Favorite Barbecue Joint?

[kopper]

Watching that video on preparing St. Louis-style ribs made me wonder what everyone's favorite BBQ joint is in St. Louis... Ya know, the ones that specialize in the stuff. Here are some (all of these may not be open any more... not sure since it's been years since I've checked some of them out): Phil's, Mama's Coal Pot, C & K, Big Jake's, Granddaddy's, Hayden's Country Bar-B-Que, Iowa Buffet, KT's Smokehouse, Michon's, Ms. Piggies, Penny's BBQ House, Smokemaster's Bar-B-Que & Fish, Smokin' Al's BBQ, Sweet Jo Mama's Barbecue, T.G. Hudson's Open Pit BBQ, Porky's Backyard BBQ, Bandana's?

[James Fete]

probably the Jamacian my friend gave me back in 1998 but i've given that up now.

[The Orbz]

My favorite place was AB BBQ in Florissant, but it's closed now.

My new favorite BBQ joint is Corky's in Memphis.

[kopper]

We usually just go to Smokin' Al's on Hampton. I like it, but it's not the best barbecue I've had (St. Louis or otherwise). For some reason I was just never that impressed with Phil's on Gravois either. But I have to admit it's been years since we ate there. Should we give it another shot?

The best barbecue I've ever had in Missouri (so far) is Perry Foster's in Warrensburg.

[kopper]

Is that the one you can see from I-70? Like on the south side of the highway?

I was really looking more for places closer to the city... O'Fallon is a bit far to drive for food (although it IS a lot closer than Warrensburg).

[Eric S]

For some reason I was just never that impressed with Phil's on Gravois either. But I have to admit it's been years since we ate there. Should we give it another shot?

Nooo... I don't really see the appeal of Phil's. It's meat overcooked in Maull's (I'm not joking, this is the word on the street) with cinnamon, maybe, and a bit of other seasonings thrown in. Waste of time and money, far as I'm concerned.

I used to like Marion's on Delmar a lot, but they closed. The best I've had in town in years was across the river at 17th Street Grill. Entirely worth the drive, meat's tender, the sweet, mustard-based sauce is fantastic (mind you, I usually hate mustard-based sauces). I haven't ventured to many of the places in North City - I figure I'm probably missing out. I had St. Louis Q (the one with "best Q in the Lou" on the side), it was pretty tasty and inexpensive. I hear good things about Reynolds' on Natural Bridge. I always pass by that place when I go to Goody Goody.

[brain]

outside of my uncle carls house or my back porch.....or my cousins husbands porch the best BBQ in st louis is too hard to choose. i like pennys when im in the mood to have portions insult starvig nations. when im down for a burger its all about smokin als. they have some amazing sauce as well. for a nic dinner i just usually give up and head to bandannas. mamas coal pot is some serious business though. in all of my travels though STUBBS in austin will lay the fuckin love on your ass every time. on sundays they have gospel choirs in the basement while you eat. not some meally mouthed gospel either. serious mahalia jackson and staple singers style church music. and i hate church so that should say it all.

[Scott Lasser]

I'm sorry, but I've lived here for 6 years now, and I haven't found one BBQ place in St. Louis that I've been happy with. I don't like STL style BBQ - I'm much more of a KC/Memphis/Texas style fan. And I agree w/ Perry Foster's in Warrensburg - it's fantastic! In fact, I ate both there and Gates BBQ in KC with The Circuit's very own Bill Streeter on a road trip a few years back. Next time I'm in KC with Laurel, we're gonna hit one or two of the mom and pop places.

My all-time favorite BBQ is Doug's Texas Style BBQ in Emeryville, CA, which unfortunately closed its doors for good this year. Also on my list would be the original Tunnel BBQ in Windsor, Ontario.

[Bill Streeter]

[Scott Lasser]

I did forget about one place in STL that I like - Fat Toney's, which is on 9th, just behind Soulard Market. Tony's from Arkansas, so the BBQ is more of the southern, pulled meat style (I'm more of a sliced brisket/meat-on-the-bone kind of guy), but Toney's is pretty darn good. It's a nice place inside, the staff is great, and there really IS a Fat Toney!

I also have to give props to Sugar Shack, which is in Calabash, NC. I just ate there a month ago. Jamaican style BBQ at it's finest.

[DrunkMonkey]

OK Kopper, I will street fight you on this. And you can pick your weapon. Knives, broken bottles, rib bones, I don't care. STL BBQ has nothing, and I mean nothing, on KC BBQ. Arthur Bryant's, JackStack, BB's Lawnside, even Smokestack and Gates are pound for pound are the greatest BBQ joints around. And no where else can you get burnt ends like you can in KC. So put that in your smoker and amoke it :)

[Scott Lasser]

Yeah, sadly, I have to agree with the Monkey. I have people from work that come out and visit me from our HQ in Wash DC all of the time, and they always ask me where to get good BBQ in STL, and I tell them "either KC, Memphis, or Chicago - take your pick"!

STL BBQ seems to appeal to the locals only. In fact, STL has a lot of weird food traditions - toasted ravioli, STL-style pizza (or as I like to call it, pizza-on-a-Wheat Thin), gooey butter cake, brain sandwiches... Personally, I like toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake, and I can eat STL pizza w/out yaking, but when I explained toasted ravioli to a friend of mine who lives in North Beach (San Francisco's version of The Hill), they laughed.

[Bill Streeter]

Yeah KC definately is much more of a BBQ town than St. Louis.