Every state brings its own special recipe for barbecue, whether it is the slow roasted pork of the Carolinas, the smoked dry-rub meats from Kansas City, or Texas pit barbecue. Huntsville got its first taste of New Orleans style Blue Oak BBQ this week during the groundbreaking ceremony for their first location in Alabama in the MidCity District.

Andy Lyle Hall entertained the guests with music, and founders Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley kicked off the event by serving samples of their award-winning smoked meats, sandwiches, and sides – a style they call “our own creation”, and one unlike any other.

“Barbecue is our game and basically we created our own style,” said Moseley. “It’s not Texas or Kansas City style – it is Blue Oak style. We have crispy pork belly cracklin; we do brisket a certain way and ribs another way. Some of it is

cooked over a pit, some of comes off with a little sauce, some of it with dry rub, some of it with just salt and pepper. Whatever makes sense to us.”

Opening next summer if the construction industry stays on track, the lifelong friends and business partners said they had remained in touch with another childhood friend working in the hospitality industry in Huntsville.

“She pitched us the idea and we were wanting to expand, so we flew up here, met with Max (Grelier) and we fell in love with Huntsville,” said Evans. “We will be spending a lot of time here from now own. Huntsville will officially be our second home.”

Located down the street from the new Orion Amphitheater and the Food Village at Apollo Park, both men said they feel like Huntsville is a great place for them grow their franchise.

“We are excited about the opportunity and happy to be a part of such a bustling place,” said Moseley. “It immediately felt like Huntsville was a great fit, the culture and the community, the people are awesome. There seems to be a little of everything for everybody.”

In addition to traditional barbecue favorites and sides, the colorful Blue Oak menu consists of the Pit Viper jerk-pulled pork with slaw and jalapeños, the Doobin’ Loobin with pulled brisket and smoke sausage, and Chick-Anosaurus Rex fried chicken thighs with spicy mayo.

The MidCity District, developed by Max Grelier and RCP Companies, is quickly becoming one of Madison County’s busiest multi-use developments located off University Drive just blocks from Cummings Research Park, Redstone Arsenal, and the University of Alabama-Huntsville.