Photo by Jerry Naunheim Jr.
Beast Craft BBQ Co.
Have you grown spoiled by the wealth of barbecue that has appeared in St. Louis over the past eight years? Do you miss the “Wow!” moment you experienced from your first bites of the ribs at Pappy’s Smokehouse and the fatty brisket at Salt + Smoke? Head to Beast Craft BBQ Co. in Belleville, where pitmaster David Sandusky’s pork steak — a softball-size hunk of shoulder, blackened, smoky and tender — knocked this jaded restaurant critic on his butt. The whole enterprise is impressive, from standards (ribs, chicken, brisket) to daily specials (burnt ends and snoots among them) to sides (kale with garlic, Brussels sprouts with pork belly). Every platter comes with two freshly made flour tortillas, perfect for sopping up the cherry-chipotle barbecue sauce.
Opened: 2014
Must order: Pork steak (with two sides, $15)