Moe’s Original Bar B Que has recently expanded to its 17th location here in Auburn. The new location opened March 8 at 125 E. Magnolia.

Moe’s was founded by three Bama boys: Mike Fernandez from Tuscaloosa, Ben Gilbert from Athens, and Jeff Kennedy from Huntsville. The three guys met at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and bonded over all things Southern: from barbeque to football.

In 1988, Fernandez learned from Tuscaloosa local Moses Day how to roast meat in his backyard barrel pit. Day’s barbeque made him a local celebrity and his passion for grilling eventually turned into a business.

Fernandez, Gilbert and Kennedy eventually went on to culinary school in Vail, Colo. When Day passed away the guys decided to have Day’s legacy live on by opening Moe’s in Vail.

“When they went to culinary school and graduated, instead of getting a fru-fru chef job they decided to get a big trailer in Vail and start serving Moe’s Bar B Que and put their culinary twist on some of the stuff,” said local owner John Moss.

The guys used fruit wood to smoke the meats and topped it off with two different sauces. The residents in Vail ate it up.

“Vail is a really rich area and every food concept on planet earth has been done in Vail except old school Alabama style soul food and barbeque,” Moss said. “It went crazy.”

The guys eventually expanded and now have 17 locations including Birmingham, Orange Beach, Tuscaloosa, Denver, Huntsville and more.

When Moss failed out of school at Colorado State, his father sent him to the University of Alabama where he began working at Moe’s. Now Moss owns several stores. He opened the Auburn location and will soon open a location in Athens, Ga.

Fernandez and some of his family graduated from Auburn and Moss said they’ve been dying to open an Auburn location.

Moe’s serves pork, ribs, smoked turkey, chicken, wings, fried shrimp and catfish. Sides include baked beans, marinated slaw, potato salad, banana pudding, chips and special sides are offered daily.

Moss said that all of the meat and sides are prepared fresh daily.

“We will on occasion run out because everything is fresh daily,” Moss said. “The idea is to run out because we don’t serve leftovers the next day.”

Moss added that all of the meat is slow roasted and the wings are smoked and then fried.

A sandwich, a choice of two sides and a drink is $9. Platters are served with cornbread, two sides and a drink for $10. Options for both include pulled pork, smoked chicken and turkey, fried catfish and shrimp, chicken wings and more.

The ambience at Moe’s offers a laid back atmosphere.

“It’s extremely laid back,” Moss said. “We’re all very outdoorsy; a lot of us are from Colorado or have lived there at some point.”

He added that most of the workers at each franchise are college students and that the restaurants are all owned by mutual friends or those who have worked at Moe’s.

“That way we get people that are passionate about it,” he said.

Moe’s offers a full bar and daily drink specials. Draft beer offered includes Shock Top, Denver Ale, Truck Stop, Magic Hat, Budweiser and Bud Light. Daily specials include $1 Pabst Blue Ribbon and Natural Light Tall Boys.

Moe’s will offer weekly entertainment from acoustic acts to bands. Moe’s hours are 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

For more, visit moesoriginalbbq.com.