Two Men Travel Across America to taste C&K

A Semi-Christian and a Semi-Muslim take a road-trip across America in search of great BBQ, each other, and themselves They snap pictures and blog about each experience around the country. Pretty cool huh? We were reluctant to take a picture but these two charmers talked us into it, and we're glad we did, Check out this most appreciated review on C&K Barbecue.

We walked into C&K’s BBQ about 9pm, and it was packed. It’s take out only, and there was quite a crowd waiting. We walked up to the counter and Syed quickly ordered a plate of the beef ribs. I asked one older gentleman waiting for his order what he liked, and he said, “I get the snoot, and I get ‘em hot.”.

Well, how could I say no? I looked at the faded paper menu on the wall behind the counter and saw that one option was snout. I asked the guy tending the register what it was and he explained that it is thinly sliced pig snout, flash fried crispy, and then covered in barbecue sauce. I ordered it and waited excitedly.

Our orders came out quickly and we retreated to the parking lot to taste our final barbecue stop for the day. Syed’s order of ribs had to weigh 8 pounds. It was an enormous pile of the largest beef ribs you’ve ever seen. And the flavor was incredible, almost like a pot roast, and the meat just fell off the bone.

And the ’snoot’ was equally impressive. They are thick and crunchy and slathered in C&K’s own tasty sauce. I enjoyed them on their own and also wrapped in a piece of white bread.

With food this good, it was amazing how hungry we became once we started eating.

Brother and sister owners Jamila and Omari agreed to let us post their pic to the blog, and they even snapped a picture of their own of us! They sent us on our way with a bottle of their sauce to share with our friends back home… get ready, it’s excellent!

If you are anywhere near St. Louis, you’ve got to stop by C&K and enjoy their great food!

To see more of their roadside adventures to taste the Best BBQ in the country, go to their website: BBQPILGRIMAGE, They are going to pick a winner by the end of the summer! Enjoy.

STL TODAY: CRITIC'S REVIEW OF C&K BBQ

C & K Barbecue
By Betha Whitlow
SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
02/14/2008
No ever one said that dating a food writer was easy. In the game of love, people promise each other all sorts of things, even if it eventually leads to profound regret. So discovered my gentleman caller, Dave, when his time came to pay the piper. In a moment of weakness, he pledged to this restaurant reviewer not wine and roses or chocolate and puppies, but something far more romantic: to eat a different part of the pig. That's where C & K Barbecue came in handy.In business for more than 40 years, C & K Barbecue is a local joint with national press, as regarded for its way with pig snouts, ears and tripe as it is for chicken and pulled pork. The 1950s building housing it is space-age angles and orange fiberglass insets, while the tiny, tidy interior is equipped for carryout only. Expect friendly counter service with an earnest, "Let me see if we have it" attitude. And if they don't have it, don't fret — C & K has plenty of amazing barbecue to go around.
We chose to start easy with a plate of pulled pork ($4.50). Prepared just the way I like it, with textural play between soft and crispy shreds of meat and hot pockets of fat, it became a revelation with a heavy dose of C & K Barbecue's astonishing sauce. Tomato-based, mildly sweet and black pepper-infused, with a thick, 10-napkin sloppiness, it was worth eating by itself with a spoon.Thankfully, the sauce made a return appearance on C & K's fabulous barbecued chicken ($5, half chicken), which was so juicy and tender it virtually melted off the bone. Were it not for my preference for dark meat and Dave's for white, I suspect a hearty battle would have ensued for perhaps the best chicken we've ever had. Lulled if not primed, we took on the tripe sandwich ($3.25). While not particularly appealing in concept — tripe is a stomach lining — C & K's preparation of it dispelled our doubts. Spicy breading gave it the air of a chicken-fried steak, drawing out the tripe's surprisingly mild flavors and complementing its uniquely chewy consistency. A dose of pickles, onions, mustard and hot sauce added body, and soft, white bread, a comforting familiarity. Then, just when Dave thought he'd lived up to his promise, the snout plate ($6) arrived. Yes, that would be pig muzzle, sliced thin and flash-fried. Crunchy like pork rinds and sauced like barbecue, it wasn't our thing, but it wasn't half-bad, especially with C & K's clever take on potato salad — a thick, rich puree dotted with a lively pickle relish.Later, as we gobbled up a huge slice of C & K's superb lemon layer cake ($1.50), Dave quietly uttered, "Don't make me eat more snout," and as my romantic gesture to him, I promised I wouldn't. C & K Barbecue — perhaps the top restaurant of its kind in St. Louis — offers far more than a grand tour of the pig. It also gave a guy a chance to impress a girl. And it worked