It’s not that he ever left, really.
But Terry Black, who co-founded Super Smokers BBQ & Catering 20 years ago, had reduced his operation from a peak of five units (in the early 2000s) to a single Super Smokers BBQ store (601 Stockell Drive, 636-938-5742) in Eureka, Mo.
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Black, who’s won some of the most prestigious barbecue cook-offs in the U.S (including Memphis in May in 2000), may be the least known big name in St. Louis barbecue. Mike Emerson of Pappy’s Smokehouse is a former employee and Bogart’s / Dalie’s Skip Steele is a former partner, so calling Black the godfather of St. Louis barbecue is no exaggeration. And like Emerson and Steele, he’s master of the one-liner and not ashamed to admit he started Super Smokers “with six slabs of ribs and a bag of charcoal.”
For years, Black had been planning his reentry into the metro St. Louis market. He recently found a willing partner in Bill Liebe, owner of the Highlander Pub & Grill (5656 Oakland Avenue, 314-644-4646).
(Interesting sidebar: Liebe also owns The R. J. Liebe Company, the folks who apply names, numbers, and logos to athletic jerseys, including the Missouri Tigers, St. Louis Blues, and St. Louis Cardinals. If you ever wondered who makes up a new player’s jersey following a quick overnight trade, the answer is someone from the Liebe Company.)
Over the next few weeks, the Highlander will slowly transition in to the STL Rib House, with Black (right) serving as managing partner of the new business. A new menu is already in place, a combination of the Highlander’s best sellers (appetizers, sandwiches, salads), tweaked items from Super Smokers’ menu, and new offerings, with ribs (naturally) in the spotlight. Black noted that St. Louis is now known across the country for its great barbecue, plus it’s the only city with a cut of pork rib named after it, “so STL Rib House seemed like the right fit.”
Both baby back ribs and St. Louis-style spares will be available at all times. And Black is anxious to reintroduce a giant, double-smoked beef rib he likens to Fred Flintstone’s famous, car-tipping iteration.
Other ribs will be available from time to time as well, like short ribs, smoked prime rib (on the menu as a Saturday special), and standard beef ribs. According to Black, in 2005 the National BBQ Association called out Super Smokers for “the best beef rib in America.”
Unexpecteds include Smoked Candied Salmon (a marinated, brown-sugar topped, slow-smoked fillet) and BBQ Shrimp (above), that are marinated, smoked, and then sauteed in BBQ sauce, “true BBQ shrimp,” according to the menu.
Black is excited about the burnt ends, the pulled pork (and whole butts are available for carry out ), and even the sides, especially the potato salad (secret ingredient: Miracle Whip) and the “creamiest mac and cheese you’ll ever find,” a new recipe that includes Velveeta, cheddar, mozzarella, and Provel cheeses.
The smokers at STL Rib House are fueled entirely with apple wood, an unusual detail that Black says customers will notice (since most local smokers are gas-assisted in some way). Even the burgers are different, first smoked for 30 minutes, then chilled and grilled to order. The star of that show may be the half-pound brisket burger, a blend of both ground chuck and brisket.
A top-of-the-line CVap holding oven was recently installed as well. Per pitmaster Black, “Cooking good barbecue is half the equation; being able to hold it well is the other half.”
In the works are plans for a weekly pig roast (geared to guests at the adjoining Hampton Inn & Suites) and a related event being dubbed as “Whole Hog Happy Hour.”
Three homemade sauces will be available: Mild, Sweet & Smoky, and a signature sauce—Hawg Glaze—the same “sweet with a heat kicker” sauce Black uses on whole pigs.
The location, across from Forest Park, the Science Center, and the Zoo, is easily accessible from Highway 40/64. With the preponderance of TV’s and preexisting sports bar atmosphere, Black can logically expect customers before and after sporting events.
The complete transition and name change will be complete before March Madness, Black assures us, but the veteran says he’s already dialed in. Black gets the last line (as he often does): “You can throw batting practice all day long, but sooner or later it’s time to play ball.”
STL Rib House (formerly Highlander Pub & Grill)
5656 Oakland
314-644-4646
Sun-Thurs: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Fri – Sat: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
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