Pappy’s Smokehouse

Roadfood is all about restaurants we love, or at least like. We do not love Pappy’s. On the other hand, the Food Network rated its ribs among America’s top five; USA Today said it was one of the top ten foodie spots in St. Louis; crowds of locals like it enough to wait in long lines just to get a chance to eat what is billed as Memphis-style barbecue. If pale-flavored ribs, dry pulled pork, and chewy sliced brisket are Memphis-style, it must be a Memphis other than the barbecue-rich one down the Mississippi River, where succulence is a given.

Dry or wan meat can be improved by barbecue sauce, of which four kinds are arrayed on each table here: “Texas style hot”; “Jane’s Sweet” (does a good job covering the meat); “Pappy’s Original” (vinegar-peppery); and “Hoodoo” (even more peppery).

While the popular appeal of the meats is a mystery, I can say good things about the sweet and soupy baked beans, the crunchy cole slaw, the crisp and well-salted sweet potato fries, the caramelized fried corn on the cob, and the big baked potato.

Pappy’s is a fun place with a happy rustic vibe like being at a barn dance. I won’t be rushing back to eat here, given the presence of truly great barbecue elsewhere in St. Louis, but neither am I willing to write it off completely. Jane and I ate five different dinners at Pappy’s. Maybe they were just the result of an off night.