Alabama Tourism Department Brings Barbecue Masters To New Orleans

With 2015 declared as "The Year of Alabama BBQ," the Alabama Tourism Department is proud to announce that The Masters of Alabama Barbecue photo exhibit and tour will be on-site at the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival next week. The photo exhibit, spotlighting 26 popular Alabama barbecue chefs and their favorite dishes, has toured top barbecue festivals across the nation, and this stop represents the culmination of barbecue destinations, such as Memphis and Kansas City.

Accompanying the exhibit will be the new 57-minute documentary film titled Q - Alabama's Barbecue Legends that features interviews with barbecue greats such as John Bishop Jr. from Dreamland, Don McLemore and Chris Lilly from Big Bob Gibson, Nick Pihakis from Jim 'N Nick's, Van Sykes from Bob Sykes and many others.

"The Year of Alabama BBQ has already been well received across the state, but now we want to extend our reach into popular barbecue destinations and make our presence known," said Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Tourism Department. "We have developed The Masters of Alabama Barbecue photo exhibit and tour in order to showcase the diversity, expertise, tradition and pride associated with Alabama barbecue."

The Masters of Alabama Barbecue, whose portraits are displayed in this exhibit, are but a small sample of the men and women who proudly create and serve a food that borders on a national obsession. Their stories are as unique and full of local flavor as the piled-high plates they put in front of their hungry customers. Portraits featured in the exhibit are as follows:

• Chris Lilly, Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q
• Woodrow Washington, Archibald & Woodrow's Bar-B-Q
• Madison "Big Daddy" Terry, Big Daddy's Real Pit Bar-B-Que
• Glen Gulledge, Byron's Smokehouse
• Mike Holley, Chuck Wagon BBQ
• Sam Nakos, Demetri's BBQ
• Betsy McAtee, Dreamland
• Danny "Fat Boy" Loftin, Fat Boy's Bar-B-Que Ranch
• Fred Small, Fred's Small Time Bar-B-Q
• Mike Booker, Golden Rule Bar-B-Q
• Mike Hancock, Hancock's Bar-B-Que
• T.J. Allen, Hog Wild BBQ
• Nick Pihakis, Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
• Jeff Frazier, L.A. Barbecue
• Lula Hatcher, Lannie's Bar-B-Q Spot
• Carolyn Jackson, McMillan Bar-B-Que
• Earlie "Bam" Threatt, R&B Bar-B-Q
• Jesse McWilliams, Real Pit Bar-B-Q
• Brittney Taylor, Rib-It-Up
• Corey Culver, Smokey C's Bar-B-Que & Wings
• Jeff Carter, Smokin' on the Boulevard
• Dale Pettit, Top Hat Barbecue
• Rawls Webb, Webb's 231 Bar-B-Q

The Alabama Tourism Department announced the launch of The Year of Alabama BBQ campaign in February. The tourism campaign will focus on Alabama's barbecue heritage, award-winning restaurants and talented pit masters.

Highlights of the campaign include the website alabamabbq.com, a new smart phone app that alerts users when they are getting close to one of the state's top barbecue restaurants, a photo exhibit of legendary pit masters, a new documentary film about the state's barbecue culture, publication of the book Alabama Barbecue: Delicious Road Trips, and the first inductees into the Alabama Barbecue Hall of Fame.

More information about The Year of Alabama BBQ can be found online at alabamabbq.com.

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