Marie’s BBQ House

Just west of the Georgia state line and a short hop off I-20, Marie’s BBQ House is a paradigmatic taste of Deep South barbecue, Alabama style. Pork is the featured attraction (chicken, beef, ribs, and smoked sausage also are available), arriving hacked to smithereens, lightly moistened by sweet-tart red sauce. The variety of textures and intense smoky taste make every forkful a taste-buds delight.

Pork plates come with two side dishes from a list that is over a dozen items long. I love the tart, luscious fried green tomatoes, the sweet corn nuggets, sweet potato fries; and a “Fried Pickle Fry.” Brunswick stew is a must. As is typical of northern Alabama, it has the consistency of soup and is light on vegetables but loaded with shreds of meat. Its sweet-savory nature is smoke-cooked pork’s ideal plate mate.

Some day I need to sample Marie’s lemon icebox pie, coconut pie, and banana pudding. I haven’t yet, because when it comes to dessert, I must have at least one piece of Marie’s peanut butter cake. There’s nothing outlandish about it: just creamy yellow cake topped with a thick glaze of sweet peanut butter frosting.

Marie’s probably is not the place to visit when one is on a low calorie diet, but there is a short category on the menu titled “Lite Side.” Among the Lite Side dishes is a baked potato stuffed with butter, cheese, sour cream, and a barbecued meat of your choice.