Food Truck Feast - Saint Louis

I go to Bogart's for the best tasting ribs in the world. Their ribs feature a slightly sweet glaze with a hint of apricot so delicious I skip the sauce. The ribs gift you two dishes in one due to how they are cooked. The glaze on top of these ribs is sightly charred, caramelizing the sugars and creating a chewy layer that leaves me slowly peeling and devouring it with eyes closed. Underneath that caramelization is a, pardon the term, moist, juicy layer of meat that perfectly counterbalances the caramelization. Oblivious to the juice running down my beard, I swap between the layers of caramelization and juicy; occasionally gnawing on some bone for that last bit of meat, knowing I'm tasting BBQ heaven. The friendly owner and staff are efficient at getting you your meats. It has that classic BBQ joint atmosphere, but remember it is not a huge space so you may need to get your meat to go at peak times. If you want to be sure to get your favorite dish, come early, as high demand means they sometimes sell out.

Bogarts 4.5/5 Sugarfire 0/5 Pappy's 5/5 Bogarts has pastrami which we didn't see anywhere else, so we tried that. Very good! The ribs are also very good but Pappy's is just a tad better. Bogarts was a little more difficult to get to via public transportation, but it's doable. We came at 3 (they close at 4) on a weekday and it was empty. Same coleslaw as Pappy's (we were told they have the same owner) which is vinegar base with cabbage and apple. Great compliment to the rich bbq. I did need some sauce on the ribs here and there but nothing close to Sugarfire (tough and dry).

Visiting St Louis and I looked up bbq places to go and Bogart's came up on the list. So GOOD! I'm very picky about my bbq and this is top tier hands down. The staff was friendly and accommodating which was a bonus. We got the brisket, pulled pork, and pastrami by the pound to go. Everything was juicy, and flavorful. The pastrami and brisket were the stand outs for us. But all was good. No conversations were had while we were eating this. And you know a place is good when the locals are lining up before they open.

We came here after leaving a really long line at another BBQ spot on Friday at lunch time and were pleasantly surprised by a very short line and quick service. We ordered the pulled pork and half slab of ribs with sides (slaw, potato salad, beans). The ribs were fantastic and flavorful, but the pulled pork was a bit bland by itself and needed to be dipped in sauce. The sides were what you would expect. Overall a great, quick BBQ spot in St. Louis!

Bogarts is part of the Pappy's Smokehouse family, open by a cousin of Pappy's. There are small differences between the two, Bogarts doesn't have a fryer, Pappy's has chicken, and Bogarts has turkey. Bogarts also takes their ribs one step further with an apricot glaze and a finishing torch to get that shine and crisp. The ribs were juicy and pulling away from the bone. Even the fat and cartilage clinging to the bone was great. You can season them up with BBQ sauces named for the owner's family members, Sweet Maegan Ann is the owner's daughter and Mad Maddie is an adventurous niece, I also liked the spicy Voodoo sauce. The best burnt ends I had in St Louis were at Bogarts, and I tried them everywhere. Peppery, juicy, fatty, smoky, meaty. You could taste garlic and a slight sweetness. I didn't understand why people love burnt ends until I had these. The potato salad is mustardy and eggy. The barbecue beans were full of pulled pork. It's a small place. I went right as they opened and within minutes there was a line out the door, so come early if you want to eat at a table.