Review: Bogart's Smokehouse

Over the past month or so, I've become aware of a new BBQ joint in St. Louis called Bogart's Smokehouse.  Now all I really need is an excuse to go eat BBQ so when one of the owners dropped me a line here at Grill & Barrel asking me to pay them a visit, I had all the excuse I needed.

I didn't annonce myself, but I showed up this afternoon on my way home from work.  I timed my visit to be just after the lunch rush since I'd heard that they do a crazy amount of business at lunch time.  Even at 2:00pm, there were no empty tables inside to be had.  I figure that's a good sign.

I was met at the door by Mike Macchi, one of the partners, but I kept a low profile, stepped to the counter, ordered a combo plate, and took up a seat to sample the fare.  What I got was a plate piled high with brisket & pulled pork on an open hoagie roll, pit beans, and a side of pork rinds.  

I sampled each of the four sauces that were on the table.  They were all uniquely named and uniquely different.  There was what I'd call a St. Louis style sauce called Sweet Maegan Ann's.  It's a sweet tomato based sauce.  Mad Maddie's Vinegar sauce is a thin vinegar based sauce as the name suggests.  Pineapple Express is a thin sauce that unmistakably has a hint of pineapple flavor.  And the sauce that I like the best, VooDoo Sauce.  That's a thinner sauce with a peppery kick.

So how's the food?  The pulled pork was some of the best in St. Louis.  I really enjoyed the taste and texture, and the VooDoo sauce was a great compliment.  The brisket was very good, though I wasn't a huge fan of the rub.  I couldn't tell if the rub was applied pre or post cook, but there was a beautiful smoke ring and it was very tender and flavorful.  And the pit beans?  Some of the best BBQ beans I've had.  I learned that they cook the beans on the pit with the brsiket for 12 hrs.  They were smokey, peppery, and really tasty.

As I was wrapping up my lunch, one of the partners stopped by my table and we began to chat.  Mike gave me the background on the relationship between Bogart's & Pappy's (one of my Top 5 BBQ Joints in St. Louis).  It turns out that the 4 partners who own Bogart's started it up with Pappy's blessings.  They still work with Pappy's, but they now have a chance to do their own thing as well.  That's a pretty sweet deal, and Pappy's deserves a tip of the hat for being open to helping their folks spread their wings a bit.

Mike took me out back and showed me the Ole Hickory & Southern Pride pits that they're cooking with.  We chatted about the pits and he let me peek at the butts that were finishing up on the Ole Hickory.  

All in all, I enjoyed my visit and will definitely return to try the other items on the menu.  Here's how I'd rate Bogart's Smokehouse:

• BBQ - A
• Side Dishes - A
• Atmosphere - A
• Value - B
• Overall – A

Bogart's is definitely worthy of a stop if you're in the St. Louis area.  They're in the Soulard neighborhood between Busch Stadium and Anheuser Busch Brewery, and right behind the Soulard Farmer's Market.  I think I'll be revising my "Best in St. Louis" list to include Bogart's.

Here's their address:

Bogarts Smokehouse

1627 S. 9th Street

St. Louis, MO

Cheers,
Braddog 

Review: Bandana's BBQ, St Louis

I’ve delayed writing this restaurant review for a long time.  I can’t explain why, but I guess it’s because it feels so overly commercial that I don’t place it in the same category as most BBQ joints.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s an honest-to-goodness BBQ restaurant, but it just feels like they are trying way too hard to be “authentic”. 

Bandana’s is a St. Louis based BBQ restaurant that has franchised to roughly 25 locations in 3 states and growing.  I’ve tried at least 6 of their locations and I can say that they’re very consistent.  But with that consistency, comes a lack of authenticity.  This is evident in the way the place feels when you walk in the door.  From the wash tub light fixtures to the handkerchief curtains, it’s obvious that they’re executing on a theme.  It's like walking into an Applebee's or a TGI Fridays.  You know that it's supposed to be kitschy and cool, but it just doesn't feel authentic when there's one on every corner.

But enough about how the place looks and feels, how’s the BBQ you might ask?  Well, it’s just okay.  In at least one of their locations, I’ve seen the pit and they are sure enough cooking on site.  However, I wouldn’t say that the results are great.  I find the ribs to be too tough, ditto the brisket, and the pulled pork is hit or miss.  On the other hand, I do enjoy their side dishes.  I like their baked beans, green beans, corn, and especially the garlic bread that accompanies every lunch or dinner plate.

Another area where they’ve done a nice job is in their selection of sauces.  I can’t say that it's necessarily an original idea, but they have a six-pack of sauces on every table.  Each sauce is designed to capture a different regional form of BBQ.  From a thick, sweet Kansas City style sauce to a mustard-based Carolina sauce, they offer a taste for just about everyone.  The only anomaly here is their Chicago Style sauce.  I never knew that there was such a thing as “Chicago Style” BBQ, did you?

Here's how I'd rate Bandana's BBQ:

• BBQ - C
• Side Dishes - B
• Atmosphere - C+
• Value - A
• Overall – B-

Banadana's has done a nice job of making BBQ affordable and accessible to a lot of people.  I just wish the food was a little better. 

