The Scene

St. Louis barbecue is one of America's most distinctive and underrated traditions — a style built less on the all-day Texas smoke than on the grill, the fryer, and a deep soul-food lineage on the city's North Side. Its signatures are unmistakable: the pork steak, a shoulder cut grilled and simmered in sauce; the crispy pork snoot; and the St. Louis-cut spare rib, all finished with a sweet, sticky, tomato-based sauce that much of the country now buys in a bottle. A modern renaissance — Pappy's, Bogart's, Salt + Smoke, Sugarfire — has pushed brisket and burnt ends alongside the classics, but the snoot counters of North City still keep the oldest flame.

Must-Order Dishes

Best Neighborhoods for BBQ

Top Restaurants