When Bob Gibson decided to leave a secure job with the Louisville & Nashville Railroad to open a barbecue restaurant, he was taking a huge risk. But he had enough backyard cooking experience to give him the confidence to open his own place near his home on the Tennessee River in Decatur, Alabama.
kAmv:3D@?’D 82>3=6 A2:5 @77] q:8 q@3 v:3D@?’D qq" :D 46=63C2E:?8 2 46?EFCJ :? 3FD:?6DD E9:D J62C[ 2?5 :E C6>2:?D :? E96 D2>6 72>:=J]k^Am
kAmq:8 q@3[ ?:4<?2>65 7@C 9:D e’c†96:89E 2?5 9:D H6:89E @7 23@FE b__ A@F?5D[ E@@< 2?@E96C 492?46 :? E96 J62C `had] x? 2 C68:@? H96C6 32C364F6 D2F46D H6C6 4C27E65 :? D9256D @7 C65[ q:8 q@3 4C62E65 2 H9:E6 @?6] }@?6 @7 9:D 56D46?52?ED 42? E6== >6 6I24E=J H9J 96 56G:2E65 D@ C25:42==J 7C@> p=232>2 32C364F6 EC25:E:@?] qFE 96 5:5[ 2?5 :E H@C<65]k^Am
kAm(96? E96 3FD:?6DD 7:CDE 3682?[ q:8 q@3 <6AE 9:D H9:E6 D2F46 :? E96 <:E496?[ H96C6 96 FD65 :E E@ “32AE:K6†H9@=6[ 32C364F65 49:4<6?D] !2CED @7 E9@D6 49:4<6?D 42>6 E@ 5:?6CD’ E23=6D 5C:AA:?8 H:E9 v:3D@?’D ?6H 4@?4@4E:@?]k^Am
kAmrFDE@>6CD H2?E65 >@C6] ~G6C E96 J62CD[ E96 <:E496?\@?=J C6DEC:4E:@? H2D =:7E65[ 2?5 E96 C6DE2FC2?E DE277 3C@F89E H92E E96 @H?6CD DE:== 42== “32C364F6 H9:E6 D2F46†@FE E@ 5:?6CD’ E23=6D :? 3@EE=6D[ H96C6 :E H2D DBF66K65 =:36C2==J @G6C A@C< D9@F=56C 2?5 2?J @E96C 32C364F65 >62E E92E q:8 q@3’D D6CG65]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ H9:E6 32C364F6 D2F46 :D 2 DJ>3@= @7 }@CE9 p=232>2] (96? x 7:CDE 3682? E2=<:?8 2?5 HC:E:?8 23@FE 32C364F6 ad J62CD 28@[ x’5 @7E6? 86E AFKK=65 =@@<D H96? x 3C@24965 E96 E@A:4 @7 H9:E6 D2F46 @? 32C364F65 >62ED] }@H[ p=232>2 H9:E6 :D ;FDE 23@FE 2D 4@>>@? 2?5 62DJ E@ 7:?5 2D $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 J6==@H]k^Am
kAmp=E9@F89 E96J FD6 5:776C6?E C64:A6D[ A=246D =:<6 z2?6 $EC66E $>@<69@FD6 :? v2E6 r:EJ[ ':C8:?:2[ $@FE96C? rC27E E9C@F89@FE }@CE962DE %6??6DD66 2?5 $@FE9H6DE ':C8:?:2[ 2?5 |2CE:?’D q2C\q\"F6 :? |:55=6 %6??6DD66 2== D6CG6 2 G6CD:@? @7 H9:E6 D2F46]k^Am
kAmx 4C65:E E96 =2E6 p=2? w@H6==[ =@?8E:>6 AC@AC:6E@C @7 y@9?D@? r:EJ’D s:I:6 q2C36BF6[ 7@C E96 A@AF=2C:EJ @7 p=232>2 H9:E6 D2F46 :? t2DE %6??6DD66] p=2? <6AE 9:D H9:E6 D2F46 :? E96 324<[ F?56C E96 C252C] *@F 925 E@ 2D< 7@C :E] %96 C62D@? 7@C E96 D64C64J[ @7 4@FCD6[ :D E96 724E E92E E96 D2F46 4@?E2:?D >2J@??2:D6 2?5 42?’E D:E @FE 2== 52J =:<6[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 2? t2DE6C? }@CE9 r2C@=:?2 G:?682C D2F46]k^Am
