It was Day 2 in St. Louis, and I was geared up for some more
smoky goodness. I was torn between Pappy’s Smokehouse and the newer Bogart’s,
which has supposedly knocked Pappy’s off the throne of St. Louis barbecue in
recent years. The Pappy’s website had a quote from their owner front and center
which read, “We've got nothing to hide so the sauce is on the side!” He
seemed like a man after my own heart, so that was enough to solidify my choice.
I got to Pappy’s bright and early around 10:30am to avoid
any problems with long lines. I was on a bit of a time crunch and really
couldn’t afford a 30-45 minute wait to order. Arriving early would also help
ensure that I’d receive the first fruits of their barbecue harvest. Along the
street out front I saw two large smokers billowing white clouds, and I suspect
they had already been working in full force for several hours by this point. I
didn’t notice a line when I pulled up, so I hung out in my rental car for 15
minutes and then headed inside.
There were signs along the outside of the building with QR
codes linking smartphone-equipped patrons directly to the Pappy’s menu. When
you finally approach the register, there’s another sign which reads, “You
should know what you want to order by now.” Clearly they anticipate long lines.
Luckily for me, they started taking orders around 10:50am today to get a jump
on things. By 10:58am, the line was almost to the front door. Getting here early
was definitely a good call.
I really wanted to try several different menu items, but I
knew there wasn’t enough room in my stomach to sample all of it. My eyes
usually get the better of me, so I was proud of this rare spurt of sensibility.
Ribs is what Pappy’s is most known for, so I ordered up a half-rack, which seemed
like a more appropriate lunch portion than a full slab. You get two sides with
the ribs, and I chose potato salad and deep-fried corn on the cob.
My ribs came out piping hot, so I started with the sides
while they cooled a bit. The potato salad was of the mustard variety with big
chunks of potato. There was a good sweetness to it, though not much else. I
didn’t really get any crunch from the typical potato salad veggies; it was
mostly just potatoes. I wish there had been some black pepper in the mix for a
little kick. I thought I had gotten my fill of deep-fried food last weekend at
the State Fair of Texas, but I couldn’t resist deep-fried corn on the cob. I
wasn’t sure what I’d receive when I ordered it. The corn wasn’t battered (part
of me really hoped it would be), just cooked in the deep fryer. This atypical
cooking method gave the corn a nice char and also caramelized its natural
sugars a bit too.
With my side dishes thoroughly sampled, it was time for the
main course. The ribs had a magnificent crust that glistened in the sunlight,
while the meat beneath had a beautiful hue from the smoke. I could tell right
away that these would be some tasty ribs. They were a little hard to dissect
with a plastic fork and knife, but I made do. The meat was very tender and
cooked perfectly. Each bite pulled away clean while the rest of the rib stayed
intact. I caught a decent amount of apple/cherry wood smoke in each bite, which
paired nicely with the sweet, sugary glaze. I’m used to more basic salt and
pepper rubs in Central Texas, but this style of barbecue certainly has its
merits, too. There wasn’t a shred of meat left on those bones by the time I was
done.
All of the employees at Pappy’s were really friendly and
seemed genuinely concerned with the product they put out. Even the owner Mike
(aka Smokey) came up and checked to see how I was enjoying my meal. I
appreciate that kind of personal attention to service from a restaurateurs (and yes, that is the correct spelling).
When all was said and done, I ended up buying a witty souvenir t-shirt to
commemorate the visit: “There’s no such thing as too much butt.” Indeed.
Beef reigns supreme back home in Texas, but not in Missouri.
Hog is clearly the meat of choice in this neck of the woods, and Pappy’s Smokehouse
has become an expert in cooking it. I’m glad I went early, but barbecue this
good would certainly be worth the wait.
**********
Pappy's Smokehouse
3106 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 535-4340
http://www.pappyssmokehouse.com/
.JPG "There's No Such Thing As Too Much Butt")
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