Pappy's Smokehouse has been "NAMED BEST RIBS IN AMERICA BY THE FOOD NETWORK & BEST BBQ IN MISSOURI BY SOUTHERN LIVING."

Known for their dry-rub ribs, this St. Louis restaurant's house specialty involves slow smoking over apple and cherry wood.

St. Louis ribs, cut from the belly of the pig, are flatter, meatier, and have a higher bone-to-meat ratio compared to baby back ribs, which are more tender and come from the pig's loin. I ordered a half-slab ribs with fried corn on the cob and potato salad. these were excellent. I have learned that you don't necessarily want ribs to completely fall off the bone. The ideal is a small tug that easily pulls away, but if they are too soft, they're overdone and lose some flavor. These had great tangy, sweet flavor. and, the texture was on point the potato salad and corn were nice accompaniments to round out the meal.

Grade: A

Smokin' J's Rib and Brewhouse opened a new location in Morgantown recently at the Holiday Inn on Pineview Road. It is a large and modern space with a central bar and plenty of seating. But, I think because it is in the hotel, the restaurant fades to the background sometimes. When I visited recently with a friend, it wasn't very busy inside. The menu features ribs and other barbecue dinners, as well as beer-battered dinners.

"Smokin' J's uses a unique slow-smoking and cooking process. Our process tends to leave our Meats - Ribs, Chicken, Pork and Beef pinkish or reddish in color even though they are completely and thoroughly cooked. When you see this coloring it is the flavor of our Meats and why they taste so good," reads the website.

I ordered a half rack of ribs plus macaroni and cheese and broccoli salad.

"Our ribs, imported from Denmark, are the highest grade available. Our Ribs are selected by weight, age and meat content. Ribs, like all animals, vary in size and shape. We try very hard to make each portion correct in weight even though they may visually vary in size and shape. Mother Nature created these differences and we work with them the best we can."

The mac & cheese was drowning in a sauce that tasted overly processed. The broccoli salad could've marinated a bit more. But the ribs were tasty. I liked the tangy sauce, and the ribs pulled away from the bone fairly easily. Grade: B

In Weston, West Virginia, there is one restaurant serving up south Texas-style barbecue.



South Texas Barbecue Company offers "Authentic Texas barbecue in West Virginia. We serve smoked brisket, pulled pork, pork belly, and sausage by the pound, sandwiches, or taco."



Jessica Abrego and husband Celestino “Tino” Abrego founded the company in 2019, shortly after moving here from the Lone Star state (source).



They started as a food truck during the Lewis County Farmers Market and in 2021, moved to their current brick-and-mortar location.



South Texas BBQ is characterized by having some Mexican influences. You can see that here with menu items like brisket enchiladas and pork belly tacos.



While I was here, I ordered the taco sampler with smoked brisket, pulled pork and burnt ends - which came with pickles and pickled onions on the side. Plus, I got potato salad, Mexican street corn and mac and cheese.



The tacos were pretty good for the most part. Smoked meat, flour tortillas and a few light toppings. I enjoyed each of the sides from the creamy potato salad and cheesy mac & cheese to the tangy street corn. I think they could each do with a touch more seasoning for my personal palate, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.



Have you been?



Grade: B

Bogey's at Capitol Market opened recently, and I have made it my goal to work through the entire menu. In full disclosure, I work at Capitol Market, and any sort of true review would be a conflict of interest, and, of course, biased. So, this is less of a review and more of an informative post. I want to document my experience and share some of the tasty items they have available. Bogey's is primarily known for their barbecue, which you can also find at their original location in Tornado. But in this new location, they have really expanded and include everything from shrimp, tacos, and fish sandwiches to burgers and hotdogs. One of my favs is the pork belly burnt ends, which are sweet and smoky and covered in sauce. I like the bits that are more meat than fat. I also really enjoy the nachos, which are topped with mac & cheese, queso, corn, cilantro, jalapeños, and more. Their hotdog is known for winning the title of best in West Virginia from a local YouTuber. And for good reason! The tri-tip Philly surprised me, because it's usually not the kind of thing I go for. But it is so well balanced. I am also a big fan of the belly BLT and the shrimp tacos. The fish sandwich is good too. Can't forget the mac & cheese, the corn, the potato salad and the banana bread pudding. Do you have a favorite?

The Old Canal Smoke House is located in historic downtown Chillicothe, Ohio, and specializes in smoked meats. The renovated 1850s building is large with various dining areas. After a short wait, we were seated in the enclosed porch area.



