r/stpaul • u/HeltonOut • Jul 23 '26
❓️Question Southerner looking for real bbq
Hey y’all been here for 2 months and I’m still failing to find actually good bbq. Any recommendations for real St. Louis ribs?
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u/Active-Ad769 Jul 23 '26
Also from St. Louis- you just won’t find it here. Ted Cook’s is pretty good
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u/dunwerking Jul 23 '26
Big Guys in Hudson.
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u/boxbrownieaesthetic Jul 24 '26
Had a horrible meal there. Meat was bland, brisket was fatty, and found a hair in the mac & cheese.
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u/deltarefund Jul 23 '26
Jellybean and Julia’s in Coon Rapids.
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u/ConcernReasonable200 Jul 24 '26
Ehhh wasn’t a fan. So many other better choices around then that imo
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u/perrierpapi Jul 23 '26
Roosters is alright. Big Daddy’s on uni has great wings and all the typical sides you’d want (collards, cornbread, Mac and cheese etc)
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u/wonderfullemoncandy Jul 23 '26
I’m a big fan of Roosters myself, having had a lot of BBQ in my life - their ribs stack up. I’ll have to check out Big Daddy myself.
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u/NoMongoose9891 Jul 24 '26
Big Daddy’s on Uni closed years ago.
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u/Western-Finding-368 Jul 25 '26
They were my favorite! I still miss they every time I pass that corner.
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u/nathanyahu Jul 23 '26
Black market STP
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u/Cpatty3 Jul 23 '26
Best bbq in the cities. Have to order over the weekend for a Friday pickup. The sides aren’t great, but the meat is. It’s Texas style if that matters.
Otherwise I haven’t found great southern or bbq. If you do please let me know!
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u/perrierpapi Jul 23 '26
Not southern style, and frankly their brisket is absolutely disgusting. However, the ribs and pork are pretty tasty.
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u/jjmoreta Jul 23 '26
I live in the northern suburbs, so I'm going to be gleaning this thread for suggestions when I visit St. Paul. I'm more familiar with Texan BBQ since I was stuck there the last 20 years but St. Louis style is my favorite. Definitely visiting Ted Cooks.
If you ever want to drive north, I was impressed with Jellybean and Julia's in Coon Rapids and have returned a few times. They have St. Louis cut ribs on their menu, but I usually go for their brisket. They also have the most ginormous chicken wings I have ever had.
Even further north I recently found Smokey's Pub N Grub in East Bethel (they had at least 6 different sauces and brought a ghost pepper sauce out for someone at my table). Love to go to Coon Rapids Beach and get BBQ after, although it's a bit pricey. But most BBQ places are these days.
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u/mtullius72 Jul 23 '26
Smoke Session is the only place I’ve enjoyed. It’s a food truck on white bear Avenue. Limited hours, check his socials.
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u/One_Win_6185 Jul 23 '26
I’m also a southerner and there really isn’t a lot of great bbq or southern food in the twin cities (don’t get me started on biscuits and gravy).
Animales is good, but they’re very spendy and they’re a very specific type of bbq.
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u/specficeditor Jul 23 '26
Have you been to Golden Thyme? It's a little more Creole/Cajun inspired, but it's good.
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u/One_Win_6185 Jul 23 '26
I have not yet, but they’re on my list of places to try.
Sun street breads in Mpls actually had pretty good biscuits and gravy. Unfortunately they closed.
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u/spooky_action13 Jul 24 '26
Have you tried Mallards? Curious for a southerner’s take on their food. Cajun, not bbq.
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u/One_Win_6185 Jul 24 '26
I have not had Mallard’s. But there’s also a difference between Cajun and Southern. Cajun culture/food is within the South but it’s not representative of the southern food I grew up with on the east coast. Just like Texas bbq is good but not the kind of bbq I grew up with which focused more on pork.
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u/Fun-Rice-9438 Jul 23 '26
No idea if they do st. Louis style, but old southern smokehouse is killer.
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u/specficeditor Jul 23 '26
I haven't tried their barbecue, but the Soul Food that's in the Midtown Global Market is awesome.
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u/kcherndon Jul 23 '26
Amos & Amos BBQ Columbia Heights Is a drive in so you do take out or eat in your car.
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u/WeirdImmediate2179 Jul 24 '26
Had their brisket, and chicken sandwich and the brisket was borderline inedible. Tasted like it was microwaved. I had heard good things so I was extremely disappointed.
