Adam's Smokehouse
Adam Gaffney cooked at Pappy's and died in 2012 at 25, and the 35-seat room named for him puts an apple-jelly glaze on its ribs and blowtorches it.1
Why go
The glaze is what separates this door from its siblings. Pappy's runs a Memphis dry rub, Bogart's finishes with apricot, and Adam's goes apple jelly.1 The room is small and hung with sports art, including a shrine to Stan Musial.1 It keeps the family rule on supply: when something runs out at Adam's, it is out for the day.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the ribs, for the apple-jelly glaze.1
- Order: the BBQ Salad with smoked turkey and Provel, which the panel rates a winner.1
- Order: the Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw with any fatty plate. The panel calls it the foil.1
- Avoid: turning up late. Preorder online for a holiday or for a family-size order.1
What locals & experts say
- St. Louis Magazine's barbecue panel (23 May 2024, updated 19 May 2026):
Here, the ribs are blow-torched with an apple-jelly glaze. Adam's BBQ Salad with smoked turkey and Provel is also a winner.
1 - The same panel on the name:
Adam's is a tribute to Adam Gaffney, a Pappy's employee who died in 2012 at the age of 25.
1
Good to know
- What it costs: a half-slab combo, ribs plus a quarter pound of another meat and a side, was US$25.99 on the venue's own ordering page on 1 September 2026.2
- Cutlery: utensil packs come on request only, so ask if you are taking it away.2
Verdict
could-visit — Adam Gaffney cooked at Pappy's and died in 2012 at 25, and this 35-seat room on Watson Road is named for him. St. Louis Magazine's barbecue panel covers it alongside its two siblings and names the blowtorched apple-jelly glaze and the Sweet Vinegar Coleslaw as what it does differently. The rung is a could-visit because that panel is the only voice on the file, and the third room in one family needs somebody to eat there and say so before it climbs.