For the traveller: The Shed--Mobile AL (and Ocean Springs, MS)

I spent a couple of days in Mobile visiting family, and they suggested we do dinner at The Shed, the fashioned barbecue shack from Ocean Springs which has recently opened a location in Mobile next to the University of South Alabama.

I'm generally not a fan of places that go to great lengths to look ratty and old, especially when I know that they're BRAND SPANKIN' NEW, but I understand the desire to give a place atmosphere. It's just odd to look at the license plates nailed to the wall, as if the restaurant had been collecting license plates for years, to notice that many of them are in sequential order, like leftovers from a license plate switchover. I'm willing to overlook these attempts, however, if the food's good--and at the shed, it's pretty good.

The sandwich comes in 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb varieties--with pulled pork, no slaw as the standard (slaw's an extra seventy-five cents). Both are served on the same bun, so I think they probably fudge a bit on the meat for the 1/4 lb version, and it's probably ample for all but the heartiest appetites. The 1/2 lb version is pictured here, incidentally.

The meat is tender, a little smoky, with sections of deeply flavored exterior included. It's not heavily sauced, and the sauce is fairly sweet, but not cloyingly so. Ribs are also served, and I'd wager that they're similarly good. Weekend nights feature a blues or roots band, and draft and bottled beers are available--so if you're passing through Mobile or Ocean Springs (or taking in some casino time in Biloxi), it's definitely worth a barbecue stop. There's not much else in that part of the Gulf Coast to compare for getting a decent barbecue fix (although I've heard good things about Brick Pit, just down the street).

The Shed
5753 Old Shell Rd
Mobile, AL 36608
251-342-SHED

7501 Highway 57

Ocean Springs, MS 39565-8405

Get Directions

(228) 875-9590