I was in the mood for a BBQ potato, and after this one, I think Dreamland might be one of the best! There are plenty of other BBQ spots that have potatoes that are oversized and expensive, but I thought this was the perfect size - and only $11! I got the rib tips on my potato, and wow they're delish. Very unique to Dreamland! The service was incredibly fast. We could barely believe how quickly we had our food! Definitely the ideal neighborhood joint for a laidback Saturday night. read more

Dreamland BBQ - BBQ Baker - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Great Veggies! With the closing of Lloyds restaurant, we are always looking for a meat and three. We are vegatarians. Dreamland has some great veggies! Folks don't normally associate them with veggies. Service is great! We will be back. read more

Stopped by the Birmingham location and overall, the food didn't disappoint. The ribs were delicious and definitely a step up from the Mobile location, though as any local knows, nothing quite touches the original in Tuscaloosa. The beer was ice cold, which was perfect. The only downside was the service. Our server seemed pretty unhappy to be there and was a bit discombobulated throughout the meal. The experience felt rushed at the end because she wanted us to tab out since her shift was ending. Also, while the ribs beat out Mobile, I found the pulled pork there to be a bit better than what we had here. Still a solid spot for a BBQ fix, but the service could use a friendlier touch. This location is cleaner and has better atmosphere. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

What a great old school bbq joint. The service was just as great as can be. Such nice people. The sweet tea was the best I've had. Food was excellent. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Dry half rack of ribs, Mac & beans with a Stella - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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The service was awesome, the BBQ was absolutely delicious. If you like mustard potato salad you must theirs. Awesome food.

This location definitely looks and feels more like a bar environment than a restaurant. They do have several things to choose from off the menu in addition to what a bar with family offer. But the environment feels more leaning toward a bar. I noticed the menu felt pretty dirty and you can see smudges of food on them. My son really enjoyed his Food for the most part. He said the meat was a little bit tough but he absolutely enjoyed the fried green tomato appetizer. They were good and fresh and came out hot. I ordered the nachos and unfortunately it came with stale chips and not a whole lot of meat on top. The server, Asia, never came back to check on how we were doing so I never got a chance to tell her my meal wasn't good. When she did finally come when we were ready for the check and I informed her about the stale chips. She asked if I wanted some fresh chips, but made no other recommendations. I was done with it at that point. I don't know that I'll go back to this location and I certainly wouldn't order the nachos again. read more

Searched for a spot with reasonably priced ribs. I totally prefer buying by the slab than pound. By the pound is unpredictable on number of ribs. You know what's in a slab. The ribs tastes here are always consistently good. I always get good service. I like my ribs as hot as possible so I order in shop. The wait is not long. The place is your rustic laid back diner and hometown environment. I do recommend this place. read more

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I had a hankering for some RIBS after a long day. There was a pretty steady crowd when I arrived late Sunday afternoon. I found a booth and got comfortable. Service was kind of slow or maybe I was just really hungry! Once my server arrived, I ordered sweet tea(with lemon) to drink and also ordered my food shortly after. My rib plate with fried okra and coleslaw was very satisfying! I ate every bite. I wasn't expecting the okra to have any kind of sauce on it but it wasn't bad. I'm pretty sure it was just Alabama white sauce. I also ordered a small banana pudding to go . It was good. Just wish it had more bananas though out. Overall, this was a nice visit to Dreamland bbq. read more

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Yelp! We trying you ahead of the 4th. We are a party of 3 and a possible. We are greeted upon entry and Shabrina's service is epic. Thanks girl! On to this food, or should I say, the problem. We ordered the rib tips with okra and nana pudding. Pick 2, sausage and chicken fingers with slaw and baked with a basket of fries to share. Ridiculous. 2 chicken fingers appears like one, split in half. Sausage is good. Sides are mediocre okra, baked beans and fries. The coleslaw is good. Now, these rib tops came out cold? Why? They are just meat chips, they should be warm. I know some turning in the grave. Y'all already know, 2 recent bad experiences. It's gonna be a minute for me. read more

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Great service, it's been years since I've been inside Dreamland but was glad to drop in while in town for a weekend trip. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Rib Plate (t) - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I've been going for years, but yesterdays visit was sub-par. Ribs were dried out, and the bathroom was the totally GROSS! Not sure what's goin on over there! read more

