The second stop in St. Louis today was at the one and only Pappy's Smokehouse. When we arrived there was a line of at least 30 or so people in front of us. The vibe was cool and the spot had a high energy to it, so it didn't feel like we were in line for much more then 5-10 minutes. Could be that was the case because this joint was a well-oiled barbecue machine.
By the time we had made it half way down the line two employees had checked in on us to see if we needed any suggestions or guidance...really friendly and helpful! The third person to drop by was Mike "Pappy" Emerson who couldn't have been more down-to-earth, genuinely welcoming and real appreciative of us making his BBQ joint a part of our chase. Obviously I was honored that he took a few minutes out of his day to spend some time with us talking 'cue, laughing and really making our day.
He's an real BBQ junkie and quite the marketing genius...just has the magic. The thing is, when it's a passion, it's not work and you can let it be fun for you and everyone around you. We sure had a good time hanging out with him and learning a little more about barbecue.
Doug must have done some eating preparation for this trip because even though he clearly overate at the first stop he was ready to go again when the 'cue arrived at our table. We ordered two different two meat plates...smoked turkey breast and pulled chicken with sides of fried corn on the cob and green beans...and... burnt ends and ribs with slaw and baked beans. The highlights for us were the juicy turkey, bark filled burnt end chucks, the perfectly flavored green beans and, of course, the fried corn on the cob.