Familiar faces, Southern flavor at new Ken’s BBQ in Trussville

Awesome, amazing, fantastic, great ... just downright good eating. Those are some of the common words found in online reviews to describe Ken’s Hickory Pit Bar-B-Que, located in Pinson, Oneonta and now Trussville.

The restaurant, which is celebrating 45 years of business, opened its third location in Trussville — 8156 Gadsden Highway — on Oct. 5 at the old Woody’s Bar-B-Q. While the business has changed owners over the years and expanded its footprint, online reviewers say the food and service at this once-hidden gem is just as good as when it first opened Feb. 15, 1970, on Highway 79 in Pinson.

Ken’s base — hand-chopped pork, smoked sausage, chopped chicken and the original homemade sweet, tangy sauce -— hasn’t changed. 

“It’s not the only way to do barbecue, but it’s the way it’s always been done at Ken’s,” said owner Mike Nguyen, who was first introduced to the restaurant as a customer more than a decade ago. “We’ve learned to expect what people want, and a lot of the old-timers don’t want change, so for me, if it don’t break, don’t fix it.”

Nguyen, who previously did nails for a living, moved to the Birmingham area from Vietnam in 1983 at the age of 15. He came to the U.S. by himself with only $50 and a ring his mother gave him. A 1987 graduate of Gardendale High School, Nguyen worked as a server and cook at restaurants in the past, leaving him with a love for cooking, especially barbecue and Southern food.

“I love what I do. I’ve always loved the barbecue business,” said Nguyen. “It’s a lot of hard work and dedication. I believe this is a great country, and I’ve been blessed.”

8156 Gadsden Highway - Trussville

Phone: 508-5506

Facebook: Ken’s BBQ

Hours:

Monday-Thursday 5:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

Friday-Saturday 5:30 a.m.–9 p.m.

Sunday 10 a.m.–8:30 p.m.