After 30 years, Cliff Rhodes continues to cook for the community.

On December 8th, 2022, Pinnacle Bank Retiree Cliff Rhodes parked his grill outside of Pinnacle Bank in Jasper. He and his son-in-law, Matt Franklin, prepared chicken, baked beans, and potato salad for the Surface Mining Commission and the Pinnacle Bank employees.

For the past 30 years, Cliff’s Chicken has been a locally known favorite. It all started to raise money for the Methodist Men’s Club yearly church scholarship at First United Methodist Church in Jasper.

“The first time the Methodist Men's Club had the chicken cooking, they had it in front of the church. We cooked it on small grills, and most of the chicken was not done. So, we decided we had to borrow one from Bevill State from there on out,” says Cliff.

Things only grew from there, although the name “Cliff’s Chicken” did not come into play until later. “When we started doing this, I was in charge of making sure it got done right. And over time, they just started calling it Cliff’s Chicken,” he recalls.

Throughout the years, Cliff and other volunteers have cooked around the community, grilling chicken and steak for various organizations such as the Walker College Blue Tie Club, the Jasper Swim Team, the Walker Viking Quarterback Club, the Rotary Club, and local schools.

Cliff was eventually gifted a large grill by a local coal company so he could continue helping with benefits and local events.

Today, Cliff’s Chicken continues to cook for events around the Jasper area, free of charge.

Good food, good company, and good causes have brought people together over the years, and Cliff’s eagerness to be a part of these events (and, of course, the delicious chicken) is why Cliff’s Chicken continues to be a community favorite.

“We just have fun doing it, and people even like the chicken,” Cliff laughs. 78