Recently my wife and family attended the wedding of my cousin Laura in Trussville, Alabama. Since the panhandle of Florida is not known for great BBQ joints, I decided to ask some of my friends on a BBQ forum where I should go. Miss Myra's popped up and sounded great. We arrived Friday afternoon shortly followed by my two sons Josh and Andrew, and the grand children. We decided to try Miss Myra's. For those of you who are not BBQ aficionados Alabama is know for White BBQ sauce. It is a sauce made of Mayonnaise, Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and black pepper. It was made famous by a place in Decatur, Alabama called Big Bob Gibson's. It is usually used on smoked chicken, but my wife loves it on pulled pork. We arrived about 6:00 Birmingham time and the out side looked like a BBQ joint should. A large metal sign with the Coca-Cola emblem and the words Miss Myra's pit Bar-B-Q greeted us, as well as, hickory smoke filling the air.
Miss Myra's is a pit style BBQ. That means the meat is cooked over a pit of smoldering wood instead of an offset smoker where the fire is in a chamber away from the meat. Pit BBQ is like grilling over direct coals except the pit places the meat several feet above the fire. In pit BBQ the pit master must attend the meat often as hot and cold areas may appear. As the meat cooks the fat drips on the fire and adds a flavor offset smokers can't equal. I like the both, but pit BBQ is very southern.
When you first enter Miss Myra's you can smell the BBQ which is a good thing, and the place is decorated by several porcine (pig) figurines, everywhere. In front of you is a large counter and a refrigerated case with homemade pies in it. If you don't like BBQ, go for the pies. There was a lady sitting on a stool and as soon as I approached she asked what I wanted as if I was a regular.
The menu was simple, several meat plates or combo meat plates with two sides. Meat choices are Chicken, Pork, Beef, and ribs. The ribs are Saint Louis spares of course. There is also a smokes sausage plate. The sides are Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Slaw, Green Beans, Deviled Eggs, or chips. I ordered the ribs with deviled eggs and baked beans. My wife ordered the pulled pork with potato salad and deviled eggs.
The ribs were just like I like them. My feeling is if you eat ribs, you want a slight tug from the meat. If you want fall off the bone eat the pulled pork. I first tried the ribs sans the sauce. The ribs had a great smoke ring and flavor. There was no rub applied. I felt a little more salt could have been used. The wife enjoyed the pulled pork with the white sauce as did everyone else. The sides were good, but not spectacular. I make a better deviled egg. My one complaint about BBQ joints is they don't spent as much time developing the side as the do the BBQ. Why is that??? I tried a slice of chocolate chess pie and my wife tried the pecan pie. Both were excellent as expected.
My hats off the Eric the pit master and the staff at Miss Myra's. Overall Miss Myra's was a hit. If in Birmingham again, I'll definitely try Miss Myra's again.
Five stars for Miss Myra's
The ribs were just like I like them. My feeling is if you eat ribs, you want a slight tug from the meat. If you want fall off the bone eat the pulled pork. I first tried the ribs sans the sauce. The ribs had a great smoke ring and flavor. There was no rub applied. I felt a little more salt could have been used. The wife enjoyed the pulled pork with the white sauce as did everyone else. The sides were good, but not spectacular. I make a better deviled egg. My one complaint about BBQ joints is they don't spent as much time developing the side as the do the BBQ. Why is that??? I tried a slice of chocolate chess pie and my wife tried the pecan pie. Both were excellent as expected.
