Happy Labor Day! It’s time to grill out, eat some BBQ, and grab your favorite drinks-all in the company of your favorite friends and family of course! At Our Valley Events, we wanted to know what local favorites folks in town would be consuming at their gatherings this holiday season and so I asked! And asked. And asked. (I do tend to get around to a lot of events). Here are folks favorite local BBQ restaurants in Huntsville:

Small Business Awards
At the Small Business Awards, I asked the YP of the Year Nominees to name their favorite local beverage. Here’s what they said:
Karessa Acosta, Women’s Business Center of North Alabama
- Unobtainium from Straight to Ale
Ashley Dinges, Merrimack Hall
- Strawberry Mule at Amendment XXI
Tony McGinnis, Harris Home for Children
Catherine Boles Hereford, National Children’s Advocacy Center
- Strawberry Blonde by Pete’s Wicked Ale
Brian Trefry
- Bacon Bourbon at James Steakhouse
Violet Bunkie Edwards, Christmas Charities Year Round
Sarah Lauren,Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Properties
- Wedding Cake Martini at Surin
Our Valley Events Bloggers
- Lily Flagg Milk Stout by Straight to Ale
- IPA by Yellowhammer
- Sweet tea from Gibson’s BBQ; it tastes better than other sweet teas – it’s probably the ice.
- Anything from Straight to Ale
- Black Velvet from Mellow Mushroom (Angry Orchard cider on bottom and Guinness on top)
- Watermelon Martini at Bonefish Grill
Local Movers and Shakers
While out and about during the week, I asked some of the local movers and shakers about their favorite local beverage. Here’s what they told me:

- Ice Pick at Furniture Factory
James Robinson, GLBT Advocacy & Youth Services
- Liquid Marijuana at the Vieux Carre
- Lemon Drop at The Scene Lounge

Adriane Van Kirk Scott, Adriane Scott Designs
- Tuxedo Black IPA by Blue Pants
- Strawberry margarita at Rosie’s Cantina

- Espresso martini at 1892 East
- The growlers of beer at Liquor Express
Jenny Rhodes Askins, Leadership Huntsville/Madison County
- Margaritas at Cantina Laredo
Leah Gradl, Thrive Business Development
- A glass of red wine on the patio of Grill 29 [spacer size=”0″]
And we didn’t forget the BBQ!
While out and about at events, I asked folks to name their favorite local BBQ joint. Read what our blogger Amanda from The Dining Dragon had to day about her favorite local BBQ joints here.
Jeremy Pope, The Graham Company
- Why You Gillin’ Me Dawg? a local competitive BBQ team (of which he is a member)
Bliss Bowman Wade, WAFF Ch. 48
Amy Mayfield, Mayfield Media
Tommy Battle, Mayor of Huntsville
- “Pick one? Are you kidding? There are so many great barbecue restaurants in Huntsville that you have to try them all. Red sauce, white sauce, special secret sauce – it’s all available and it’s your preference. The joy is in the barbecue tasting journey.”
Joe Martin, Huntsville Adventure Boot Camp
Jennifer Shrader Swoboda, Junior League of Huntsville President
- Moe’s Original BBQ in Jones Valley! If I can road trip I get ribs from Whitts!
Venton Blandin, WHNT News 19
- Little Paul’s
Mark Moore, Theatre Huntsville President
- The ri
bs at Dreamland Bar-B-Que
Joanna White, The Arts Council
Daniel Crosby, Incblot
Chad Bostick, Bostick Landscape Architects (and OVE Blogger)
- Little Paul’s
Your Turn!
Did your local favorite favorite make the list? Let us know where you go to get the best BBQ! Who makes the best local drink in town? Is it Yellowhammer? Or does Straight to Ale rock your world? Let us know in the comments section below.

Guest blogger for We Are Huntsville. Are you interested in writing a post for our site? Email katelyn@wearehuntsville.com.
For cocktails my favorite is the ‘Monte Sano’ mixed by Brandon at Amendment XXI (you may need to order it off-menu right now; it’s a lovely, flowery and fruity gin mix). For beer I LOVE the high gravity oak-barrel aged Straight To Ale Unobtanium!