ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — “So Good, Sauce is Optional” is the sign that greets you as you pull into the parking lot of The Hickory House BBQ restaurant in Hwy. 59 in Robertsdale, and owner Melinda Bowden is aiming to prove that theory on Friday as she shares grilling tips for making pork spare ribs on WKRG TV 5’s cooking show at noon in Mobile.

“I will be given three minutes to cook my ribs and show the ingredients I use to make them and give grilling tips to the viewers. Because the Fourth of July is coming up soon, I thought this would be good to show. Three minutes is not much time but I will be able to get all my stuff together during the commercial breaks. It should be a fun time,” Bowden said.

Back to back third place wins at the BBQ and Blues Festival in Foley in 2010 and 2011 for her ribs gave Bowden the exposure she needed to get the attention of both channel 5 and 10’s cooking show producers and she is hoping this will bring in more business to her restaurant.

A native of Loxley and resident of Rosinton, Bowden is no stranger to good Southern cooking and has always grilled and smoked ribs for her family. In August, 2009, she and her husband decided to take the restaurant plunge and dove head first into revitalizing it.

“I was working at Family Promise as a driver and knew of the restaurant and then when the owner decided to sell it, my husband and I thought we could make a go of it and began cleaning it up and making it a more family-friendly restaurant,” Bowden said.

Not having any experience in running a restaurant and being a nighttime disc jockey at Cat County 98.7 radio station in Pensacola, Bowden said she was relying on her experience cooking for her own family and the lessons learned from her mom to make the restaurant a success.

“There has been a lot of experimentation and trial and error in the two years we have been open. We have made some major improvements in the quality of the food and the atmosphere of the restaurant and so far, it has paid off. We have added a lot of of new things to the menu and people seem to like them,” Bowden said.

With seven part-time employees, including her three kids, Bowden said they all work as a team and have a great time cooking and meeting and talking to all the customers who come in.

“Our first summer was okay as we were trying to get used to the business and then last year was horrible because of the economy and the oil spill. So far, this year, we have done really well and see a good mixture of locals and tourists. I used to hate having to deal with the traffic on 59 but now I love it because it means more business for us,” Bowden said.

Using a special blend of spices and some that will remain a secret fro her dry-rub recipe, Bowden said this can be used on just about any meat except lamb. “Lamb is a little bit different texture and doesn’t really taste good using this blend.”

Offering a variety of appetizers including fried pickles along with pulled pork, spare ribs, beef brisket, smoked chicken, brunswick stew, baked beans, fried cabbage (Bowden’s own creation), turnips, mac and cheese and coleslaw, Bowden said there is something to please everyone.

One of Bowden’s biggest sellers is the “Big Boy” sandwich, piled high with slow smoked pulled pork on an extra large grilled sourdough bun, topped off with ranch slaw, another of Bowden’s creations.

“We are always experimenting with different things to see what people like and have found the big boy to be the best thing so far. We also have five different sauces to add to the flavor of the bbq,” Bowden said.

Hickory House is also available for catering events and parties and helping out in the community and schools. “We loving being involved in the schools and community and have done a lot with Robertsdale High School,” Bowden said.

And because business has done so well in Robertsdale, Bowden is opening a second location in Foley on the corner of Hwy. 98 and County Road 65, where Casey’s BBQ used to be. “We are going to open next week and my daughter is going to run it. Our cook is going to be splitting his time between the two places and I am going to quit my work at the radio station to be here all the time. We are hoping we do well enough my husband can get out of the construction business and help me with both places. That’s the goal anyway.”

Not really having role models she bases her cooking style on, Bowden said she does a lot of her cooking by trying new things and experimenting with different ingredients. “ I really don’t use a recipe book and call my mom all the time to get her advice on different dishes. In fact, she is going to eventually open her own restaurant in Fairhope and offer home cooking and take-home meals for families on the go. I do like to watch “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” on the Food Network though.”

Open seven days a week, Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. -8 p.m.. and Sunday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Hickory House is located at 22951 Hwy. 59 and phone number is (251) 947-8720. Full menu and prices can be seen at www.hickoryhouseonlin.com There is also a facebook page.

Bowden’s Meat Rub recipe and grilling tips are:

3/4 cup chili powder

3/4 cup paprika

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup onion powder

1/4 cup garlic powder

1/4 cup cayenne

1/4 cup cumin

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons salt

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl well by hand, making sure there are no lumps. Generously rub pork, chicken, beef or ribs with mixture, cover well and let sit for a minimum of two hours (For best flavor, cover and leave in fridge overnight)

Place meat on grill with indirect heat at minimum 200 degrees as follows:

-whole chicken, one hour or at least 165 degrees

-whole beef brisket, four to six hours or at least 160 degrees

-Boston Butt, four to six hours or at least 160 degrees

-Pork Spare Ribs, two hours or at least 160 degrees