One Of America's Oldest BBQ Restaurants Is Known For Serving Award-Winning Meats Since 1891

Back in 1891, shortly before places like Kansas City or St. Louis were known for barbecue, the Williams family opened Golden Rule Bar-B-Q & Grill in Irondale, Alabama. It was just a tiny spot on a dirt road serving barbecue, which at the time was somewhat of a novelty for a restaurant. Barbecue had previously been the purview of family picnics and various private celebrations. Perhaps that's why, back then, while Golden Rule Bar-B-Q sold barbecue pork plates and other food, it did better business selling beer and even offered occasional car repairs. 

Over the decades, Golden Rule became famous for its barbecue, especially pork shoulder cooked over hickory coals, and managed to not just survive, but thrive. There's a lot of debate over which was the first barbecue restaurant in the country that is still around today — with Golden Rule sometimes cited as a top contender — but there are some older BBQ restaurants, like Southside Market and Barbecue in Elgin, Texas, which opened in 1886. Still, Golden Rule can claim to be the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Alabama. Today, it's a chain with several locations, including one in Irondale not far from the Williams family's original location.

Today, Golden Rule Bar-B-Q's Irondale location is still serving up its famous barbecue pork, ribs, smoked brisket, homemade sides like baked beans, and banana pudding for dessert. The restaurant features an open kitchen with a glazed-brick barbecue pit that allows patrons to watch their food being cooked. It's known for having staff that have stayed for years, including Sammy Derzis, who has held various positions including manager, with 50 years under his belt. The pit master, Michael Booker, has been there nearly as long.

The Irondale restaurant has even made it into the Guinness World Records for selling the most pulled pork sandwiches — 6,215 — in eight hours in August 2025. It was also voted best barbecue restaurant in the Best of Alabama Awards in 2025. Golden Rule has survived for more than 130 years, and while it's nowhere close to being one of the oldest restaurants in the world, (which have hundreds of years on the Golden Rule), it's definitely stood the test of time, serving its delicious barbecue to generations of Alabamians.