10 Best Barbecue Restaurants in St. Louis

St. Louis barbecue is famous for its unique local specialties, its emphasis on pork, and a vibrant scene that blends historic joints with modern craft establishments. While brisket is a staple, St. Louis barbecue culture celebrates items like grilled, sauce-slathered pork steaks and crispy snoots. The city's barbecue identity is also defined by its sauces, which are often sweeter and less spicy than those from other regions. While there isn't a strict geographical style division like "Central vs South," the culture is strong enough to support dedicated local coverage and informal rankings of the best spots, showcasing the city's deep appreciation for its specific style of barbecue.

St. Louis is home to a wide range of barbecue restaurant types, from historic, no-frills joints to modern, chef-driven establishments. This variety reflects the city's deep barbecue roots and its evolving food scene. The different types of barbecue restaurants found in St. Louis are listed below.

• Classic Old-School St. Louis BBQ Joints: These are the foundational establishments, often cash-only and focused on takeout, serving local specialties like snoots, rib tips, and pork steaks cooked over an open pit. C&K Barbecue and the former Smoki O's are prime examples.
• Modern Craft BBQ: This category includes highly acclaimed restaurants that focus on the craft of smoking meat with high-quality ingredients, often with a "sell-out" model. Pappy's Smokehouse and Bogart's Smokehouse lead this category, bringing a competition-level quality to their Memphis-style and creative offerings.
• Full-Service Barbecue Restaurants: These are larger, sit-down restaurants with full bars and extensive menus that go beyond just barbecue. Salt + Smoke is a well-known example, combining Texas-style barbecue with a massive bourbon list in a lively, contemporary setting.
• BBQ Fusion Concepts: This includes restaurants where barbecue is a key component of a broader menu. The Shaved Duck is a perfect example, incorporating smoked meats into its "barbecue, folk, and soul" menu in a neighborhood restaurant and live music venue.

Yes, St. Louis has many authentic BBQ restaurants, a status proven by their deep historical roots, their adherence to traditional local preparations, and their focus on specific St. Louis barbecue items. Establishments like C&K Barbecue, which has operated for decades with an open pit and a cash-only policy, are authentic examples of a long-standing neighborhood tradition. Pappy's Smokehouse is authentic to the Memphis-style of dry-rubbed ribs it specializes in, bringing a genuine taste of another major barbecue region to the city. This commitment to both local and regional barbecue traditions is a sign of an authentic scene.

Yes, St. Louis hosts several notable barbecue festivals, with a major example being Q in the Lou. This large festival, held in Kiener Plaza, brings together a collection of the nation's top pitmasters from different barbecue regions, allowing attendees to sample a wide variety of styles in one place. The event also features live music, demonstrations, and local vendors. Festivals like this, along with other local and regional competitions held throughout the year, celebrate the city's strong barbecue culture and its place within the national barbecue landscape.

The most popular barbecue meats in St. Louis are pork ribs and pulled pork, reflecting the city's strong tradition of pork-centric barbecue. While beef brisket is available, pork often takes center stage. The most popular types of barbecue meat in St. Louis are listed below.

• Pork Ribs (St. Louis-style): The city's namesake cut, these are spare ribs that have been trimmed, then grilled and sauced, making them a signature item.
• Pulled Pork: Smoked pork shoulder, pulled apart and often served on a sandwich, is a staple on every barbecue menu in the city.
• Pork Steak: A thick-cut slice of pork shoulder, grilled and sauced, this is a specific St. Louis backyard and barbecue joint specialty.
• Beef Brisket: While more of a Texas specialty, high-quality sliced or chopped brisket has become a very popular and essential offering at all top St. Louis barbecue restaurants.
• Snoots: A unique St. Louis specialty, these are pig snouts or nostrils, cooked until crispy and served with sauce.
• Rib Tips: The smaller, meatier pieces trimmed from a slab of spare ribs, rib tips are a chewy and flavorful favorite at many classic joints.
• Smoked Chicken: Often smoked whole or in halves, smoked chicken is a popular poultry option.

Yes, you can find nearly all common types of barbecue meat in St. Louis restaurants, with a strong emphasis on pork. Every major barbecue establishment offers pork ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket. Many also serve smoked chicken, turkey, and sausage. What makes the city's offerings more complete is the availability of local specialties that are hard to find elsewhere, such as pork steaks and crispy snoots, which are offered at classic joints like C&K Barbecue. While a specific cut like smoked mutton (a Western Kentucky specialty) would be rare, all the primary American barbecue meats are well-represented.

