Bogart's Smokehouse

Best in BBQ Show

The pit master at Bogart’s, Skip Steele, who has worked smoke pits from Memphis to New York to Las Vegas, is making the case for “pit master” to be on par with “chef.” Or maybe even “mad genius,” to judge by the ’cue-linary wizardry he’s conjured since last February on an otherwise unassuming Soulard street corner. He smokes prime rib—repeat, he smokes prime rib—rendering a flavor and mouthfeel that are somehow rich and delicate all at once. As for your more quotidian rib slabs, why, those are finished off with an apricot-imbued glaze hit with a roofer’s torch. The baked beans are homemade and pit-smoked as well, and the chicken wings are a singular indulgence that the master himself doles out to customers waiting in the (fast-moving) ’cue-queue; they’re not on the menu (yet), so Steele passes them out gratis, one more reason why he’s made so many friends, and why his joint is tops in town. 1627 S. Ninth, 314-621-3107, bogartssmokehouse.com.