Up from the Pit
After the march of decades and an unexpected electrical fire, Leo and Susie’s Green Top BBQ continues to endure.
Words & Image by Justin Hunter
Every week, the comforting aroma of burning hickory envelopes Green Top BBQ in Dora as pit masters prepare hunks of pork for the day's orders. Outside, billowing white clouds like fog hugging the Black Warrior's slow-moving waters religiously drift over Highway 78 East. Things seem to be chugging along as usual.
But everything changed on the morning of Wednesday, January 26, 2022, when, instead of white, a deep brown smoke from an electrical fire drifted into the sky above Green Top. Owner Tony Headrick was awakened at 6 a.m. by a phone call from an employee that alerted him that his family's beloved restaurant was on fire.
"When I got there, the fire department was already on site and had contained the fire, so it didn't damage the building too much. However, the damage it did cause was significant," said Tony. "One of my employees had the best description of walking into the restaurant after the fire. It was like seeing one of your loved ones on life support. It was hard for me to see. I grew up there and started working at the restaurant after high school."
When Kenneth and Alton Cook established Green Top BBQ in 1951, the restaurant wasn't more than a 20x30 concrete-block building with one fire pit and no indoor plumbing. Kenneth and Alton later sold the business to Edith Carey, who would sell it to Tony's grandparents, Leo and Susie Headrick. The couple purchased Green Top BBQ on September 22, 1973 for $25,000. The payments spread over five years.
The restaurant's business boomed due to its great location, fantastic food, and cold beer. Green Top was a beer oasis on the Walker-Jefferson County line for those residents and travelers needing a cold drink. Unfortunately, every county west of Jefferson was still dry, suffering under the weight of laws left over from the days of Prohibition. As a result, Green Top sold more beer than barbecue back then.
"The Green Top was the first spot until Jasper went wet in the mid-‘80s that you could sit down and buy alcohol," Tony recalled. "Thursday used to be the night folks from Jasper would come down, and it would be standing room only."
Tony is the third generation of Headricks to own and operate the restaurant. Rather than reinvent the wheel, Tony adopted a "don't fix it if it ain't broke" philosophy.” The basics of the menu haven't changed in decades, save the addition of wings, cheese curds, baked potatoes, and salads. The pulled pork sandwich is still Green Top’s top seller.
"We try to take care of each customer and serve them a great homemade meal," Tony said. "I'd suggest folks try the barbeque potatoes or the wings."
Due to the fire, Green Top is currently operating out of the old location of Dora Cafe. Tony and his team have worked tirelessly to recreate the atmosphere of the old location in the new space. Unfortunately, it's a home away from home, as the original site is still under renovation.
Tony hopes for the business to return to Highway 78 sometime in 2023. Until then, support an iconic Alabama restaurant by making the short drive down to Dora, grabbing a pulled pork sandwich, soda, or a cold beer if you feel so inclined. 78