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St. Louis, Missouri is known for a few big things. It’s known for its arch which is called the Gateway to the West. It’s known for its zoo (which is the most-visited zoo in the entire country). And it’s known for its particular style of barbecued pork. This food has gotten so popular that people eat it all over the nation but the best place to go get it remains St. Louis itself.

St. Louis Barbecue Sauce

St. Louis Barbecue refers to the special kind of barbecue sauce that is used in this part of the country. It’s said to be thicker than Texas barbecue sauce but not as thick as the sweet sauce that can be found in Kansas City. It’s also said to have a level of spiciness that is somewhere in between that hot Texas taste and the sweet syrup of other locations. In other words, St. Louis barbecue sauce is a happy medium to the other sauces throughout the nation and people will come from all over to get a taste of it.

St. Louis Barbecue Pork

Although St. Louis barbecue sauce can be used on any type of meat, it’s most commonly used on pork. When people start talking about “St. Louis BBQ”, they’re almost always talking about either pork ribs or pork steak slathered with that magic barbecue sauce. True hardcore St. Louis barbecue fans may even be referring to “crispy snoots”, a food that is made out of barbecued pork cheeks. If you’re looking to eat true St. Louis barbecue food then these are the foods that you’ll want to keep an eye out for.

Best Barbecue Restaurants in St. Louis

Because St. Louis is so widely known for its great barbecue, you can bet that it’s not hard to find these foods on the menus of most restaurants in the city. However, some places are better than others at really giving their patrons that great barbecue taste that they’ve come to find. Following you’ll find some of the top barbecue restaurants to try during the time that you’re living or vacationing in St. Louis:

• Bandana’s Bar-B-Q. This is one of the best barbecue restaurants in St. Louis if you’re looking for a place that will lure you in just by the smell. It’s got barbecue wood smokers running twenty four hours a day throughout the year so that the scent of that barbecued meat emanates out from the building. If you’re a fan of barbecue, it’s bound to get your mouth watering even if you truly think that you can’t possibly eat another bite of food. This is a business that prides itself on really investing in the quality of its barbecue. They slow cook all of their meat in those smokers so it gets infused with that barbecue taste. They also rely on fresh, local ingredients to supply their menu. In other words, if you could be on an old-time ranch getting barbecue like the cowboys used to make it, this is what it would be like. And you don’t even have to go all the way to St. Louis to get it because this restaurant got so popular that it spread to additional locations in other neighboring states.

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• Big Mama’s Barbecue. If you aren’t afraid to cross state lines, there’s a great little BBQ restaurant about thirty minutes away from St. Louis in a town called Belleville, Indiana. In terms of cost, this is where you’re going to get the most for your money when it comes to terrific St. Louis barbecue. Basically, you’ll get slow-cooked, homemade barbecue meals here for prices that are comparable to fast food. Make sure to order whatever is on the chalkboard as the special of the day because it’s always what’s best.
• C&K Barbecue Restaurant. This is a restaurant that tends not to appeal to most travelers because of the fact that it’s a take-out only kind of place. It was built into an old gas station several decades ago and remains a place where you can pick up your food and go on your merry way. If you ask the locals, it’s one of the top barbecue restaurants in the city. And if you’re looking for those “crispy snoots” that you can’t find anywhere besides St. Louis, this is the best place to get them. Don’t let the lack of a seating area deter you, get your takeout barbecue and head to the nearest park to enjoy your wonderfully messy meal.
• Pappy’s Smokehouse. This is one of the newest great barbecue restaurants in St. Louis, having just opened in February of this year. It’s getting rave reviews from the critics who like everything from the huge picnic table seating (both indoors and out) to the friendly manner that the owner adopts with everyone who comes into the restaurant. It’s one of the best restaurants in the city which falls into the category of “dry bbq”. What this term refers to is that the barbecue sauce is served on the side, something that is done to show the people eating there that it’s not only the sauce that’s good but that the meat itself is tasty.

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• Phil’s Barbecue. In contrast to the “dry” style that you’ll find at a place like Pappy’s is a style of St. Louis Barbecue called “stewing style”. Many people prefer this type of barbecue in which the meat is allowed to simmer inside the barbecue sauce for a time before it is served. The taste of the meat itself is still there but the sauce permeates it more than when you order your BBQ dry. And if you’re looking for a place to try this stewed style of BBQ then the place that you’re looking to find is Phil’s. In business for the last forty years, Phil’s is considered a staple of the St. Louis barbecue restaurant scene and stewed perfection is what the restaurant is best known for.
• Rib City Restaurant. This restaurant only gets an honorable mention in the BBQ category because it’s not actually a restaurant but rather a catering service. However, its specialty is bringing barbecue ribs and tips to the companies that are hosting conventions and meetings in the St. Louis area. Since a significant number of people come to the city on business, this is a good place to know about.
• Roper’s Ribs. You’ll have to drive just outside of St. Louis to nearby Jennings. Missouri to get this barbecue but you’ll be glad that you took the time to do so. It’s a family-owned restaurant that is operated by a husband-and-wife team who have been in the business since the 1970’s. They tend to exaggerate a little about the taste of their food (they claim it’s the best in the universe) but the people who eat here generally support what they say. Ribs is what you’ll get here and they’ve got them in several different styles.
• Trainwreck Saloon. This is something of a tourist attraction in St. Louis although it’s loved by the locals as well. It’s a very “Western” style place that shows off the side of St. Louis that is associated with being the “gateway to the West”. In terms of the food, it’s basically a sports bar kind of restaurant but there are St. Louis style BBQ ribs on the menu that are considered some of the best that are available in the city. You’ll also find interesting options like bison burgers and ostrich burgers. This is a great place for the average traveling family to go in order to get good ribs while still having a menu diverse enough that everyone can find something on it to enjoy.

Tags: Barbecue | BBQ | Food | Food & Dining | Missouri | North America | restaurants | St. Louis | United States