I recently returned from a quick trip to St. Louis, MO. There is no way that I could visit the gateway to the west without sampling some BBQ. I mean there is a reason they call them a St Louis cut rack of ribs. A quick Tripadvisor search pointed me in the direction of Pappy’s Smokehouse and as luck would have it, they were open even on a Sunday.
This Hawaii boy was pretty cold when we rolled up to Pappy’s for a late lunch. It is in an area of the St. Louis downtown referred to as Souland and occupies the end of a building that appears to be part of a revitalization effort for the area. The good news is that there was ample (even if tight) free parking for customers of the restaurant.
The Line
The long line that awaited us let me know that good things were in store for us. Some total we waited about 25-30 minutes in line. The staff manages the line efficiently, even stopping to visit with guests who are waiting. There are signs posted throughout the restaurant advising customers not to reserve tables until they had ordered, sure enough the ordering and severing was the limiting factor, not the seating. Once you order, you don’t have any problems finding a seat. The walls are covered with various BBQ paraphernalia (sauces, t-shirts from other joints, etc.) and autographed menus from all the celebrities that have visited the restaurant over the years. 
The Meat
My wife and I got a half rack of ribs and brisker, with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. The ribs were simply outstanding….point blank. They had a nice bark on them, with layered flavors. The ribs were very tender with a nice smoke ring, but I was pleased to see they weren’t fall off the bone overcooked. The brisket was very tender, but it almost tasted like it had been steamed to me, not smoked. While I enjoyed the brisket, it wasn’t a standout. Pappy’s offers five different sauces at your table to dress up the meat (even though the ribs didn’t need it), all were pretty solid offerings, so you are going to find one that is to your taste.
The Sides
The coleslaw was a Carolina style vinegar based slaw. I liked it, but it had a lot of raw onion which was too strong for me. 
The sweet potato fries where your standard shoe string fries, but were sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar. I had not had this preparation of sweet potato fries before and I really liked it. I know it wasn’t particularly healthy, but it was pretty damn tasty.
Final Thoughts
The wife and I both had a pretty big smile on our faces as we were leaving Pappy’s, we really enjoyed our meal. I would recommend it to anyone visiting St Louis and I definitely plan on making a return trip next time I am in town. Definitely get the ribs and the sweet potato fries, but give the menu a once over for other options before getting the brisket or slaw.
Smokers…where the magic happens
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