Cheers,
Braddog

Review: Flavors BBQ

With a new day, hope springs eternal. And, after yesterday's failed excursion I was hopeful that I'd find better eats at a place called Flavors in South St. Louis.

Before I got to the door, I spotted what appeared to be a Southern Pride cooker out back and I could smell the smoke. That's always a good sign.

When we walked in, I found what is quite possibly the nicest BBQ joint I've ever been in. All that was missing was white table clothes and fine wine. This place was very nicely decorated and spotless. I wouldn't have been surprised If I'd been handed a fine Italian or French menu, but I was really happy that what I got was pure BBQ.

My lunch mates ordered up the pork plates and I went for the brisket. What we received were huge portions of the respective BBQ dinners with 2 sides for less than $10. Quite a value!

The pork was very good, some of the best in town. The brisket was close, but the fact that the fat cap wasn't trimmed either pre or post cook meant that I received quite bit of fat on my brisket slices. Other than that, the meat was very good.

The side dishes were a mixed bag. My lunch mates really enjoyed a baked potato as a side dish, but being a purist I went for baked beans. What I got resembled a doctored up can of pork and beans. I wish there'd been a little more love and care in the side dishes as there was in the BBQ.  Additionally, there was only 1 sauce on the table and I'd swear that it was Original Sweet Baby Ray's in a nondescript bottle.

Here's how I'd rate my trip to Flavors BBQ

• Atmostphere - A+
• BBQ - B
• Sides - C
• Sauce - C
• Value - A
• Overall - B

I really enjoyed my visit.  I'll definitely go back, but Flavors BBQ could be a couple of sides and an original sauce away from making my list of the best BBQ joints in St. Louis.

Oh, and they did have sweet tea!  ;-)

Flavor's BBQ

(314) 533-1288

4317 Manchester Rd
St Louis, MO 63110

Cheers,
Braddog

Review: Lambert's Cafe, Home of the Throwed Rolls

Okay, so it’s not a BBQ joint strictly speaking.  But, they do serve BBQ along with lots of other stuff cooked like mama used to.  It had been a few years since I’d eaten at Lambert’s Cafe but a recent family road trip afforded me the opportunity to share this unique place with my wife & kids.

If you’ve ever driven through the state of Missouri, you may have seen the billboards for Lambert’s Cafe.  Their tag line is “Home of the Throwed Rolls”.  And they literally mean “throwed rolls”.  Patrons of Lambert’s know that when you’d  like more bread (in this case, yeast rolls the size of a softball) you need only look for the server pushing the cart of rolls fresh from the oven.  It’s not necessary to wait for them to make their way to your table.  Simply hold up your hands and be ready to catch a roll tossed in your direction.

Lambert’s serves a variety of entrees all cooked in a down home sort of way.  Everything from fried chicken, BBQ ribs, & frog legs to salads served on a bread plate the size of a hub cap.  And it’s all good.  Most entrees are served with your choice of 2 side items, but Lambert’s is also known for their generous servings of “pass-arounds”.  A constant parade of servers dish up macaroni & tomatoes, fried potatoes, black-eyed peas, and fried okra to anyone who’d care for them.  This along with the generous portions, and you should never go away from Lambert’s hungry.

Lambert’s has three locations; Sikeston & Ozark, MO and Foley, AL.  They’re so popular that you may have to wait a bit for a table, but trust me it’s worth it.

Cheers,
Braddog

Review: Plush Pig BBQ Saloon

Due to changes in traffic patterns I recently altered my route on my commute to work, only to discover a BBQ restaurant that I’d previously overlooked.  The crazy thing is that this place is only a few blocks from my office.  So, today a co-worker and I ventured out in single digit temperatures to have lunch at the Plush Pig in St. Louis, MO.

Now in an urban environment, I didn’t really expect to find great BBQ.  This is partly because I didn’t smell the smoke as I approached the front door.  However, when I opened the door my spirits lifted because there was the unmistakable aroma of wood smoke in the air.

The Plush Pig is similar to a lot of BBQ joints these days.  Wood floors, corrugated tin, and knick knacks on the wall seem to be the de facto décor.  A large board prominently displays their wares.  It’s not as extensive as some places, but they certainly had plenty to offer.  Pulled Pork and Texas Brisket were available as lunch specials so I ordered up the brisket plate. 

When I eat BBQ at a restaurant, ordering is always a critical point in my assessment of the place.  There’s only one correct answer to the question I always ask.  But I tentatively inquired about whether they had Sweet Iced Tea and again my spirits were lifted when I received a positive response.

As I said, I ordered the Texas Brisket lunch plate.  This was served with corn on the cob, choice of one side (I chose BBQ beans of course) and a piece of grilled sweet bread.  I’d prefer that they not apply sauce to the meat when serving it, but it was minimal and had a good flavor.  Additional sauce was on the table for those that prefer a healthier application.

I have to say that everything on my plate was very tasty.  The brisket was sliced thin and had a nice smoke ring.  The portions were generous and the prices were reasonable.  You can bet I’ll be dining here again and if you find yourself in St. Louis or Columbia Missouri, I’d highly recommend the Plush Pig if you’re in the mood for BBQ.

Here’s my report card:

• BBQ - A
• Side Dishes - A
• Atmosphere - B
• Value - A
• Overall – A-

Cheers,
Braddog