Paul Woodard, owner of Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Que and Catering in Warrior, tends to the new fire pit at his restaurant, which was rebuilt after being destroyed by fire in May.

After almost seven months of rebuilding, Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Que and Catering in Warrior is open again.

The restaurant was forced to close in late May after a fire gutted the back of the building, where most of the restaurant’s cooking was done.

“It’s been a lot of work, and we’ve had to learn some patience,” said Big Daddy himself, Paul Woodard. “The contractors have been great, and the North Jefferson area has been really supportive.”

Big Daddy’s doors reopened at 11 a.m. on Thursday, and Kimberlyresident and emergency medical technician Paul Estes was the first one through the door. Estes said Big Daddy’s was a big part of his life before the fire.

“I’ll eat here at least once a week,” he said. “But, the people here are better than anything else.  They’ll remember your name even if you’ve only been here once.”

Estes even puts in orders at Big Daddy’s for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

“I’m not much of a cook… We had to eat sandwiches for Thanksgiving this year,” he said.

Matt McDonough worked at Big Daddy’s before it burned, and he said he was excited to return to work. He helped Woodard set up for his reopening.

“Everywhere I would go, even if I was just getting gas, people would ask, ‘when are you guys opening back up?’” he said. “I’ve been counting the days. It’s so good to be back.”

Bambi McAvoy works a few blocks from Big Daddy’s as a dental hygienist at Dr. Susan Wells’ office. She said she had been counting the days, too.

“They’re a big part of the community. They help out the schools a lot,” she said.

Since the fire destroyed his cooking area, Woodard decided to build it back better than it was. His old building had several grills in the back; Woodard ditched the grills in favor of a real brick fire pit. The new design also opens up some space to make work easier for Woodard and

his crew.

“When the fire happened, we didn’t know exactly what would transpire,” said Woodard. “But the contractors came in and did an excellent job… We’re humbled that we were able to open again.”

Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Que has won numerous awards and recognitions for its food, including being listed as one of the Birmingham area’s 100 best restaurants.

The restaurant is located at 407 Main Street in Warrior.