.  That night,  we both thought the food was dry and flavorless.  I have not been back,  and I don't believe he has either.

[glitchy]

Just curious, for those of you that have or still compete, how similar are the recipes these award winning pitmasters use (or more likely train their cooks to use) in their restaurants vs what they use in competition? I don't compete, so I've never really seen more than pictures and since I've started smoking my own, I only eat BBQ out when I'm with a group that really wants it, or I'm in a different part of the country where I think the style might be a little different to give me a new idea or inspiration.

I've heard interviews with Darren Warth and several other competitors on BBQ Central, and their always talking about having to use Waygu brisket, trimming and tucking chicken thighs, etc. I know I've never eaten Waygu brisket anywhere and usually get dry rub finished chicken or ribs with the sauce on the side...not glazed.

[Bentley]

I am not sure you would ever know! 

Every once in awhile, you would hear a comment from a team or 2 that they would never cook this kind of BBQ at home, it was completely different, on, maybe 2 bites.  I never looked at it that way, I had one way to cook BBQ...but that is why we probably were hit and miss over that 15 year period of regular competitions.

I was never afraid to share how I cooked, because I learn the ole fashion way, I stole all the knowledge I had!

[Ralphie]

Even though I'm from North Carolina, I'd guess I've eaten at The Shed between 15-20 times.  The first few times I tried most, if not all, of the meats.  I had a good experience with ribs and honestly don't remember what I thought about the pulled pork and other meats. 

But I'd bet that for the last 10 or more times eating there I strictly ate the smoked BBQ wings.  They were heavenly.

Back story:

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina smashed the Gulf Coast.  While almost all of the news coverage was understandably focused on New Orleans,  comparatively little attention was given to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  However, it was the MS coast that took the storm's bullseye.  Whole towns were wiped clean off the map.  Waveland, MS was horrifying to see.  I was only allowed through there with a National Guard escort.  I walked through a site where Walmart was located.  But the only trace of it's existence was clothing scattered in nearby trees.  The building was gone...even the parking lot pavement was completely gone!  I saw an enormous garbage barge beached 1/2 mile inland in the middle of a forest and a 20 foot sailboat on the roof of an Exxon station.

Some towns fared better than others.  Even though they took it on the chin, Ocean Springs, MS was one of those towns (home of The Shed).  Ocean Springs took on a huge storm surge and whole neighborhoods were displaced.  And The Shed was under water!

In town for the blue roof operation of covering houses with damaged roofs for FEMA, a couple hundred of us set up camp in a field in Ocean Springs because the roads were still in decent shape.  After a week of eating only the provisions we brought and showering at the YMCA with 200 strangers, the local Dominoes Pizza was the first restaurant to re-open.  Then after a week of eating cheese pizza for breakfast lunch and dinner, we heard about The Shed, which at that time was only a few years old and still pretty small. 

Walking into that joint was like striking gold.  They were on top of their game and the food was great.  I ate a plate of BBQ smoked wings and a salad on at least 10 occasions. 
This was before they ever made it onto TV shows or had their product placement in stores.  These guys were just busting their tails to literally get their restaurant out from under water and were feeding the locals and aid responders at prices where they had to be taking a loss.  All before they achieved fame or fortune.   

But, I guess things change and they are a growing brand with national retail product placement and television shows.  I haven't been back to Mississippi since the Fall of 2005 but hopefully, they find their way again with the food quality in the restaurant.  But I will always be fond of them. 

[yorkdude]

Wow, stories like that you rarely hear. What a guy for working to help rebuild/restore the communities in a situation like that.