Edition: Kickin’ It in St. Louis
St. Louis Dining
Author: Thomas Crone
A BBQ Town After All
A list of tried-and-true favorites, along with a few best–kept secrets.
St. Louis can well handle the constant comparisons to its two regional rivals, Kansas City and Memphis, when it comes to being a barbecue town. By most measures—rubs, sauces, and cooking lengths, to name a few—the influences of all sorts of Midwestern BBQ variations can be found in local ‘Q joints. Here are a few recommendations on the best of the lot.
At 17th Street Grill (1711 W. Hwy. 50, O'Fallon, 618-622-1717), master barbecue chef Mike Mills is a three-time winner of the Memphis in May World Championships of Barbecue. Besides great press and word-of-mouth, he brings a resume that stretches from New York to Las Vegas, with a couple stops in exurban St. Louis for good measure. Featuring a variety of tasty dishes, critics suggest that the best way to approach the menu at 17th Street is to tackle the loaded sample platters, which will introduce you to up to half-a-dozen of the restaurant's well-received BBQ items.
Located in arguably the most vibrant walking district in the area—and just a few minutes away from Clayton and a couple more from Downtown—Mama's Coal Pot Bar-B-Que (6655 Delmar, 314-727-8034) enjoys one of the more intriguing names on our list and, it's well-known for its take-out, particularly slabs of ribs. You can either take with, back to wherever you may be heading, or you can enjoy the fare in a sort of open-air market area on Delmar, as there's no dine-in area here; just a hint of smoke and a cash register tell you this tucked-away little gem's in business.
Did you know…St. Louis-style barbecue sauce is generally tomato-based, thinned with vinegar, sweet, and spicy. It is not as sweet and thick as Kansas City-style barbecue sauce, nor as spicy-hot and thin as Texas-style.
Known for the sauce that's sold in grocery stores all over town, C&K Barbecue (4390 Jennings Station, 314-385-8100) is a simple, standalone, take-out restaurant. It offers some of the best barbecue in the city, and also sells some interesting soul food items like snoots and pig's ear sandwiches. This is as authentic a St. Louis BBQ experience as you'll find, a few minutes north of the Arch, in a humble, working class neighborhood. Don't expect fancy, just good.
Lampert's Plush Pig Barbecue (7814 Forsyth, Clayton, 314-725-4411) is a family-owned and operated restaurant offering a reasonably priced alternative for diners in a part of town that tends towards the tony. Here, a handful of barbecued items are augmented by everything from pastrami to burgers, though if you're going to go here, you may as well try the lead menu items, like spare ribs or roasted chicken. It's certainly a convenient, laid-back, affordable spot for those staying or doing business in Clayton.
Though Big Mama's Barbeque (5110 North Belt West, Belleville, IL, 618- 239-0695) is located in Southern Illinois, rather than the American South, it serves up a Southern kitchen's worth of favorites, like sweet tea, fried okra, and mac-and-cheese to go along with your barbeque. The regulars from the nearby Southern IL communities might go with what's often considered a staple in the summertime: pork steak. They'd also suggest that this place is worth the extra minutes from Downtown or Clayton.
