This year, Pappy’s Smokehouse celebrates 15 years of serving up Memphis-style barbecue. So it only seems appropriate to celebrate with 15 things you should know about the award-winning establishment, from the origins of one of the city’s top barbecue spots to how the restaurant prioritizes giving back to the city.
1. It all began with competition barbecue. In 2008, Mike Emerson and John Matthews opened the Midtown location after making a run on the competition barbecue circuit. The flavors range from Memphis-style barbecue to Louisiana-inspired sandwiches, but the dry rubs put them on the flavor map.
2. Their roots run deep. The co-founders were born and raised in St. Louis and have deep roots in the community. In fact, the name of the barbecue joint is a tribute to the late Jim “Pappy” Emerson—a brother, uncle, friend, and mentor. “Pappy kept things simple. He loved the outdoors, and he worked hard,” Pappy’s website states. “When people came to visit, he always tried to provide an atmosphere for great food and good times. A perfect description of Pappy’s Smokehouse today.”
3. Can fast barbecue be a thing? When Emerson and Matthews went from competitors to restaurateurs, they wanted to break ground as the first of its kind to offer competition-level barbecue in a fast-casual setting.
4. They’re smoking daily. Pappy’s prides itself on smoking fresh meats every single day—and yes, it’s a low and slow process. Meats slow smoke up to 24 hours over sweet apple or cherry wood.
5. When they’re out, they’re out. Because Pappy’s prepares everything fresh daily, quantities are limited. When they run out of inventory for the day, they close for the day.
6. The restaurant is Food Network famous. The Food Network named Pappy’s as having the “Best Ribs in America,” and Southern Living declared Pappy’s as the place for the “Best BBQ” in Missouri. Former Man vs. Food host Adam Richman also visited the restaurant on Season 1 of The Travel Channel show. “That put us on the map right around our 1-year anniversary,” says Matthews.
7. The most popular menu items may come as no surprise. Best-selling dishes include the pulled pork, ribs, and sweet potato fries, though you can see the full menu here.
8. Pappy’s has a food truck. Pappy’s Rollin’ Smoke food truck is available to book for private events, neighborhood delivery, and both private and public events.
9. It also offers catering and an event space. Brighten up your next event with Pappy’s catering, which is available for a variety of corporate events and meetings, as well as private parties and events. Pappy’s also offers a variety of wedding packages, and Pappy’s is the preferred caterer for numerous St. Louis venues. A private banquet space is also available to rent separate from the restaurant, with a 20-person minimum required. The space can seat up to 65 guests.
10. Millions have been served. Pappy’s has served millions of customers at its flagship location, at 3106 Olive Street in Midtown St. Louis. “The opportunity to serve more than 4 million guests from around the globe since opening in 2008 and bring a great experience to those coming to our city has been a rewarding journey,” says Matthews. “We’re excited to see what the next 15 years brings!”
11. Pappy’s has expanded three times. Since opening, Pappy’s flagship location has gone through three expansions. “The St. Louis community is second to none!” Matthews says. “Word-of-mouth, along with features in local and national media, have resulted in us expanding our original Midtown location footprint three times since opening, as well as our expansion to other stores. And the support we received during the pandemic was impressive, as experienced by many other locally owned independent restaurants.”
12. That’s not everywhere they’ve expanded. The Pappy’s family now includes Bogart’s Smokehouse, Dalie’s Smokehouse, Southern, and a second Pappy’s Smokehouse location in St. Peters.
13. Giving back is part of the restaurant’s identity. When Emerson and Matthews opened Pappy’s, they knew giving back to the community would be an integral part of the business. “From the beginning, one of the key components of our culture has been giving back to the community,” Matthews says. “From hunger and homelessness to veterans and first responders to organizations that help children with disabilities and terminal illnesses, we develop a plan each year to support as many local organizations as possible through our donations program.”
14. They’re active in the community. Pappy’s has ongoing collaborations with other businesses to serve up unique dishes, including the Pulled Pork Kolache in conjunction with St. Louis Kolache and Pappy’s Barbecue Pizza with Vito’s Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante. Pappy’s has also worked with Balkan Treat Box, Yolklore, Anthonino’s Taverna, and Nudo House on limited-time dishes. Pappy’s was also involved in the launch of Q in the Lou, a barbecue festival produced by Eximius Productions, which has since expanded to Denver, Kansas City, Dallas, and other cities.
15. You can celebrate 15 years with a barbecue-infused bourbon whiskey. For its 15th anniversary, Pappy’s and StilL 630 developed a barbecue-infused Missouri straight bourbon whiskey, Pappy’s Smokehouse Mash & Ash. Pappy’s collaboration with StilL 630 started with a friendship that began years ago. Their first collaboration came a few years ago, when Bogart’s Smokehouse smoked up one of its signature smoked hogs for StilL’s 630 Day celebration. Since then, the owners have joined forces to hold monthly themed cocktail classes, pairing StilL 630 products with small culinary bites. In 2022, the real magic started to happen as the owners began talking about developing a barbecue-infused Missouri straight bourbon whiskey. “The idea grew into a perfect and unique way to celebrate Pappy’s 15th anniversary, St. Louis independent businesses, and Missouri products,” Matthews says. “Pappy’s Smokehouse Mash & Ash was born—a single oak barrel-aged four years and infused with applewood charcoal from Pappy’s smokers.”
Due to the first batch of the barbecue-infused bourbon selling out in two weeks, it is currently unavailable to order. However, if you missed out on ordering a bottle during the May release, a second single barrel of the bourbon is being prepared for a Thanksgiving release – your second chance to savor the taste of excellence this holiday season.
This post was created by SLM Partner Studio on behalf of Pappy’s Smokehouse. To learn more, visit pappyssmokehouse.com
