Few barbecue restaurants have received the kind of national exposure that 17th Street, in Murphysboro,Illinois, has. Owner Mike “The Legend” Mills is one of the winningest barbecue competitors ever.
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The pork steak has traveled north to Hannibal, where the 1 ¼-inch hickory-smoked St. Louis staple is quickly becoming a favorite menu item in yet another Mississippi River town.
This little spot has grown to six locations across southeast Missouri, with the closest in Farmington. Order the trimmed dry-rubbed hickory-smoked back ribs.
After serving as an Army cook in WWII, Ewald Buchheit opened a barbecue restaurant in Perryville, Missouri. Three generations later, you can still get the original hickory-smoked BBQ on Bun sandwich for $3.24.
The cultural change is greater than the short drive down I-44 to Cuba, Missouri, might suggest, but the common language of barbecue is universal. The surprise star: brisket.
The real treat at this family-friendly joint east of Columbia, Missouri, is the barbecued mutton special. Although it’s not always on the menu, this mutton beats even that of the famed mutton houses of western Kentucky.
At this family-owned treasure in Imperial, you’ll find smoked wings, pulled pork, and brisket, as well as such sides as cornbread casserole and deep-fried green beans with a ranch or roasted sweet red pepper sauce.
If you believe that barbecue should come from inexpensive, laid-back joints, then Two Dudes—as the name implies—in Warrenton is the place for you. Grab a pork sandwich and an unpretentious beer and forget the worries of the world.
Memphis native and barbecue competitor David Stidham serves hickory-smoked standards and creative specials across the river in New Baden, Illinois. The ribs may, in fact, be the best competition-style in the area.
Regionally diverse sauces, meats, and styles of barbecue are the focus at Randy’s, in Highland, Illinois. Pulled chicken, topped with your favorite style of sauce, with a side of baked beans is the go-to here.
