Piggy's Bar BQ

Friday was a beautiful November day, work was not pressing so it was a good chance to get out and about.  For some reason I have not been eating BBQ.  To much work, not enough running around.....

I wanted some new BBQ and I decided to let my fingers do the walking and I found Piggy's Bar BQ in O'Fallon Mo.  It caught my attention because it indicated that it had won the Rural Missouri Magazine's Best BBQ in N.E. Missouri in 2008, 2009, 2010 & 2011. I have followed their competition, and while far from being a strictly objective process, it has lead me to some good restaurants.   Now understand, I have lived and traveled northeast Missouri for the better part of 40 years, and outside of St. Louis there has not been much that I considered good BBQ in Northeast Missouri. That sounds a lot more negative than I really intend.  It just that there has not been very many places that even served real BBQ.  Never-the-less the fact that one place had won the award for four years running indicated I needed to try it out. so a plan was made......

It was a nice place, easy to find on a main street a few blocks from I70.  It was not fancy, or large.  But was certainly clean and inviting.

I was there early, just as it opened.  They were busy cooking.....

I had the combo plate.  It came with "2 bones, 2 meats and 2 sides"  I am not that interested in the ribs, so I told them to hold them.  Brisket and pulled pork, slaw and potato salad.  The brisket was excellent.  Thin, full of flavor.  They had four sauces.  A sweet honey, a spicy, a sweet KC and a smokey.  None of those was particularly appealing, so I went without sauce.  It was a good choice, the brisket flavor came through delicate and very much to my liking.  The pulled pork tasted good, not great.  Being the first one in the restaurant on this day, I am guessing that I was eating some pork that had been cooked the day before, and reheated for today.  It was a little dark and would have benefited from a mustard based sauce. They lavished me with a huge quantity of meat, it filled a good size plate.  I was most disappointed in the sides.  Understand they were acceptable, just they appeared to be purchased not freshly made.  I do not understand why your  would spend all of the time to prepare quality meat, and then combine it with some off the shelf sides that were delivered by a truck and came in a plastic jar.  It is similar to what is sold in grocery stores and fast food restaurants up and down the street.....Of course I would have preferred fries, but they were not on the menu.  I had slaw and potato salad. 

I can see why Piggy's Bar BQ wins the  Rural Missouri Magazine's Best BBQ in N.E. Missouri frequently.  It is not a chain, it has good food, it is real BBQ, and obviously cooked right there.  It is a nice clean place, one you can take your wife to.....

I would go back for the brisket.....!