Pappy's Smokehouse
Mike Emerson's baby backs go out under a Memphis dry rub, and the Midtown pit sells out long before it closes.1
Why go
St. Louis Magazine's barbecue panel credits Emerson with starting the modern St. Louis barbecue boom, and the selling-out is what got the city's attention in the first place.1 The ribs are the reason to come. The panel calls them arguably the best in town and the standard it measures every other baby back against.1 Order online if you want to be sure of getting what you came for.1
Order this / avoid
- Order: the dry-rubbed ribs, and get there early or put the order in ahead.1
- Order: the sweet potato fries. The panel names them over the standard sides.1
- Avoid: the cole slaw, the potato salad and the baked beans. That steer is the panel's, in those words.1
What locals & experts say
- St. Louis Magazine's barbecue panel (23 May 2024, updated 19 May 2026):
The Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs are arguably the best in town, the gold standard by which all other baby backs are judged.
1 - The same panel on the room's reputation:
It's safe to say that under the tutelage of co-founder Mike Emerson, Pappy's kicked off the modern boom of St. Louis barbecue.
1
Good to know
- Timing: the flagship sells out ahead of closing time, so lunch is the safe visit.1
- Which door: this is the Midtown flagship on Olive Street. Bogart's and Adam's are siblings under the same family of restaurants and have their own entries.1
Verdict
should-visit — St. Louis Magazine's barbecue panel calls the Memphis-style dry-rubbed ribs arguably the best in town and the standard they judge every other baby back against. The pit sells out long before closing, and the same panel credits Mike Emerson with starting the modern St. Louis barbecue boom. It sits here rather than higher because the newest evidence is a panel guide entry, and because Ian Froeb left Pappy's off his 2026 hundred while naming five other barbecue rooms.