While Heavy’s was used as the filming location for all the bar scenes we see throughout the movie, scenes of Jake and Melanie’s surprise party seen at the end of the movie were actually shot on a set in Glendale, California. As seen in the movie, the film crew did an awesome job with the place. Some of the items rented include: pool tables, neon signs, billiard lightning, bar tables and stools, telephone booth, and pictures.

However, those decorations were temporarily replaced with a large wood bar and several other items that were rented for the shoot. In order for this to happen, the set dressers moved a lot of Heavy’s decorations to a storage facility since the items didn’t fit well in a bar theme. Since Heavy’s isn’t a real bar it had to be transformed to look like one for the movie. The family-owned BBQ joint has been a local favorite for more than 35 years and it’s still open today. Heavy’s Bar-B-Q was built in 1978 and opened its doors for business in March 1979.

Stella’s Roadhouse, the local honky-tonk redneck dive, is the bar where Melanie gets hammered, insults all of her childhood friends, fights with Jake, and then pukes in his truck to end the evening on a high note.

Cast of sweet home alabama movie