Ala. barbecue restaurants spread in South (AP)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Alabama's best export might be slathered with sauce. 'Bama-based barbecue restaurants — known for their variety of styles — are spreading throughout the South and beyond, slowly gaining an out-of-state foothold in a highly regionalized business where diners can be pretty picky about what's on their plate. Any fan of Southeastern Conference football knows about Tuscaloosa's Dreamland BBQ Ribs, which started in a smoky, dark building in 1958 a few miles from the University ...