During its short stay in San Diego, the USS Alabama, the sixth TRIDENT class nuclear powered Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine, was treated to a feast of mouth-watering bar-b-q from Big Jim's Old South Bar-B-Q restaurant. Jim Wade, the owner of Big Jim's, had been wanting to visit the submarine, which bears his home state's name. On Saturday, June 14th, Big Jim and a crew from the restaurant delivered the feast to the ship's crew of 160 in exchange for a tour.

The buffet was set up on the pier, directly beside the 560-foot juggernaut for an hour while the crew sporadically debarked and lined up for the feast. The ships galley provided oatmeal cookies to round out the meal. The Captain, Commanding Officer Thomas G. Wears, thanked Big Jim for the Southern hospitality and presented him with an autographed photograph of the boat and an engraved plaque in the shape of the State of Alabama, with the inscription that marked the date of the event. Jake Hoftiezer, from Dell Rapids, South Dakota, is the boat's CHOP and is in charge of all food and small parts on board the USS Alabama and was in charge of the tour that followed the feeding.

While most of the crew were not from the State of Alabama, Big Jim thought they should know what their namesake means by serving them real Southern Bar-B-Q. Big Jim grew up and lived in Clanton, Alabama most of his life but moved to California in 1998 and opened Big Jim's Old South Bar-B-Q, in February 2001. The entire restaurant is filled with Southern memorabilia, including a picture of Bear Bryant and the official state flag from all of the Southern states. As Jim was leaving, a crew member presented him with the flag that was flying at the time he boarded the vessel, to add to his collection.

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