Fu l l Moon B B Q: H o no ring T radit ional So u thern ‘Que BY REBECCA FENDING
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he South is no stranger to what makes barbecue, especially when it comes to techniques and philosophies that create great meats. This same sentiment goes for the Maluff brothers, David and Joe, of Full Moon BBQ. Taken over in 1996, this barbecue brand has made a name for itself throughout the South. David explains that growing up, Maluff family life revolved around food. “We come from a family of food. We’re Lebanese; everything revolves around food. And when it came to sharing and cooking food, Mediterranean cuisine is always popular.” From this love of cultural food came his mother’s catering business. Working out of the family home’s kitchen, Mama Maluff made food for anyone who came to Birmingham, Alabama, and was looking for Lebanese or Mediterraneanstyle food. “We were born into the food business. We just had a sense of what would work, and that really adds up after working with food since I was 15,” says David. Full Moon BBQ’s story begins in 1986, when Pat “Coach” James, of University of Alabama, LSU, University of Oklahoma fame, and his wife, Eloise, bought and operated the first Full Moon BBQ location in southern Birmingham. In 1996, the Maluff brothers made Coach an offer he couldn’t refuse after falling in love with the brand’s mode of operation and beliefs. The brothers soon took over the barbecue brand. From then
30 • April/May 2022
Owners of the Madison, MS, location. From left to right: Joe Maluff, Brian Ahmed, David Maluff
