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contact the editor: lifestyles@alestlelive.com 650-3527 Wednesday, 07.12.23
I Heading by Thea Weltzin
Some of the best summer food comes in the form of barbecue and we at The Alestle took it upon ourselves to try a variety of restaurants in the Metro East and report back with our ratings. From ribs to sandwiches, cheap to expensive, there is a spot for out there for you and we hope this guide this useful on those warm summer nights.
Sugarfire offers amazing ribs, if you have money to spend DYLAN HEMBROUGH editor-in-chief
I Dylan Hembrough / The Alestle
Sugarfire Smokehouse, a barbecue spot with multiple locations in the Metro East, truly delivers a full rack of ribs that leaves you full and satisfied. Surprisingly, it wasn’t super busy inside. The building is a spacious one, decorated to the brim with all manner of posters and signs. The actual process of ordering your food resembles Subway in that they prepare it for you right before your eyes. A full rack of ribs comes with two sides, and everything all together costs around $50. Side options include fries, baked beans, coleslaw, potato salad and macaroni and
cheese, among others. While the meal lightened up my bank account, it did the opposite to my body. Sugarfire’s barbecue ribs are not a snack piece by any means. I was glad I hadn’t snacked much earlier in the day, or else I would not have been able to eat all the delicious food in front of me. The ribs themselves were spot-on in terms of taste and texture, and there were five sauce options at each table for customers to pick from. I chose the sweet barbecue sauce. The restaurant has an inviting atmosphere and some of the best ribs in the St. Louis area. Just be ready to drop a decent chunk of change on them.
Fire-N-Smoke offers unique menu, exceptional service AUDREY O’RENIC sports editor
I Audrey O’Renic / The Alestle
Using fresh and local ingredients, Fire-N-Smoke Wood Fired Kitchen in Troy offers a unique and tasty menu that puts a spin on traditional barbecue. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the staff who warmly welcomed me into the cabin styled restaurant. It took me a while to decide what I wanted, as they offered a diverse menu of salads, wings, platters, burgers, sandwiches and street tacos. I eventually settled on the Pig N Hen sandwich, which contained pulled pork, fried egg and bacon on two perfectly toasted buns. For $12, the meal also came with my choice of a side — for which I chose the green beans. Although I just ordered
water, they also offer bottled craft beers and Fitz’s soda. The meal came out quickly, and I was pleasantly surprised when the staff member gave me a free cookie. The sandwich itself was a pretty decent size, especially for lunch. The pulled pork was smoked with post oak wood and cooked to perfection. Although the meal came with barbecue sauce, I felt like the fried egg brought the perfect amount of moisture to the dryness of the pork. The side of green beans was delicious, I just wish they were a little more seasoned. I haven’t yet given a perfect rating for MEE, however Fire-N-Smoke deserves it. Furthermore, a portion of sales is donated to Churches on the Streets and The Snyder Center in Alton.
Doc’s Smokehouse makes some good ribs, decent sides EMILY STERZINGER former editor-in-chief
I Emily Sterzinger / The Alestle
I’ve been to Doc’s Smokehouse quite a few times, and each time it’s left me full and satisfied. This time at Doc’s Smokehouse, I ordered the ribs, and they did not disappoint. To start, the interior of the restaurant was a bit plain, but the food itself more than made up for that. For the main plate, I enjoyed four
pieces of ribs. They had a great, chewy texture, and a great umami flavor. I used the roll that came with the meal to make a mini sandwich out of the meat, which tasted good as well. The fries could have used a little more seasoning, but that wasn’t anything some sweet and smoky barbecue sauce couldn’t fix. Speaking of that sauce, it was delicious, and I put it on both my fries and my ribs. The bun that it came with was sweet. At $13.25 for the meal, the price was pretty reasonable to me, and I enjoyed what I got for it.