Eating in St. Louis – Sawmill BBQ & Big Daddy’s

This past weekend, R and I took a trip (courtesy of Air Choice One and the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce) to see my father and mother in law who live about 30 minutes from downtown St. Louis (in Illinois). While there we ate some amazing food.  We love exploring locally owned restaurants and St. Louis (and the area), did not disappoint!

Sawmill BBQ

Sawmill BBQ is actually located in Cahokia, IL, which is a suburb along the Mississippi River in Illinois.  The location could leave a person leary if you’re not from the area. The neighborhood looks a little rough and the restaurant is actually located on the site of a campgrounds, but don’t let that deter you from visiting.  Once you step in side and smell the smoked food, you will be pleasantly surprised and instantly hungry!  Upon entering, get in line at the counter to order!  Place your order, pay for it, and then find a seat!  Your food will be delivered shortly to your table!

The portions are very large and come out piping hot!!  I chose an order of 2/3lb. of brisket…no, I didn’t eat it all, but it was only $1 more for that size and now my in-laws are enjoying leftovers!  I’m willing to venture and say that it was THE BEST brisket that I’ve ever had!  The smoke flavor was intense without being overwhelming, the brisket was tender, juicy and not fatty!  I chose onion rings and apple sauce as my side.  The onion rings were fried to perfection and the apple sauce appeared to be homemade and wasn’t too sweet!  Everyone in our party was pleased with their meal and I would go back (or have my in-laws deliver) in a heartbeat!  We visited with the owner for a brief moment before leaving. The hometown fee of visiting with the people doing the work just adds to the greatness of this place.

Big Daddy’s

Next is Big Daddy’s in the Soulard district of St. Louis.  We chose this place due to its proximity to the Anheuser-Busch factory where we had just finished a tour! (Don’t worry, catch that post here!)  While this is an actual bar, they also have great food and at 4:15 on a Sunday afternoon, it was family friendly enough to take R (the 14yo).

We were greeted promptly and served our drinks.  We started to look the menu over when my FIL saw that they home make their own chips and so he decided we needed to try those!  And, they were so good that we ordered a second basket and at only $1.50 per basket you can’t go wrong!  We eventually ordered and when the food came everyone was raving about their choices, which ranged anywhere from a Reuben to a burger, steak sandwich, to a pizza.  But…not just any pizza.  I had what was probably THE BEST bacon cheeseburger pizza I’ve ever had!

They prepared my pizza on a flatbread, with a light sauce, then the cheese, followed by ground beef, crumbled bacon, diced pickles and tomatoes.  Once baked to perfection, they added the special sauce. I don’t know what that special sauce was exactly and frankly I don’t care because it was YUMMY!  It was a 9 inch pizza and I ate the whole thing (in my defense, I hadn’t eaten since 10AM and I had gotten a run in that morning).

Conclusion

While I’m sure there are many great places to eat in the St. Louis area, I can’t help but feel like we found some diamonds in the rough!  If you’re ever in the area, I highly recommend you giving one or both a try!

And…don’t forget to Comment for A Cause this month: The Amy E. Hild Memorial Fund!