Yes, many St. Louis BBQ restaurants offer gluten-free options, making it a manageable food style for those with dietary restrictions. The core offerings of smoked meats, such as brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken, are naturally gluten-free because they are seasoned with spice rubs. Most St. Louis-style barbecue sauces are also gluten-free, but it is always important to confirm. While some side dishes like macaroni and cheese, buns, and certain desserts contain gluten, classic barbecue sides like coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans are often safe to eat. Diners should always inform the restaurant of their needs to ensure a safe meal.

Yes, the people in St. Louis loves BBQ as it is a fundamental part of the city's food culture and a source of intense local pride. This love is demonstrated by the fierce loyalty patrons have for their favorite neighborhood joints and the long lines that form at acclaimed spots like Pappy's Smokehouse and Bogart's Smokehouse. Barbecue is a staple for family gatherings, weekend cookouts, and catered events. The city's pride is on full display during major barbecue festivals like Q in the Lou, and the ongoing debates about the best ribs or pork steak show that barbecue is a serious and beloved topic in St. Louis.

Yes, some vegan options are available in a few St. Louis BBQ restaurants, though it is not a common feature of the more traditional establishments. While classic barbecue is entirely focused on meat, some modern restaurants have started to add plant-based items to their menus. For example, a contemporary spot might offer a smoked jackfruit sandwich that mimics the texture of pulled pork, or feature creative, hearty vegetable side dishes that can be combined into a full meal. While a dedicated all-vegan barbecue restaurant is not a common concept, these options at certain progressive spots show an increasing awareness of different dietary needs.

The signature dishes at St. Louis BBQ restaurants are a celebration of pork, with a focus on specific local cuts and preparations that define the city's unique style. From the namesake ribs to crispy snoots, these items are the heart of the St. Louis barbecue experience. The most notable signature dishes are listed below.

• St. Louis-Style Ribs: The city's most famous contribution to barbecue, this dish features pork spare ribs that have been trimmed into a rectangular shape, slow-smoked, and often glazed with a sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce.
• Pork Steak: A thick-cut slice of pork shoulder, this is a St. Louis backyard and barbecue joint classic that is grilled and sauced until tender.
• Pulled Pork: Smoked pork shoulder, cooked until tender and shredded, is a staple for sandwiches and platters at every barbecue restaurant in the city.
• Snoots: A unique St. Louis specialty, these are pig snouts or nostrils that are cooked until crispy, resembling a pork rind, and served with barbecue sauce. C&K Barbecue is known for this.
• Rib Tips: The flavorful, cartilage-heavy pieces trimmed from a slab of spare ribs, slow-smoked and sauced, are a chewy and beloved favorite.
• Burnt Ends: While a Kansas City invention, these crusty, fatty cubes of smoked brisket point have become a popular and sought-after special at many top St. Louis craft barbecue spots.

The side dishes at St. Louis BBQ restaurants are classic American comfort foods designed to complement the rich, smoky flavor of the meats. These accompaniments are an essential part of the traditional barbecue platter. The most popular side dishes are listed below.

• Baked Beans: Often called pit beans, these are a sweet and smoky staple, slow-cooked and sometimes containing bits of leftover smoked meat.
• Coleslaw: A classic barbecue side, the coleslaw in St. Louis is often creamy and slightly sweet, providing a cool and crunchy contrast to the rich meats.
• Potato Salad: A fixture on barbecue platters, St. Louis-style potato salad is a creamy, mayonnaise-based version with simple seasonings.
• Toasted Ravioli: While a famous St. Louis appetizer in its own right, some barbecue establishments offer this local specialty as a unique and fitting side dish.
• Cornbread: Served as squares or muffins, cornbread is a classic bread side, perfect for sopping up sauce and juices.
• Green Beans: Often slow-cooked with bacon or smoked pork, green beans are a popular and savory vegetable side dish.

The average cost of a meal at St. Louis BBQ restaurants can range from $15 to $40 per person. At a casual, counter-service joint, a person can get a satisfying sandwich platter or a one or two-meat dinner for between $15 and $25. Meat is often sold by the pound as well, with prices ranging from $20 to $30 per pound for items like pulled pork or brisket. At a more upscale, full-service barbecue restaurant like Salt + Smoke, the price for a dinner with entrees and sides is often between $30 and $40 per person.

The primary difference between Kansas City BBQ and St. Louis BBQ is the focus on the meat and the style of the sauce. Kansas City is known for a wider variety of slow-smoked meats, especially beef brisket and burnt ends, and its signature thick, sweet, and tangy tomato-based sauce that is often served on the side. St. Louis barbecue places a heavier emphasis on pork, specifically pork steaks and its namesake cut of spare ribs, which are grilled and then heavily sauced with a sweeter and thinner tomato-based sauce directly on the pit. While both Missouri hubs share a love for barbecue, Kansas City's tradition is rooted in the "low and slow" smoking of many meats, while St. Louis has a specific culture around grilling and saucing its celebrated pork cuts.