Rusty’s Bar-B-Q, Leeds, Alabama

I’ve written about Rusty’s a couple of times before, see here, for example. as had my good friend Darryl Morin. Rusty’s has been touted in Food and Wine, voted the best family-run barbecue place, and serving the best barbecue sandwich in Alabama. If that weren’t enough, their pies and cornbread also are highly rated, which is not surprising since Rusty himself graduated from Johnson and Wales’ culinary program. Rusty’s definitely is one of my favorite barbecue places anywhere.

I went most recently with Nancy and my younger brother, David, after we’d toured the breathtaking (I mean that) Barber Motorsports Museum, just down the road, past the Buc-ee’s and a Bass Pro Shop.

Nancy ordered a salad with smoked turkey with, of course, the dressing on the side.

David ordered a pork sandwich (don’t worry, you’ll see some pork presently) with slaw and French fries.

Gaze upon those fries for a minute. Don’t they look good, with a nice crust and fluffy interior? I looked at them fairly intensely as I sat across from David, wondering if he’d offer me one.

I didn’t press the matter, because my plate was just about perfect. Pork barbecue, turnip greens and black eyed peas, with two gorgeous pieces of cornbread.

If only you could smell that pork. Rusty’s trims pork butts before cooking, picks the meat by hand, and roughly chops it. The pork comes with no sauce, and the pork is so rich and luscious that it doesn’t really need sauce. In spite of that, there is a choice of sauces on the table. The standard sauce is a thoughtfully seasoned thin vinegar and tomato sauce. Rusty’s is one of the best sauces around that contains tomato. There also is a spicy version with more heat, a sweet version that has never touched my lips, and a white sauce (mayonnaise, vinegar, and pepper) for the poultry that’s actually not bad at all on the pork.

The sides were delicious. I loved the nutty flavor of the black eyed peas, and Rusty’s cooks the greens with Conecuh Sausage, the best smoked sausage on earth. Delicious, especially with a dash of pepper vinegar. The corn bread is sensational. Alabama is a great state for cornbread, possibly the best. There’s a widespread understanding of the need to avoid sugar and to include bacon grease and use cast iron. Rusty’s cornbread, blessed with a touch of jalapeño, is truly sensational.

Earlier, as we first were walking toward our booth, a corner of my eye just happened to catch a lovely set of desserts. I mentioned that Rusty’s is known for their pies. People swoon over their peanut butter pie, something I’ve never tried there or elsewhere, but I decided to give their coconut pie a try. As I’ve often mentioned, I long for the coconut pie at Ollie’s of Blessed Memory, home of the best barbecue ever and the Platonic Ideal of coconut pie. All that remains of Ollies besides a deep longing is their barbecue sauce, which is the best barbecue sauce in the world. Meanwhile, my lonely search for coconut pie to match Ollie’s continues.

And why not try their “nana pudding” as well?

The pudding had a very appealing flavor, but it had been so thoroughly whipped that it lost that pudding texture that I love so much. The pie, however, came as close to Ollie’s as I’ve tasted in years. It had an excellent texture and lots of coconut, a fine crust, and meringue that was a marvel of texture and flavor, my favorite meringue in memory. This was right up there with the coconut pie at Calypso in Pomano Beach, where they even have coconut in the crust. Nice.

That pie is the work of Rusty’s wife Beth, who oversees the desserts. After we left I discovered that she uses croissants rather than bread to make their bread pudding. I’m all over that on my next trip.

What did I forget? Oh, yes. Nancy, a demanding judge, praised the turkey, and David was well pleased with his sandwich, which tasted freshly picked and chopped. The slaw was very good, vinegar-based but with a sweet note. The fries of course, were excellent.

As many times as I’ve been to Rusty’s, it has never been less than great. Their ribs are among the best. I’ve never tried their brisket, which Rusty added at the request of one of the Formula 1 drivers. After a member of one of the motorcycle clubs that are regulars at Rusty’s (they race at the Barber track) kept ordering just a plain baked potato, Rusty added jackfruit to the menu out of pure kindness. After graduating, Rusty worked in fine dining restaurants, but switched to barbecue because he wanted to serve comfort food that makes people happy.

And that he does, about as well as anyone. Do not miss a meal or three at Rusty’s.

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