Since 1946, Milos Hamburgers has been serving up fast fresh burgers smothered in our original sauce, served with fried pies, milkshakes and seasoned fries.



Based in Alabama, Milo's Hamburgers was founded by Milo Carlton as Milo's Hamburger Shop in 1946. Milo's has more than 20 locations across Alabama. Their signature menu item is the secret-recipe hamburger sauce and sweet tea.



The hamburger sauce is sweet, smoky and savory. It's like a mix of ketchup, chili powder and some other flavors.



Since the 1980s, they have distributed their own Sweet Tea brand in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The tea company split off in 2002.



The Milo’s Original Burger is made with a fresh grilled patty, topped with onions and pickles, drenched in that secret sauce, and served on a warm, grilled bun. A very thin burger with an interesting sauce – but pretty par for the course for fast food.



Thick crinkle fries and a strawberry shake, rounded out the meal. If I had to pick a type of fry, crinkle would be at the bottom of my favorites list. I like more crunch, less potato.



Grade: B

Jack's has almost 200 locations across Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi.



"In 1960, Jack’s fired up its very first grill in Homewood, Alabama. Our walk-up hamburger joint was an instant hit. Who could turn down our 10-cent sodas, 15-cent fries and 20-cent shakes?" the website reads.



The regional fast food chain serves up breakfast, sandwiches, chicken, drinks, sides, salads and desserts.



I went for the original cheeseburger - One juicy beef patty topped with American cheese, onions, pickles and Jack’s secret sauce. Served up on a toasted premium homestyle bun. Plus a side of mashed potatoes, because why not.



This was a pretty standard fast food cheeseburger; good in a pinch but nothing too exciting. The bun was a bit different – puffier and fresher. Potatoes were fine.



Grade: B

When I decided to take a mini trip to Alabama in order to check it off my states-to-visit list, I instantly knew that I needed to try some Alabama-style barbecue.



Alabama has various barbecue styles and dishes and is noted for hickory-smoked pork and chicken prevalence. White sauce, a mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce, was invented in Decatur, Alabama in 1925, according to Wikipedia.



SAW's BBQ has been named as the best BBQ in Alabama by Southern Living Magazine. I visited their "At the Backyard" location, which features an arcade, pool, mini golf and more.



SAW’s (an acronym for “Sorry Ass Wilson”) features Carolina style smoked pulled pork, chicken and ribs, served with one of three styles of sauce. Sides include baked potatoes, beans, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and banana pudding.



I ordered a combo plate with pulled pork, chicken, deviled eggs, and macaroni and cheese. Plus red sauce and white sauce. Lemonade to drink.



The red sauce is a Carolina style with a good bit of vinegar. The white sauce is a mayo-vinegar-black pepper concoction that is tangy. The meats themselves had good flavor, and the sides were decent as well. Nothing too out of the ordinary on that front - but I was very excited to try my first authentic Alabama style white sauce.



Grade: A