The wifey and I were in St. Louis for a couple of days, so of course barbecue was on the agenda. I'm always in the mood for smoked meat, but she's more of the soup and sandwich kind of gal, at least for lunch that is. Monty's Sandwich Company was perfect because it had menu options to satisfy both of our differing palates.
Monty's was right downtown, which put us in a great location to visit the Gateway Arch after lunch. There were a few cafe-style tables outside, though all of them were empty given the chilly temperatures and gusty winds. Inside, we found a pretty standard deli atmosphere. The big windows were fun for watching passers-by.
Today's lunch special was a Brisket Burger. I wasn't clear whether the brisket was supposed to be in addition to or in lieu of the hamburger patty, but it didn't matter because they were somehow already sold out by 12:15pm. I guess it's a pretty popular special 'round these parts. Disappointed, I settled on the Carolina Grilled Cheese instead: smoked pulled pork, bbq sauce, and Swiss and cheddar cheeses (the online menu lists only Monterrey Jack cheese) on Parmesan-encrusted white bread. I also added on some fries and a drink for a nice combo.
The fries were of the handcut, homemade variety, which are infinitely better than frozen. These were nicely seasoned with just a hint of salt. Maybe it was the handmade nature of them, but many of the fries were sadly a little tough and chewy.
As for the sandwich, it had its ups and its downs too. It was kind of messy to eat, but worth the trouble. The pulled pork was nice and tender, though a tad dry in some bites. I caught a few sauceless pieces of pork and found them to be severely lacking in the flavor department. The sauce itself was tasty but perhaps a little too potent. I thought the sweetness of the sauce worked well with the gooey cheese, especially the cheddar. The Swiss/cheddar combo was actually a better barbecue pairing than Monterrey Jack would have, so I guess this substitution was a blessing in disguise. Although the menus both in-house and online advertised Parmesan-crusted white bread, Parmesan was nowhere to be found - just plain white bread. My sandwich was good, but could have and should have been better.
The sign out front of Monty's Sandwich Company says that they smoke all of their own meats. I'm assuming this means an electric smoker, because I couldn't taste any smoke at all. Monty's would be a great place to go for a pastrami on rye or a Reuben, but barbecue might just be a little out of their league.
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Monty's Sandwich Company
200 N. Broadway
Suite 110
St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 241-7900
http://stlmontys.com/
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