Lonnie Ray's Cafe

Lonnie Ray's is in Harrisburg.  Most people don't know where Harrisburg is, and many fewer have ever been there.  It is roughly 17 miles northwest of Columbia.  There is not a lot in Harrisburg.  The schools of course, a post office, a grocery, bank and a gas station.  There are several churches and a car wash.  I understand there is a barber shop, but I have never found it open.  While the schools are good academically, they are more widely known for their basketball teams, both boys and girls have won several state championships.  It is also know for Lonnie Ray's Cafe. 

I don't know how long Lonnie Ray's has been there, several years.....must be more than ten now...could be even longer.  It is a classic BBQ restaurant.  It has brisket and pulled pork, it also has a number of other items on the menu typical of a cafe.  It is clean, and the service is very good.  I have eaten there a number of times over the years, and the one thing I can say for sure is the portions are large, huge in fact and the prices are low  The brisket has a wonderful flavor.  It is thickly cut, with more fat left on than I would prefer, but it is so tender and juicy and some of the rub is still detectable on the exterior. They serve sauce on the side, and while it is a good sauce, I have never eaten it on the brisket....doesn't need anything else. Of recent I have more often gone for the pulled pork.  It is not quite as huge a portion, though it still is all I can eat.  They have good slaw and excellent fries......though for a while the fryer was broken...which was a bit of humorous thing....mainly for how long it was broken.  They have a variety of side dishes and deserts available.

There has been only one time that I found the place full, but I have never found it empty.  It is usually a mix of the locals and some from out of town that have found there way to Lonnie Ray's for the first time.  An interesting quirk is that they have a large screen TV in the corner, playing obviously old  (80's-90's) movies  without sound.  Most are movies I have heard about, but never watched which can make it difficult for me to concentrate on the conversations of my companions....I need to start sitting with my back to the screen.

If you like BBQ, and consider yourself familiar with a variety of BBQ places, and especially if you consider yourself an expert on Missouri BBQ you need to make it to Lonnie Ray's.   It beats all of the franchise places hands down, and ranks with the best of the unique BBQ places in Missouri!

Zesto South BBQ

One of my pleasant surprises in Jefferson City was finding Zesto South. 

Located on the access road on the west side of Hwy 54 on the south side of Jefferson City (1730 Jefferson Street).

I thought Zesto was ice cream, but I saw the sign that said "Real Pit BAR-B-QUE" and I had to try it.  It was so good that I have gone back many times.  They have a very large menu, and can serve you about anything you want except french fries.  They have things that you do not often see, much less on the same menu....nacho’s, tamale’s, braunschweiger, hot dogs, ruben, french dip, country ham or a ham, chicken, tuna or egg salad sandwich…..and much more....not to mention the ice cream!

They also have a variety of BBQ options, and the BBQ is excellent!  I like the brisket and the pulled pork.  The brisket has a great flavor, is cut just right, not too thin, not too thick.  I would not rate it as the top brisket that I have eaten, but it is very good.  It is consistently good, no small feat that!  It obviously has been cooked by someone that knows there way around BBQ.  What I like is that there is not a lot of fat on the meat, and it is very tender. Often the meat is thin and relatively dry, or thickly cut with a lot of the fat still on the meat.  The sandwich has a good quantity of meat on it as well.    They have good coleslaw and they have a variety of side dishes.  They do not have french fries, instead have a cheesy potato concoction that is good, but I do miss the french fries. 

This is not a uppity BBQ place.  The atmosphere is exactly what you would expect of a business that is know for ice cream.  It is clean, and priced very reasonably!

I often find I choose it when I want a BBQ sandwich, and don't have a lot of time.  I rarely find it busy, they can handle the orders quickly and I can be in and out in well under a half an hour, and feel like I had taken my time. It is not a destination place like some BBQ restaurants, it is an everyday BBQ place.  I can see that some workers  would go there frequently for lunch, a good variety at a good price, that tastes good......