Nestled in the west side of Mobile, Alabama, Meat Boss Barbecue is not just another barbecue joint—it’s a testament to family, legacy, and some seriously phenomenal food. Featured on an episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” Guy Fieri takes us on a flavor-packed journey into the heart of this family-run establishment.
See the clip here and our breakdown below:
A Bit of History
Guy kicks off the episode by sharing a bit of history about Meat Boss Barbecue. The restaurant was started by a man with no prior experience in the restaurant business, who unfortunately passed away. His wife and daughter, Leah Lot and Dara Chinis, have since taken over, preserving his legacy and making Meat Boss a go-to spot for barbecue lovers in Mobile. As Guy puts it, “On Triple D, it’s all about the food, the character, and the story.”
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Behind the Scenes
The episode is focused on one particular treat: the Boss Burger with Rib Candy. Dara, the head cook, walks Guy through the process of creating this mouth-watering burger. The meat of choice here is brisket, ground using a hand crank. They blend this with Chuck, Worcestershire sauce, Liquid Smoke, and their special burger seasoning. Guy can’t help but be impressed by their dedication to making everything from scratch, joking, “Am I getting Punk’d? Is Ashton Kutcher coming through here?”
Making the Boss Burger
The burger starts with a custom rub featuring salt, granulated garlic, black pepper, and granulated onion. The brisket and Chuck mix is then hand-formed into patties. Dara fries up the patties while Guy explores their unique system for managing orders—Clips with handwritten tags.
The preparation includes a deep dive into the making of their signature rib candy. Ribs are seasoned with salt, black pepper, granulated garlic, and lemon pepper before being smoked for six hours at about 280°F. Leah and Dara explain they run their smoker “hot,” much to Guy’s surprise. Their setup is unconventional, to say the least, using cast iron fireplace inserts because hair dryers kept melting!
For the rib candy, they prepare a sweet and spicy Carolina sauce with tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, brown sugar, salt, chili powder, black pepper, onion, garlic, curry powder, and cayenne. After smoking, ribs are deboned and mixed with honey, brown sugar, and the sweet sauce, then cooked again at 350°F for about 20 minutes.
Guy’s Verdict
Guy sums it up with high praise: “I thought it was too much sauce ’cause it’s only sauce, burger, and ribs with a little bit of cheese, but there’s so much flavor in it.”
With its juicy, tender rib candy and flavorful brisket patty, the Boss Burger is truly a standout.