How Atlanta's Lost BBQ Spot Fed Civil Rights Leaders and History

Atlanta's food history once centred on barbecue, long before wings became the city's signature dish. Aleck's Barbeque Heaven stood as a key part of this tradition, drawing in locals and civil rights leaders alike. The restaurant, now gone, left behind a legacy tied to both flavour and history.

The spot was a favourite of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who often visited for ribs, his preferred dish. His wife, Coretta Scott King, later confirmed that Aleck's was his top choice for barbecue in Atlanta. The restaurant sat near West Hunter Street Baptist Church, a gathering place for figures like Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and King himself.

Owner Earnest Alexander kept the doors open for civil rights leaders, even when they requested late-night meals. His homemade 'Comeback' sauce became a defining feature of the menu. Today, the original site is occupied by a Walmart, erasing the physical trace of the beloved eatery.

Pamela Alexander, Earnest's daughter, still hears stories about the restaurant. She takes pride in knowing that people remember Aleck's Barbeque Heaven, decades after its closure.

Though the building is gone, Aleck's Barbeque Heaven remains a cultural landmark in Atlanta's past. Its connection to civil rights leaders and its role in the city's dining scene endure in memory. The 'Comeback' sauce and Earnest Alexander's hospitality live on through the stories of those who once dined there.