Austin Whereabouts, a barbecue restaurant on Pocahontas Road in Bessemer’s McCalla community, is the only Alabama barbecue joint recommended in the 2026 MICHELIN Guide American South selection. The restaurant, run by Johnny and Laura Lafoy, grew from a food truck into a brick-and-mortar business, and customer traffic has more than doubled since the recognition was announced.
The 2026 guide included 18 Alabama restaurants, according to Business Alabama. Austin Whereabouts was among the newcomers to the selection in the guide’s second year covering the region. A profile of the Lafoy family by Drew Taylor in AL.com reported on the restaurant’s growth and its place in the Alabama barbecue scene.
From Christmas Gift to Food Truck
Johnny Lafoy grew up in Hueytown and spent about a decade in automotive work before pursuing barbecue full time. The AL.com profile reported that a small smoker Laura gave him for Christmas in 2016 helped turn his interest into a pursuit, later strengthened by a visit to his sister in San Antonio and exposure to Central Texas barbecue. That style puts brisket at the center, smoked low and slow for eight to 12 hours below 300 degrees, unlike the pulled pork and vinegar-based sauces often associated with Alabama barbecue.
Lafoy began selling barbecue to people in his community before making the business his full-time work in 2022, while he still had three months left on his contract teaching automotive technology at Hueytown High School, according to the profile. He launched the food truck with help from his church and competed in local barbecue events with lifelong friend Jody Strickland, including CahaBAQue at Cahaba Brewing Company.
A Pitmaster Trained on YouTube
Strickland joined Austin Whereabouts as pitmaster. After four years operating the food truck, the Lafoys opened a restaurant in the former Smokin' Hot Sports Grill building on Pocahontas Road. The space has 16 tables and a J&R Oyler barbecue pit; the family has considered adding another pit and a courtyard out front, the AL.com account reported.
The menu includes a Texas Trinity plate with brisket, spare rib and sausage, as well as brisket, spareribs and cheddar-jalapeño sausage featured in the MICHELIN Guide Restaurants & Hotels listing. Michelin describes the restaurant as offering Central Texas barbecue in McCalla and notes its evolution from a food truck to a rustic restaurant. The listing also cautions weekend visitors to expect lines.
An Invitation to Nashville
The guide’s reviewers assess restaurants anonymously. After the recognition, Johnny Lafoy received an email inviting him and Laura to the MICHELIN Guide’s annual American South ceremony in Nashville in September, according to the AL.com profile.
Customer traffic has more than doubled since the announcement, the AL.com report said. The guide’s broader American South selection totaled 228 restaurants across 44 cuisine types in 2025; its inaugural edition included 10 One MICHELIN Star restaurants and one Two Star restaurant, according to Michelin.