kAmp=2?’D H9:E6 D2F46 H2D 2E =62DE 2D 8@@5 2D q:8 q@3’D] w6 E@=5 >6 96 7@F?5 E96 C64:A6 :? 2 E6=6A9@?6 4@>A2?J 4@@<3@@<] x? 255:E:@? E@ E96 E2CE?6DD @7 E96 >2J@??2:D6 2?5 =6>@? ;F:46[ :E 925 2 E9:4<?6DD E92E 2==@H65 :E E@ 2596C6 A6C764E=J E@ 32C364F6 >62ED]k^Am
kAmp=2? @776C65 EH@ D:56 5:D96D H:E9 9:D 32C364F6 A=2E6D[ 2?5 x H@F=5 @7E6? @C56C EH@ D6CG:?8D @7 E96 D2>6 E9:?8[ 7C:65 A@E2E@6D 2?5 @?:@?D[ H9:49 H6C6 @FEDE2?5:?8 5@FD65 H:E9 9:D H9:E6 D2F46]k^Am
kAm#64:A6D 7@C p=232>2 H9:E6 D2F46 2C6 62DJ E@ 7:?5[ :?4=F5:?8 q:8 q@3’D @C:8:?2=[ H9:49 96 D92C65 H:56=J] (96? x >2<6 :E[ x 2=H2JD FD6 sF<6’D |2J@??2:D6[ 2?@E96C D@FE96C? AC@5F4E E92E 92D C:D6? 7C@> C6=2E:G6 2?@?J>:EJ E@ ?2E:@?H:56 A@AF=2C:EJ @7 =2E6]k^Am
kAmsF<6’D 255D 2 =2J6C @7 E2CE?6DD E@ E96 D2F46 2?5 2 3:E @7 C68:@?2= 9:DE@CJ[ E@@[ D:?46 tF86?:2 sF<6’D 4@>A2?J :? vC66?G:==6[ $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ DE2CE65 >2<:?8 :E :? `h`f[ 6:89E J62CD 367@C6 q:8 q@3 82G6 FA 9:D C2:=C@25 ;@3]k^Am
kAmq:8 q@3 v:3D@? 5:65 :? `hfc[ 3FE 9:D C64:A6D 2?5 32C364F6 A9:=@D@A9J 92G6 4@?E:?F65 @?[ E9C@F89 E96 C6DE2FC2?E @H?6CD9:A @7 9:D 8C2?5D@?[ s@? |4{6>@C6[ 2?5 q:8 q@3’D 8C62E\8C2?552F89E6C[ p>J[ 2?5 96C 9FD32?5[ r9C:D {:==J] %96J D6CG6 @E96C D2F46D 36D:56D H9:E6 2?5 4@?D:DE6?E=J E2<6 E@A 9@?@CD 2E E96 ?2E:@?’D >@DE AC6DE:8:@FD 32C364F6 4@>A6E:E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 p>6C:42? #@J2= :? z2?D2D r:EJ 2?5 |6>A9:D :? |2J]k^Am
kAm|J 72G@C:E6 A:4EFC6 @7 q:8 q@3 v:3D@? H2D E2<6? :? `hde] w6 :D DE2?5:?8 36EH66? E23=6D @G6C=@2565 H:E9 32C364F6 2?5 =:89E 3C625] %96 @442D:@? :D 2 |@?D2?E@ 4@>A2?J A:4?:4] t>A=@J66D 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D 2C6 =:?65 FA 369:?5 9:>[ C625J E@ 6>AEJ E9@D6 E23=6D] q:8 q@3 =@@<D :?E@ E96 5:DE2?46[ A@D65 =:<6 2 DE2EF6]k^Am
kAm$2JD r9C:D {:==J[ “%92E’D E96 H2J 96 42E6C65 — A2A6C A=2E6D[ 32C364F6 2?5 H9:E6 3C625]â€k^Am
kAmk6>muC65 $2F46>2? :D E96 2FE9@C @7 “%96 !C@77:EED @7 #:586H@@5i p? pAA2=249:2? u2>:=J’D {:76 :? q2C364F6]â€k^6>mk^Am