There’s not much of a back story. Merritt, my middle child, waited patiently for six months while we tried to connect for her birthday celebration. When I asked where she wanted to go for dinner, she suggested the barbecue restaurant just down the street from her house. That put at Charlie’s BBQ in Odenville. My kids are very supportive of The Alabama Barbecue Chase, sharing our posts and spreading the word. Having one of them with us for a meal that would result in a review, that was fun!

This stop was initiated out of convenience, but Charlie’s proved to be a joint worthy of priority.  Inside seating is limited as an open kitchen takes up most of the floor space. Still, we chose one of the handful of indoor tables for the air conditioning. However, the large, covered patio drew a crowd and felt comfortable, even for an August night.

The pork impresses on first glance. It has an obvious smoke ring and a dark, seasoned bark. It’s chopped fine so there’s a color play that builds an anticipation that is fairly short lived. We dug right in and found a gentle smoky flavor with a soft, good chew that was fun to eat. It was well seasoned and probably could have been eaten dry, but it’s served with an appropriate amount of sauce spread generously across the meat. That made it difficult to get a read on just the meat or the sauce. I have to knock Charlie’s for charging 40 cents per extra serving of sauce, but the meat and sauce complimented each other well.

Thanks to our party of three, we sampled quite a few sides. The baked beans were thick like a stew. They were loaded with meat and were peppery with just enough spice to ignite your taste buds. They brought the right amount of heat, being lively without burning you down. I loved them and would get them every time. They’re hearty enough you could make a meal out of them alone.

The mac n cheese and french fries met expectations. They delivered what we expected and we wiped them out. The slaw, which was billed as being mayo based, was dry and plain, simply cabbage and carrots. Still, it delivered a peppery kick that kept me eating ‘til it was gone.

What’s a birthday celebration without dessert, and Charlie’s has a banana pudding they call Monkey in a Cup. The thing that caught our attention was the ad for deep fried banana pudding, which I believed they called Monkey Bar. The fam twisted my arm into getting some, but they were out. I consider it a good sign anytime a joint runs out of homemade desserts, and it was near closing time. It’s on my list to try next time we’re in town. Merritt did leave with a Moosetracks milkshake, which she pounded down. That’s her favorite flavor but she still bragged about how good it was.

Charlie’s is a neat little spot. There are touches that make it very homey and personal. For our belated celebration, we left filled, both with good food and fun memories. We can all use a lot more of both of those.