We were craving for some good ribs and we really enjoyed our experience! I love the vibe of the restaurant; love the decor, love the customer service. They were very welcoming, friendly and patient with our questions. Got the rack of ribs with a side of beans and fried squash. I can't complain! really good ribs! I would recommend this place! read more

Dreamland BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Not sure if I'm just spoiled and Texas BBQ has ruined bbq for me and now have high expectations or this place had an off day. Our server was sweet as could be, especially our demanding party of 7. No qualms there, exceptional service. The issue is that both the wife and I felt that the food was on the dryer side. Had the wings and they seemed overfried. She had the bbq sandwich and the meat that came with it was not soft and was rather dry. This was seemlngly trying to get hidden by the amount of sauce on it. The fried green tomato was pretty hard but the sauce on it was good. The mac and cheese was the dryest and saddest I've ever had. Maybe loads of bbq sauce is a thing in AL. Maybe the kitchen had a bad day. Maybe if we're ever in the area again we'll return for another go. read more

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We dropped by Dreamland with some friends after church on Sunday. The place was about 3/4 full and we immediately found a table that would fit our party of six. We got our teas, bread and sauce and started on that sauce. It's one of our favorites. Let that bread soak it up and hmmm. We started with a slab and a quart of Potato salad. Others in our party had the smoked sausage and baked potatoes. Ribs were awesome. IMO I think the ribs at Dreamland are better earlier during the day than later or at night. That's for all locations. I think they do not dry out as much. Our service was great. We finished off with that addictive banana pudding. Don't forget your AAA discount. read more

TLDR: Just spend the time to go somewhere else not worth your money or time. +free bug protein. I have been seeing comments about how great this spot is, being a huge bbq fan it was a must try. I ordered the Rib plate with baked beans and slaw. I was recommended by the waiter that they were famous for their ribs. I'll tell you what they might have been the absolute worse ribs i've ever had in my entire life, dry, tough, and little meat. The slaw was average and the beans were alright at best. They cherry on top for me are all the gnats I found in my food, really added a nice touch. read more

Excellent food, great service. Just as you'd expect Alabama bbq to be! The southwest quesadilla is excellent!

Still good enough to go out of your way to get these ribs! Our daughter insists we bring some Banana Pudding back with us also!

I've had some good BBQ before and I was expecting a lot coming to the Southern part of America. Service was okay. I don't think our particular server was skilled but she addressed all issues and was nice. Food was...almost at risk at falling from the precipice of mediocrity. It might be a bad day and bad time for us when we visited but I expect meats in general to be tender and flavorful. This even applies more so for BBQ meats. Flavor if present was only but a lingering one dimensional resemblance of real smoked meats before devolving into dry tasteless meat. I will say the boneless rib tips were somewhat a pleasant surprise in contrast to the other offerings. But if you're looking for something standout and special it is not it. It is entirely serviceable. Sausage was also actually good but I am unsure if it is made in-house or bought. The huge disappointment was the pulled-pork. It was bland and dry as the Sahara desert. Even the humidity in the air couldn't help salvage this. My friend's parents said that they should just simplify their menu to fries - a testament to their cooking ability. Food tasted: Cobb Salad, Ribs, Boneless Rib Tips, Pulled Pork, Chicken, Sausage, Mac N Cheese, Coleslaw. Overall, an okay place to come if you have to eat something nearby but you're likely better off venturing to some McDonalds or other fast food in my opinion. read more

Wow... I'm in Bama for 19 hours and wanted some bbq and boy did I pick the right spot!! Ribs... phenomenal! Mac and cheese, baked beans... the fried okra... all perfect. The sausage was next level! To top it off... one of the best banana puddings I've ever had. If Charles offers you banana pudding... you say yes... just come here... read more

