Was skeptical but pleasantly surprised. I got the brisket sliced (our waitress asked where we were from to help me decide - said Alabama bbq is way different than other states - loved the meat. Our waitress made the whole experience awesome. I didn't get her name but she was wearing a Michigan t-shirt and said some of her family lives in CA. She reminded me of one of my best friends. Anyway my husband just had a burger and fries and said they were delicious. If You are in Pell City definitely give this place a try. Will most likely be back tomorrow night. read more

Golden Rule BBQ - a plate of food and a drink - Barbeque Near Me - Pell City, Alabama

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Corn muffins win French fries win Undercooked chicken big loss/error Pulled pork sandwich miss dry and bad bun Ribs miss cling to bone, dry Texas toast miss dry Potato salad WITH bell peppers yuck Mac n cheese velvetta is better 3.5% credit card upcharge Nope! Skip this one. Ur welcome. Buc-ee's will drive them out of business shortly. read more

Not the Golden Rule I visited when I was younger, the bbq was cold fries greasy and soft baked beans weren't even warm. People are good not sure what happened. God bless read more

This place was ok. The staff were all very kind and helpful, but the food was mediocre and it took awhile for it to come

Ordered a hamburger, nothing I would get there again. I love hamburgers. And the onion rings were disappointing . My experience doesn't inspire me to go back read more

I had the Turkey BLT Sandwich. It was pretty dry and tasteless. The menu says hand sliced, but it was chopped meat. It kind of fell apart with each bite. I wouldn't recommend. My husband has the brisket sandwich and he liked it. Their fries are great. Service was great! We rarely have any wait time to be seated at this location. read more

I've actually been to this place several times over the past 10+ years while visiting a long-time client here in Pell City. Ten years ago there were very few options for food in this town. Today there are the same few options with the addition of possibly EVERY fast food restaurant out there. Unfortunately my recollection of Golden Rule 10 years ago is blurred by countless other southern BBQ joints, but my feeling was that it has changed a bit since then. It was the first place that I tried or even heard of Hoppin' John. Not only is it off the menu, but the young, friendly waitress had never heard of it. Food of a bygone era? It's just beans and rice. The BBQ, however, is pretty good. I went with the 2-meat plate: brisket and ribs, and 2 sides: collards and mac-n-cheese. A basket of some nice, warm corn muffins came out for the table shortly after our order. My lunch came out in due time, but much to my dismay, was drenched in sweet BBQ sauce. A personal preference, but I do like my sauce on the side, and it was my fault for not requesting this. It was in fact tasty, sweet sauce. Golden Rule, I've learned, is a small local chain in Alabama and Mississippi, with several locations and their own refined and bottled BBQ sauces. Available in gift packs just in time for the holidays, it was good, but not that good! The meat below the sauce was good. Not overly smokey, but tasty. The ribs were tender and falling off the bone. The brisket, firm but just tender enough, nice smoke ring, well-rendered, neatly sliced. The service was prompt, friendly, and as warm as the corn muffins. As the choices for non-fast food are limited in Pell City, this place is in the forefront. Convenient to I-20, it's worth a stop if you're hungry and in the area. read more

Golden Rule BBQ - The 2-meat plate, brisket and ribs (saucy!) with collards and mac-n-cheese. - Barbeque Near Me - Pell City, Alabama

Excellent service, which means and says a lot. Ribs - certainly not fall of the bone. On the dry, tough side. Nondescript barbecue sauce. Chicken - good but little smoke and a boring tomato bbq sauce. Requested white sauce and got something that reminded me of Durkees. Not the white sauce that I wanted nor expected. Collards - great. Fried green tomatoes- great. read more

Lunch today. Large pork sandwich. Outstanding. One of the best I've ever eaten in the South, and I've eaten a lot of que. and cooked a lot of que. The large bun was stuffed with meat and slathered with sauce. Excellent fries also. I've eaten here many times in the past and ate at the original in Irondale in the early fifties. I entered knowing I would get a mediocre sandwich. I am pleased to say it was really good. Kudos to the staff! You are back in the game. Really good que. Thanks, I enjoyed my visit and my sandwich. read more

Service was great, fried tomatoes and promptness of food was good as well. Cleanliness could use improvement around and under the tables. read more

Came for lunch. Seating excellent, and with at least 20 people here. Atmosphere good, clean. Service excellent, attentive. Price good. Catfish entree deliciously fried to perfection. However, my side of fried okra was lacking-- soggy and in need of flavor. read more

Brisket was dry as the desert. Potato salad and slaw equal to the boringness of my old high school lunch room. Disappointment all over my face and in my belly. read more

Golden Rule BBQ - Boringness and disappointment . - Barbeque Near Me - Pell City, Alabama

The last 3 or 4 times we've eaten here service slow, don't pay attention to the customers needs or request. My wife and I are locales in Pell City. Today was the worst service ever.......may not come back.Not a Happy Camper. read more

This review is not only for this restaurant but all the food places in this area. Avoid this exit, there is no good eating place here; I spoke with several local ppl "foodies" and they highly recommend that I go to either Atlanta or Birmingham. Unfortunately my hotel and work was in Pell City and I did not feel like driving 1hr either direction to find a good restaurant. So to all you yelpers take heed! read more

My sausage sandwich was great and didn't cost much. Nothing fancy and not a good beer selection, but that was expected. It was close to my hotel and I ate better than I expected in Pell Alabama. read more

Stop to have a quick bit to eat headed out west. The servers are good and friendly sweet tea was good, but that was all. I should have kept on the highway. Sauce tasted like ketchup straight out of the bottle not good at all. The quality of the pulled pork sandwich was good but they drowned it in that terrible sauce. read more

Place is dirty and the waitstaff could care less that you are there. The chicken is dry and could be a choking hazard. I have to say probably the worst bbq restaurant I have ever been to - keep driving. They have a bottle of hand sanitizer at the front which is nice for when you arrive but almost seems necessary when you leave. read more

This is a great place to go anytime. Especially when you aren't sure what you want. There is a wide variety and I have never had a bad meal here. Highly recommend! read more

Chicken is frozen as most of the food is. Nothing really fresh and delicious here. The salads are ice cold since they are prepared then stuck in fridge. So lettuce is soggy and not crisp at all. Don't order Bbq chicken especially for small children bc it ALWAYS has bones in it. Mashed potatoes are just instant potatoes. But if you travel down to irondale there is a golden rule that is much better. This coming from someone who lives a mile away and keeps giving it try bc there isn't many other options. So I agree with other reviewer and say skip this exit all together. But if you feel strongly about trying it I would recommend the fried pickles. That's about the only thing they can get right. So I give my only star to the pickles. read more