In the 1940s and 1950s all across the American south, African-American entrepreneurs were opening up businesses, small joints that were often in their own homes, and were providing goods and services to people of color who couldn’t get them elsewhere because of segregation.

In 1942 Jereline and Larry James Bethune opened up the Siesta Club where they served food and entertainment to their neighbors in Washington Park on the West side of Montgomery, Alabama. Later, they switched their business to carry-out barbeque and named it Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit in honor of one of their daughters.

In 1954 when the spark of Rosa Park’s refusal to move to a seat on the back of the bus lit the fire of the Civil Rights Movement, it was black-owned businesses like Brenda’s, and people like Jereline and Larry James Bethune, that helped this historic movement succeed.

Jereline, widowed in 1956, not only raised five children alone, but she also continued serving some of the best barbeque in Montgomery while at the same time helping civil rights organizers in the area. Jereline opened up Brenda’s so the organizers would have a safe place to make their plans and print out fliers in support of the protests and bus boycotts that were heating up in Alabama.

After the bus boycotts ended, Jereline continued her quiet devotion to helping the disenfranchised black community by teaching other African-Americans to read and write so they could pass the discriminatory literacy test and gain the right to vote.

Jereline’s hard work through difficult times and her determination to build a business that she could hand down to her children and grandchildren as her legacy paid off.

In 2020, Brenda’s celebrated its 78th birthday and is the oldest barbeque restaurant still operating in Montgomery. Today, Jereline and Larry James’ son Larry owns and operates Brenda’s Bar-B-Q Pit with his daughter Donetta. Together they proudly continue to serve some of the best barbeque in all of Montgomery from the tiny brick building that is packed with history.

Larry and Donetta won’t give away all their secrets, but Larry says hickory smoke and tenderness are the reasons why their barbeque is so outstanding. The official slogan for the business is: “Cause it’s tender”.

Barbeque from Brenda’s follows traditional Alabama barbeque norms – using hickory wood, cooking low and slow, not overwhelming the delicious meat which is mainly pork with too much red sauce – but just enough to make it tangy and finger-licking delicious.

When you visit Brenda’s you’ll probably meet Donetta or one of Jereline’s other grandchildren at the order window. Donetta worked her way up the ranks under the watchful eye of her grandmother. She started when she was about eight as a runner shuttling supplies and food from the pit to the kitchen and when she could take orders and count the money, her grandmother approved her promotion to the takeout counter.

Today at Brenda’s you can order takeaway pork ribs, chopped pork, chicken, fried fish, and their special pork ears served either as an entrée with two sides or as a sandwich. Your choice of freshly made sides includes coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, or French fries in small, medium, or large sizes.

The special pig ear sandwich is almost as popular as their ribs. If you order it all the way, it comes with ketchup, mustard, and just enough hot sauce served between two slices of white bread. If you like it extra spicy, just ask for more hot sauce.

You can find Brenda’s in western Montgomery, Alabama in the Washington Park neighborhood at 1457 Mobile Road. It’s close enough to highway 65 so if you’re driving through the area it’s easy to make a stop. Brenda’s is open from 10:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and until 9:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays and Mondays. If you’re visiting Brenda’s remember to bring cash, not plastic so you don’t miss out on the best barbeque in Montgomery.