Tampa BBQ restaurant named best in Florida

TAMPA, Fla. - A BBQ joint in Tampa has the best barbeque in the state, according to a survey by Southern Living Magazine. 

Each year the magazine asks its readers to name the best barbeque in the south and Big John’s Alabama BBQ, located at 5707 N. 40th Street, took top honors for Florida. 

The restaurant has been a staple in Tampa since 1968. 

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It is known for its chicken, sausage and ribs cooked on an Alabama-style open pit with a giant brick chimney. 

Big John's Alabama BBQ in Tampa has been named best in the state by Southern Living Magazine. 

Big John’s Alabama BBQ was started by the late Rev. John A. Stephens who came to East Tampa from Eufala, Alabama. 

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Today, it is run by Stephens’ grandchildren and moved into a new building in 2010. 

Big John’s Alabama BBQ was started by the late Rev. John A. Stephens 

Southern Living Magazine says the online survey was conducted by a third party and more than 20,000 people weighed in between July 12 and Aug. 23, 2023. 

Click here to see a list of the rest of the best BBQ joints in the South. 

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