Dreamland BBQ - Amazing food - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The service was amazing, the potato salad was yummy, and the salad was fresh, but everything else was a zero! The meat was so hard and tough it was mostly inedible, which is a shame because it was seasoned well and had a nice smoke to it, but it was just so hard and tough! The beans were a tad too sweet, which isn't a big deal, and we had mixed emotions about the bbq sauce. The sauce they bring with the half loaf of bread is vinegar based, which I didn't like, but again, preference, the sauce on the rib tips was really good. The mac n cheese was the worst I've ever had anywhere! I couldn't even take it home, and Dr. It up, the noodles were awful and the cheese sauce was flavorless, kraft is better! This was some of the worst BBQ I've had in Alabama and that's sad because it was a staple from what I've been told, but the new owners seem not to care about the quality of the meat, ribs should be tender this was like eating shoe leather. I gave a star for the stellar service and a star for the potato salad and fresh veggies, but I wouldn't recommend this spot to anyone. read more

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When I think of popular BBQ places, I really struggle with understanding how they continue to cook great BBQ and mass produce it. BBQ is such an art and hard to duplicate. However, this restaurant was highly recommended and I ran with it. Honestly, at first, I didn't like it. The rib tips that I ordered weren't the "rib tips" that I am used to. They were like rib shavings with fries and okra. I didn't eat them, I ordered ribs and took the tips home with me. Here is my assessment: The ribs were really good, especially on the second day I didn't give the rib tips a chance, and I should have. I tasted them when I got home and was pleasantly surprised The okra was BANGIN! I love fried okra, and Dreamland didn't disappoint The BBQ sauce they give you on the side is DEE-LISH! Last but not least, the pricing was more than reasonable! Highly recommend. I would go back! read more

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Perfect place to hit on the way back to TN from the beach. Located on the campus of UAB it has a relaxed sports vibe feel. Everything was super yummy but the sauce is what sets them apart from other bbq places. It was so delicious we bought a jar to take home. The fried okra was crispy on the outside and not soggy at all, plus it comes with a very tasty dip. The fries are seasoned nicely and great to dip in the sauce. My son loves the Mac and cheese and says it's the best he's ever had. We ordered the ribs and I will say even though the flavor was exceptional they were tougher than I expected. Next time I will try the pulled pork. The meal was complete with a yummy banana pudding. This will be our place to stop on the way home from the beach tradition for sure! read more

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Sub par all around. Went around 12:45 and the ribs were way over cooked and dry. The bread was stale. The Server refilled my tea once and I never saw her again after I asked for some extra sauce to help with the dry ribs. I had planned on getting a to go order as well, but decided against it after eating lunch. I've given this location many tries as I am a huge fan of their barbecue sauce, but this seems to be the unusual case. I hate it as I used to love this place. read more

The food was bussin and good service was fast but was rushing a little bit and it was pretty quiet the tv was playing decent channels and menu was already with me at the sign read more

Dreamland BBQ - The menu - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I drove 30min to buy a half of slab and drove back to work looking in the box to find out I don't have any barbecue sauce at all. So the I called and talked to the manger(Charles) and I told him and only thing he told me was sorry . So therefore I wasted my money on nothing read more

Dreamland BBQ - Dry ribs with no sauce - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The ribs were tender, sauce mild, sides ordinary. Overall fine but not memorable, a fair three-star meal. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Everything was wonderful. It's good food and I love this place. Customer service is stellar. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Ribs, sausage, baked beans and fries - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Dreamland is always a 10/10 for us. We took a friend who was visiting from out of town and we knew she had to try it. We had a slab of ribs, the chips and tips, French fries, fried okra, Mac & cheese, smoked sausage and finished with some banana pudding. Perfect for our party of 6 and had some leftovers. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Of the two "well known" local BBQ places, I would say I felt this restaurant was amazing by comparison (and in its own right). I had just won the bronze medal in bowling (Transplant Games of America), and we needed both food, and to celebrate. This place fit the bill. I ordered the chicken and pork plate with beans and mac and cheese, and a cup of brunswick stew to begin. First off, the stew had a lot of flavor, and stayed hot throughout the meal.....quite impressive (delicious and hot). While I thought the pulled pork had a "too soft" texture, the chicken was amazing, and I loved the beans. My whole party think this was the best rendition of mac and cheese we had had so far in Alabama. Though I detest it (for personal reasons(, my sister adored their banana pudding (I think her third serving of the trip so far). The customer service was amazing. Our server was very personable, and our drinks were always refilled. She engaged us in fun conversation, and congratulated me on my bronze medal. Overall, an amazing experience. Unfortunately, I must now quickly digest all of this delicious food, as the gold medal basketball game is scheduled for two hours from now. Well worth it, and I recommend you visit for some good 'Bama style BBQ read more

