Photo by J.B. Forbes (Post-Dispatch)
Bogart's Smokehouse
When Bogart's Smokehouse opened in 2011, it did so with two tremendous advantages: the rollicking, restaurant-loving neighborhood of Soulard, and a dining public primed for barbecue by the blockbuster success of Bogart's older sibling, Pappy's Smokehouse. Even then, the Bogart's team knew the restaurant couldn't be a Pappy's clone and set themselves apart with meats and sides that were terrific on their own merits, especially the apricot-glazed ribs, the pastrami and the pit-baked beans. These distinctive dishes prepared Bogart's well for the past decade's onslaught of new barbecue restaurants. Today, Bogart's barbecue — the ribs and pastrami, the tri-tip and burnt ends — and the Bogart's experience as a whole still stand apart.
Hours: 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (or until sold out) Sunday-Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. (or until sold out) Wednesday-Saturday
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2011