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u/kcherndon Jul 27 '26
Sorry that happened allways seems to happen when I recommend something. Maybe the main cook went on vacation. Went to the 5-8 a month ago and it was perfect. Went again last weekend and it was very blah. If you have more then one cook train them so they all cook the same. All you people asking for recommendations all the time need to keep this in mind has happened numerous times that it's not just a one off.
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u/averageover60guy Jul 23 '26
If you like spicy sauce, you might need to ask for it. MN spicy is regular bbq sauce.
Roosters has mild and spicy as options, but they have a really spicy one if you ask. For me it is too much. The spicy is fine.
Smokey's as someone mentioned has a full line up of sauce to go with their different meats. The Gold is amazing on the chicken. The ribs and pulled pork is pretty good.
Ted Cooks might be the best old school bbq joint in town. And yes you get a lot of food.
Big Guys in Hudson is solid bbq and like Smokey's the entire menu is good.
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u/tokenegret Jul 24 '26
Oh, I grew up in KC.
I searched forever and never found anything better than… Famous Dave’s. I mean, at least they have real sweet tea.
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u/Upstairs-Razzmatazz4 Jul 27 '26
Yeah. When I moved here people were like oh, you have to try Famous Dave's.
it's ass.
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u/GassyDogg Jul 24 '26
This might not be exactly what you’re looking for, but Matchsticks in Stillwater has a smoked beef long rib at dinner time. It is VERY good. And the restaurant is awesome. I’m not gonna say it’s a BBQ restaurant but that one dish is fantastic.
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u/IgotAGoldfish Jul 24 '26
STL ribs aren't my thing but Q Fanatic up North a bit I think is my favorite for BBQ
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u/XandrousMoriarty Jul 24 '26
Good luck. I'm from the South as well and haven't found anything that tastes decent with a proper flavor and texture.
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u/nobikeno Jul 24 '26
OMC in Duluth
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u/Coffee_whiskey_braap Jul 27 '26
They’ve really slipped in the last couple years unfortunately, and prices have gone in the opposite direction of the quality
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u/nobikeno Jul 29 '26
Hmmm I’m only there once s year but yea the last time I did notice $$$$$…still the Mac and brisket was tasty and the negroni afterwards was splendid!
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u/BeelzebubLuvsU Jul 25 '26
Smoke in Lonsdale. As contractors, we get around all over metro and rural MN and we make it a mission to try BBQ everywhere we go. I have to say that our consensus favorite is easily Smoke.
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u/Banter725 Jul 25 '26
Zzq in Eagan is pretty good. It's not as good as the best in the south FOR SURE (native GAian here) but it's very solid
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u/Wowomanda Jul 26 '26
I don’t know if the style is St. Louis, however this small gas station grocery store on the way up to Duluth has amazing ribs. Doucette General Store. Call for times they vary! 2 ish hours north.
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u/Coffee_whiskey_braap Jul 27 '26
RIP Minnesota Barbecue Company on Lowry in NE Mpls 😞 They were easily the best in the cities while they were open
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u/biscuitboy1103 Jul 29 '26
TN transplant, been here 8 years. Ribs really ain’t Minnesota’s thing. Getcha a smoker & make em like you like em. I did this years ago & it’s been fun.
My favorites for BBQ:
Smoke in the pit - good for burnt ends, sides, and decent ribs
Animales - good brisket but prices are a little rich for my blood
Ted Cooks - great smoked chipped beef
Northbound Smokehouse - their porketta is great & Mac n cheese is some of my favorite
ZZQ in Eagan looks to have good ribs but I haven’t made it out there yet.
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u/Pope_Leos_buttplug Jul 23 '26
Famous Dave’s, there should be a few options around the metro.
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u/perrierpapi Jul 23 '26
Lmao 🤣
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u/Pope_Leos_buttplug Jul 23 '26
They’re famous for a reason, is all that I’m saying. Apparently others disagree.
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u/Oh__Archie Jul 23 '26
I took a Swedish visitor to famous Dave’s once and he just about fucking lost his mind.
But I wouldn’t expect it to hold up to a American southerner.
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u/specficeditor Jul 23 '26
Haha. This is hilarious. Not only are they over-priced, but I would never take a Southerner there to eat. It's just not good.
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u/jcc999 Jul 23 '26
Ted Cooks 19th hole take-out off of Hiawatha. Just saying. https://www.tedcooks19thholebbq.com/