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Coming from TN to New Orleans, came in with a prompt order. Had ribs and sausage, can't mess up sausage 5.5/10: it's was edible though had no flavor other than a little heat, but not worth $16 for two hotdog size pieces. Ribs were dry and very fatty, half rack was $17 2/10. A final note both dishes were barely warm. I may be wrong but kinda tasted like they were cooked the day before and re heated. Complete conjecture though. Would not recommend but that is my preference. Thank you for reading. read more

Ok so it's been a long time since I've tried Dreamland BBQ and I must say, these ribs have never ever seen charcoal not wood because they taste like they were cooked in an oven. There's no smoke ring or Smokey flavor to indicate that they have. I would suggest that you stop calling yourself a bbq restaurant and just say you sale grilled inspired food, and let's not talk about your sauce it's hideous no smoke anywhere in your food, sauce. Stay away from this spot at until they figure out their identity....: this sucks and I'm disappointed read more

Dreamland BBQ - This is not Smokey bbq - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Our server was extremely kind and was honestly the best part of the experience. She was speedy and attentive and downright friendly. the tips and chips were good, there were some dry parts but that's what you get with rib tips, there was plenty balanced out with actual rib meat. The chips could've been salted and fresher. The flavoring on the sauce was sweet. read more

Dreamland BBQ - Tips and chips, rib plate - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Visited here a couple of years ago For others from out of town looking for somewhere Birminghammy, my Uber driver has resided in Birmingham for 30 years and told me that this was the best BBQ in the city. I was also told that on July 4th you'll have to wait four hours to get takeout. A friend I met there told me this place is at least top two, with SAW's Soul Kitchen being the other spot. That being said, my experience here was fine, it's a cute place, but the BBQ wasn't all that. I had the "Tips and Chips," and was offered a side of complimentary white bread (to make a sandwich with) and a different kind of BBQ sauce than the rib tips were cooked in. Maybe it was an off day but the tips were dry and a little tough. They definitely needed the sauce that it came with, and then some. The chips looked/tasted homemade, which is always a plus. Food-wise I'd say 3/5, but considering I've only been there once and it's supposedly one of the top two BBQ places to visit if you're in town (which is what us travelers often look for), I'll bump it up to a 4/5. read more

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I thought this place was decent. It wasn't my favorite but could see the tradition and appeal for locals. read more

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very clean and great service! food was amazing and fresh. Hidden gem off 280 and Valleydale.

As someone who flew in from California hoping to experience down south soul food cooking. Dreamland BBQ is not it. The bbq ribs do not taste smoked. it taste more like boiled with sauce on top. The mac & cheese were a slight step above KFC mac & cheese and the rib tips are not rib tips. It's shredded pork with the name boneless "rib tip" attached. The only thing that we enjoyed was the waitress positive attitude. But if you want down home Alabama bbq...go somewhere else. read more

Dreamland BBQ - The worst ribs I've ever tasted - Barbeque Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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My dad absolutely loves Dreamland, so when my little cousins came to town we had to take them. They loved it. I am a big white BBQ sauce fan, but as long as it's sauce, I'm in lol. The ribs were nice and tender and I actually liked the potato salad. Our server made sure our drinks stayed refilled which was nice. The little ones enjoyed it and want to keep going back read more

Food was not good. Ribs super tough. We didn't care for the bbq sauce. My stuffed potato was just ok but was old and burnt from sitting a long time and the pulled pork was nothing to write home about. Disappointed since everyone says it's a staple of Alabama. read more

The most southern place you'll eat at next to full moon. Delicious ribs, cool looking restaurant, and food came relatively quick. Recommend the dream pudding or whatever they call it. Bbq sauce isn't my favorite. Definitely recommend. read more

First, I would like to say this is the second time I've tried this pork loaded potato and both times I am very disappointed with the pork on my potato. Too much fat both times and this time the pork was off white and was very nasty. It was 3:19p.m on Dec 8,2025. I expected to wait but to receive this mess is extremely disappointing. I won't recommend the pork to my colleagues at all. read more