We started with a brisket flatbread topped with cheese, smoked brisket and BBQ. It's a hefty portion; I personally would have loved some crunch, too. For my entree, I had a pulled pork platter with corn casserole, mac & cheese and cornbread. I enjoyed the pork - though slightly dry. Both of the sides were decent, but not super duper flavorful. As a whole, a solid dinner.



Grade: B

When I decided to take a mini trip to Alabama in order to check it off my states-to-visit list, I instantly knew that I needed to try some Alabama-style barbecue.



Alabama has various barbecue styles and dishes and is noted for hickory-smoked pork and chicken prevalence. White sauce, a mayonnaise-based barbecue sauce, was invented in Decatur, Alabama in 1925, according to Wikipedia.



SAW's BBQ has been named as the best BBQ in Alabama by Southern Living Magazine. I visited their "At the Backyard" location, which features an arcade, pool, mini golf and more.



SAW’s (an acronym for “Sorry Ass Wilson”) features Carolina style smoked pulled pork, chicken and ribs, served with one of three styles of sauce. Sides include baked potatoes, beans, deviled eggs, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw and banana pudding.



I ordered a combo plate with pulled pork, chicken, deviled eggs, and macaroni and cheese. Plus red sauce and white sauce. Lemonade to drink.



The red sauce is a Carolina style with a good bit of vinegar. The white sauce is a mayo-vinegar-black pepper concoction that is tangy. The meats themselves had good flavor, and the sides were decent as well. Nothing too out of the ordinary on that front - but I was very excited to try my first authentic Alabama style white sauce.



Grade: A

It's my last restaurant on this Arizona visit - and it's to a BBQ joint. While Arizona isn't necessarily known for its BBQ, this restaurant has been voted the best in the area by the local newspaper.



Colt Grill is "a small group of BBQ smokehouses located in the coolest cities and towns of Northern Arizona. Each restaurant has a full bar and a menu entirely made from scratch, centered around smoked meats. We are female owned, family run, and believe in the value of hard work, personal responsibility and perseverance," according to the website.



The BBQ is smoked in giant steel smokers with hardwoods and selections include baby back ribs, brisket, chicken and pulled pork, plus burgers, tacos salads, corn bread, beans, fruit cobblers and whiskey brownies.



The dining room is fairly casual with music playing and folks generally having a good time. Pretty informal and generous with the whiffs of BBQ smoke.



You order at the bar at the front, and then the food is delivered to the table once it's ready. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which was topped with crispy COLT slaw and Kansas City Sauce. This was a good sandwich. It's maybe the 1,000th pulled pork sandwich I've ever had, but it was right there in the middle of the pack - some good smoke flavor, some decent quality meat and one of my fav BBQ sauce types.



To go along with the sandwich, I also had potato salad, mac & cheese and peach cobbler.



Everything here was solidly good, and any tweaks I would suggest are minimal. I'd love to see one wildly creative BBQ dish I've never seen before to turn up the innovation level. But, all-around crowd-pleasing good time.



Grade: B

"We took what many saw as a dilapidated community eyesore, scrubbed away the 2016 flood mud, and turned it into a place that feels like home. We rose like a swine wallowing in the mud on a hot summer’s day to create an authentic BBQ place on the River. The Swine Barrel is your one stop shop to get delicious food and your share of friendly conversation and a few tall tales while you wait," reads the website.



Located in Elkview, this tiny BBQ shop has a really cute interior with bright pops of color, textures and industrial touches.



Seating is pretty minimal, especially if you have a large party. I put in a to-go order and snagged one of those high-top chairs while waiting for my meal.



I ordered a bunch of different things to try out at home, which included the brisket. It was smoky, a bit fattier than I would prefer, but had the appropriate accoutrements with it: pickled onion, pickles, and a barbecue sauce with lots of pepper. All the sides were good, though I think they have the potential to be great.



Mac & Cheese - Velvety and rich macaroni and cheese with a crisp panko topping and the perfect kiss of smoke flavor.



Deviled Eggs - 1/2 dozen of original deviled eggs with a hint of smoke and topped with pulled pork and pickled onions.



Sausage Balls - Homemade cheddar sausage balls served with sweet and sassy raspberry dipping sauce.



Caprese Salad - A generous serving of fresh mozzarella, stuffed in a ripe red tomato. a handful of basil leaves and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.



Grade: B