|
|
Pensacola
News Journal, February 25, 2005
Real barbecue lovers head to Beulah Land
by Kenneth E. Lamb
Doug Allen is a winner: Played for the Cantonment Cowboys then fullbacked for three years at Alabama, where, as number 46, he was an All-SEC Academic. He starred in the Hall of Fame Bowl, the Aloha Bowl and the Sun Bowl and won the Toyota Leadership Award.
After coaching other running backs at a number of prominent universities, he decided to come back to his roots in Escambia County and win again.
"My wife, Shelia, and my five children, decided to open a restaurant," Allen said. "If there is one thing I can cook that's a winner, it's barbecue."
His customers enthusiastically drive from up to 100 miles away, proving his point. They satisfy their cravings with tender, juicy chicken, meaty slow-smoked ribs, luscious chopped pork and a banana pudding that makes low-carb eaters rationalize tossing diet guidelines into the trashcan.
Jim Wiley, a financial adviser with American Express, calls Beulah Land Bar-B-Q his family's favorite restaurant. He likes Allen's winning smile and family atmosphere.
"He has a good lunch, and my family loves the chicken," Wiley said. "Doug is always friendly to me and my family, who just love it here."
Mike Rawson, retired and living in Pensacola, agrees.
"The food is excellent," he said. "The ribs and sauce are great. It's the best anywhere around here."
My date and I decided to listen to the regulars, so we ordered half a slab of ribs and half a chicken between us. She opted for potato salad, with banana pudding - served cold and fresh - for dessert, while I went for baked beans and coleslaw on the side.
In just a few minutes, server Kathleen Snyder brought us plates proving the hometown folks know their barbecue.
The chicken breast gushed with mouth-watering juices enclosed with skin cooked free of any fat. The savory sauce favored without any over-spiced burning.
Vilma Norton and her husband, James, travel from Warrington to eat, take some home and get a couple of bottles of sauce to use for meals at home between visits.
"The sauce is tangy but not hot," Vilma Norton said. "There's more meat on the ribs than other places, and I love his freshly made corn on the cob."
You can eat-in, call ahead for pick-up, or get Allen to cater your meal. His catering client list reads like a Who's Who: alumni associations and team fund-raisers, Gulf Power, International Paper and Golden Flake are just few of the people serving Allen's food at their get-togethers.
Fred Levin, another regular and catering client, sums it up:
"It's the real deal."
|
|
