The Underrated BBQ Chain With A Connection To Culver's

From signature ButterBurgers grilled as you order them to rich and creamy custard made in small batches throughout the day, Culver's has gained loyal customers across 26 states since its first location opened in Sauk City, Wisconsin, in 1984. While Culver's has a family-centered origin story and is still mostly a family-owned chain, it did sell a minority stake to affiliates of Atlanta-based private equity firm Roark Capital Group in October 2017. The same financial company purchased a majority stake in Jim 'N Nick's just a few months before, making the two chains corporate sisters.

Since 1985, Jim 'N Nick's has been serving Southern-style BBQ in Birmingham, Alabama. It was founded by Jim and Nick Pihakis, a father-son duo with a plan to bring authentic barbecue to the community without cutting corners. It's known for employing chefs and pitmasters, using original recipes, and serving 12-hour slow-smoked beef and pork — all while forgoing convenient shortcuts like freezers and microwaves. Compared to Culver's footprint, which has reached 1,000 locations, Jim 'N Nick's has a modest 63 locations across just seven states (up from 37 in mid-2017). Not as many people are familiar with it because of that, but the BBQ chain is slowly nudging its way into people's hearts with its mouthwatering menu.

Jim 'N Nick's specializes in using fresh, high-quality ingredients to prepare traditional Southern barbecue favorites from scratch daily. One standout item is its signature cheese biscuits, which customers on social media have raved are incredible. Along with a complimentary basket served before your meal, you can purchase the cheese biscuit mix from the restaurant's online store and select grocery stores.

That's not all that shines at Jim 'N Nick's, though. The chain smokes a variety of meats — beef, chicken, pork, and turkey — and serves them as plates or sandwiches with various sauces, such as original BBQ, Carolina mustard sauce, and Morgan Co. white sauce. For individuals in groups who aren't in the mood for beef brisket or spare ribs, the chain has a couple of smash burgers on the menu, too. Then, there are the side dishes that you expect to pair with traditional Southern barbecue. We're talking potato salad, baked beans, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and more. The selection of desserts doesn't disappoint either, with banana pudding and homemade pies to choose from.

Additionally, Jim 'N Nick's is considered one of the best BBQ chain restaurants for exceptional ribs. One person commenting on a Reddit thread said, "Oh gawd that place ... I'm fatter for having known them. The food is so addictively delicious that I didn't notice anything else." Talking about a new location opened in North Carolina, a first-time customer said in a Facebook post, "It was PHENOMENAL, their team is the sweetest and fastest I've seen in a long time, their chef took the time out of her day to walk me [through] everything and all food is mad fresh in kitchen daily!"