Saw's BBQ ★ 4.5
Saw's BBQ in Homewood near Birmingham serves the canonical Mike Wilson pulled-pork sandwich with Alabama white sauce slaw under $12 from the 2009 shack.
Try: Pulled pork sandwich, $9-12
History
Banana pudding became the canonical Southern barbecue dessert through the 20th century, with Nilla wafers (Nabisco, since 1898) and the post-war condensed-milk shortcut recipe popularized through the 1950s and 1960s. Saw's BBQ runs the canonical Birmingham version with crushed Nilla wafers on top; Niki's West runs the steam-table cafeteria version with custard and whipped cream. Eagle's Restaurant in Smithfield runs a soul-food version with meringue.
Common allergens: Dairy, Eggs, Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g vanilla wafers (Nilla wafers if available)
- 5 ripe bananas, sliced
- 1 box (96g) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 480ml whole milk
- 1 can (397g) sweetened condensed milk
- 240ml heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Method
- Whisk the pudding mix with the whole milk in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the condensed milk and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Whip the heavy cream with vanilla extract to soft peaks.
- Fold half the whipped cream into the pudding mixture.
- In a clear glass trifle dish, layer wafers, banana slices and pudding three times.
- Top with the remaining whipped cream and a final layer of crushed wafers.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour to let the wafers soften, then serve cold.
Tip from the editors. Use ripe bananas with brown spots; the canonical version softens overnight as the wafers absorb the custard.
Where to eat banana pudding
Banana pudding in Birmingham
Saw's Soul Kitchen ★ 4.3
Saw's Soul Kitchen on 41st Street South Avondale is the 2012 Brandon Cain sibling to Saw's BBQ, mixing Alabama white sauce barbecue with soul-food sides.
Why locals love it: The Avondale 2012 sibling to Saw's BBQ runs a smaller room than the Homewood original, with a pork-and-greens plate locals defend hardest.
Tip: Order the pork-and-greens stuffed sandwich; the banana pudding has a smaller crowd than the Homewood location.
Niki's West ★ 4.8
Niki's West on Finley Avenue West Birmingham has run the meat-and-three from a cafeteria steam table since 1957, opposite the Alabama Farmers Market.
Why locals love it: Tourists rarely cross the rail tracks to the Acipco-Finley district to find this 1957 cafeteria; locals queue for the catfish.
Tip: Get there by 12:30 for the fried catfish and turnip greens; weekday lunch is the peak.
Banana pudding in Charlotte
Sweet Lew's BBQ ★ 4.5
Sweet Lew's BBQ in Belmont is Lewis Donald's wood-smoked Carolina BBQ counter, smoking whole pork shoulders, brisket and house sausages on a quiet street.
Why locals love it: A counter-service BBQ room on a quiet Belmont street, easy to drive past unless you're looking for it.
Tip: Get there before noon. The meats sell through by mid-afternoon.
Mert's Heart and Soul ★ 4.3
Mert's Heart and Soul on N College Street is the uptown soul-food room with a fried-chicken-and-sides lunch plate around $14, the budget anchor of the uptown.
Try: Fried chicken plate with two sides
Tip: The two-side combo is the best value. Weekday lunch is the easiest seat.
Banana pudding in Nashville
Arnold's Country Kitchen ★ 4.6
Arnold's meat-and-three lunch in Nashville delivers a protein plus three vegetables and tea for under $15. Located in The Gulch. At 605 8th Ave S.
Try: Meat-and-three plate
Tip: Lunch only, Monday to Friday 10:30-14:30; cafeteria line moves fast. Cash and card.
Hattie B's Hot Chicken ★ 4.4
The Bishop family's Midtown hot chicken counter in Nashville opened in 2012 and is the tourist-friendliest gateway to the dish. Located in Hillsboro Village.
Try: Hot chicken sandwich
Tip: Hot chicken at Hot level on white bread with pickles is the canonical order; pimento mac and cheese is the side to add.
Loveless Cafe ★ 4.2
Loveless Cafe on Highway 100 in Nashville has served scratch biscuits, country ham and redeye gravy since 1951, anchoring the Natchez Trace's tourist circuit.
Order: Country ham with redeye gravy and biscuits
Tip: Lines build by 09:00 weekends; put your name down and shop the on-site Hams & Jams Country Market while you wait.
More cities are in research. Want banana pudding covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.