Fatty Shack opens in Phil Campbell

Fatty Shack owners and managers and Franklin County Chamber of Commerce members gather to celebrate a ribbon cutting for Fatty Shack in Phil Campbell.

Mrs. D’s restaurant in Phil Campbell has a facelift and new menu items – in fact, a whole new identity.

The Fatty Shack officially joined the community Friday with a ribbon cutting celebration.

“It was just time for a change,” said Alyssa Weeks, who runs the restaurant with husband Nathan. Her parents, Bruce and Lisa Forman, bought the restaurant in January. “Our barbecue and smoked chicken is taking off. It’s really a hit.”

Weeks said they have added several menu items, like barbecue potatoes, barbecue nachos and barbecue fries to highlight the signature meat. Breakfast is also still a favorite, and the lunch line has been “spruced up. It’s not the same old, plain-Jane stuff.”

She said changing the name was definitely the right move for the restaurant. “It’s really gotten our barbecue and smoked chicken out there. When people heard ‘Mrs. D’s,’ nobody thought, ‘Oh, I bet they have great barbecue.’

“We’ve had great community support.”