Original Ben's Jr

I've passed by this place a couple times and noticed the line out the door. Figured it must be good if there is always a line. I stopped by for lunch and realized the reason there is a line is you order just inside the front door. So likes back up. After you order you take a seat in an old, dated building. This is part of the charm. Drinks are served in mason jars and the food comes out fast. I had the large bbq sandwich and a cup of gumbo. The pork was smoked well and had good flavor. The bbq sauce wasn't really that good and the sandwich was covered in sauce. Next time I will order it with sauce in the side. I will probably skip the gumbo next time. A little to thin and watery for me. But hey, it's a bbq place, not seafood.

The food itself is only about a 3 star quality, but the friendly, family run service got them another star. I will be back. It's full of locals that can tell you some good stories about the town.

We've driven by this place so many times and noticed the smoke rolling out of that smoke stack on the end of the building. We're drawn to smoke like moths to a flame, but, for whatever reason, never stopped in until this weekend. Y'all, Ben (he goes by "Bubba") knows how to smoke some meat!

We ordered the BBQ sandwiches, mine with slaw on it and the hubby's without slaw. For our sides, I had fries and he had onion rings. The meat was smoked to perfection and chopped. The sandwiches had the perfect amount of sauce on them and the same goes for my slaw topper. The onion rings may or may not have been homemade, and they were made with onion slices, not chopped onion particles. Our drinks were served in big mason jars.

This is an old school BBQ joint with 70's wood paneling and plenty of windows. The atmosphere is reminiscent of our family favorite childhood BBQ restaurants, which was super cool. You order at the counter, seat yourself, and they bring the food out when it's ready. The service and prices are fantastic. We paid about $25 for our meals and drinks.

After we ate, we talked with Bubba for a few minutes. He let us check out his BBQ pit and it's every bit as badass as we expected it to be. He told us how he smokes his butts, ribs and chickens. He seems like a nice guy and we love that it's a small, family owned and operated restaurant.

This is a wonderful spot to enjoy a BBQ sandwich and I know that wasn't our last time to do just that.

A line out the door with locals, it must be good. And it was good. Order at the counter and wait for a seat. Do not expect a fancy restaurant. But the meats were tender, juicy and delicious. The fried shrimp were tasty. The hush puppies, bbq beans, and coleslaw sides were good. The bbq sauce is pretty vinegary but maybe that is how they like it in the south. Oh the gumbo was awesome! Good ole bbq in a simple place.

I've eaten at Ben's a few times since moving back to Fairhope. I've just never been impressed with this restaurant. It's only open for lunch so there is no dinner service. I was really craving ribs, and I just happened to drive by and pulled in. The inside of the restaurant is old school diner style. The service was slow, and the ribs came out and were just okay. The BBQ sauce that come with it is more like chutney than sauce. Not a big fan. They have seafood on the menu so I may go back and try something different, but for now, I cannot recommend.

The food is so good you should get ready to stand in line! Orders are taken at the counter but then you find a table. The food is brought out to the table.
The place is casual, and good. My personal favorite are the burgers with the steak fries, however my kids like the Bbq.

This is a family owned restaurant with the husband working the kitchen and the wife taking orders, and lots of help in between to make sure everyone is taken care of.

Great food, friendly people, good prices! Bens is a great place for the family! Love it!

Good BBQ without a lot of fuss. The place was packed while we were there, and I can see why. They turn tables over quickly to accommodate the long line and constant flow of people needing their BBQ fix.

I had a pulled chicken sandwich that was good, but I had to get more sauce for it. The sauce was sweet, but had a bit of a kick. Definitely house-made and not some store-bought stuff. My only complaint is that my sandwich fell apart when I tried to eat it. Apparently, the insider tip is to flip your sandwich upside down and have the thick top bun on the bottom (thanks, J, for telling me that AFTER I finished eating!).

J had the ribs and enjoyed them. They looked really smoky and charred on the outside; made very well. I had beans on the side, and they were good. Lots of pork included, FYI! The slaw, however, was forgettable. No flavor, and really finely chopped. Even pepper couldn't help it. I'd order it as a sandwich topping, but not as a stand-alone side.

Now I can see why this is a popular place in Fairhope. Looking forward to my next trip in!

I am going to try to convey how I feel about Ben's to you lovely fellow Yelpers. Take my five stars and believe them.

I have eaten at Ben's for 10+ years. It's quick, simple, delicious and reliable. Oustanding BBQ.

And ok, I'm going to tell you something I don't tell many people:

This is my favorite cheeseburger on the face of the planet. Yes, THE PLANET.

I've eaten a lot of burgers, kids. So many that I should probably be ashamed. I've had burgers in NYC, Chicago, Vegas, and every state in between. This is the only burger that reigns number one. Seriously. Something about it's simplicity and local flavor makes it perfect. I will go to the grave talking about Ben's cheeseburger. Nope, not even Weber Grill in Chicago compares. This is cheeseburger mecca for me.

The worst Barbecue EVER . Need Lots of works . Origin of RiBs was questionable .

Cheeseburger, cheeseburger, cheeseburger! The best Burger I've even had! It can be a wait, BUT SO WORTH IT! I've been told that they also have Potato Skins which I've not tried because I forget. I just just so anxious about my burger. The family who owns and operates the restaurant are all very nice. This place can get really crowded for lunch, I mean a line of people standing and waiting for a table.