The Five Best Barbecue Spots in St. Louis

Selecting Riverfront Times' Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this Gut Check series, we are chewing our way through notable runners up in a number of categories. To see hundreds more winners and finalists and download the Riverfront Times Best of St. Louis mobile app, visit our Best of St. Louis homepage.

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Jennifer Silverberg
Pitmaster Skip Steele glazes ribs at Bogart's Smokehouse.
​How do you know that 2011 has been a very, very good year for barbecue in St. Louis? Because neither of the two restaurants that have garnered the most national attention -- and deservedly so -- can claim the top spot.

Here are Riverfront Times' five finalists in the category "Best Barbecue."

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Jennifer Silverberg
The ribs at the Piccadilly at Manhattan
​5. The Piccadilly at Manhattan (7201 Piccadilly Avenue; 314-646-0016)

The Piccadilly is the only one of the finalists that isn't a barbecue joint. In fact, barbecue -- specifically, baby-back ribs -- isn't always available at this neighborhood gem near the city's border with Maplewood. So if you happen to visit on a day when owner Nick Collida has fired up the smoker, don't hestiate: Order a rack of the smoky, meaty, tender ribs. (If the ribs aren't available, don't fret. The rest of the menu is pretty tasty, too.)

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Jennifer Silverberg
The smoked half-chicken at PM BBQ
4. PM BBQ (Long Road & Edison Avenue, Chesterfield; 636-536-1966)

After several years of winning trophies in local barbecue contests, Paul Lamers and Mark Ruck opened their first restaurant last year. They continue to rack up awards, including a nod from Riverfront Times as "Best Beef Brisket" in 2011. The brisket, smoked for twelve hours, is so tender that the restaurant isn't afraid to slice it a bit on the thick side. Just as delicious is the moist, peppery smoked half-chicken.


Location Info

Venue

Map

Piccadilly at Manhattan

7201 Piccadilly Ave., Maplewood, MO

Category: Restaurant

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PM BBQ

Long Road & Edison Ave., Chesterfield, MO

Category: Restaurant

17th Street Bar & Grill-O'Fallon

1711 W. Highway 50, O'Fallon, IL

Category: Restaurant

Pappy's Smokehouse

3106 Olive St., St. Louis, MO

Category: Restaurant

Bogart's Smokehouse

1627 S. 9th St., St. Louis, MO

Category: Restaurant

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5 comments
darius_ford
darius_ford

Opening in a week or so is a new barbecue place in South City call Smoking Barrels.  The guy who owns it has a lot of experience - it should be good!

Developmentman1
Developmentman1

Being a Certified Barbecue Judge with the Kansas City Barbecue Society, I have to give the win to Lil' Mickey's BBQ in St. Peters.  No, it's not in St. Louis, but well worth the drive west.

Chunky
Chunky

Although, I am not a BBQ judge, I have tried a few of the places mentioned in the article. I would have to agree with you; Lil Mickey's BBQ is on the top of my list also.

Susiejc53
Susiejc53

I love Picadilly's ribs and their fried chicken, pot pie and on and on!! Great food.

Mike N.
Mike N.

Ever been out to Uncle Huffy's in Lebanon, IL?  It's a great little soul-foodish barbecue place -- they even have snoots!  Great stop going to or from Carlyle Lake.

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