When you’re searching for the best St. Louis style BBQ, you aren’t simply looking for meat covered in barbecue sauce. Great St. Louis barbecue starts with quality meat, patient smoking, a flavorful bark, and the unmistakable combination of smoke, tenderness, and bold flavor that has made St. Louis a serious BBQ destination.
At Sharpshooters Pit & Grill in St. Louis, MO, barbecue is prepared with a straightforward philosophy: smoke it low and slow, serve it fresh, and let the meat speak for itself.
From smoked ribs and beef brisket to pulled pork, turkey and chicken wings, Sharpshooters gives St. Louis BBQ lovers plenty of reasons to come hungry.
What Makes St. Louis Style BBQ Different?
St. Louis has developed its own barbecue identity.
While Texas is famous for brisket and Memphis is closely associated with dry-rubbed pork ribs, St. Louis barbecue has traditionally embraced pork, ribs, pork steaks and rich, flavorful sauces.
One of the most recognizable terms is St. Louis-style ribs. This refers to spare ribs trimmed into a clean, rectangular rack by removing the rib tips and excess cartilage. The result is an even rack that’s easier to cook consistently and perfect for developing a flavorful exterior while remaining tender inside.
But St. Louis BBQ culture goes well beyond a particular cut of ribs.
It’s about bringing together smoke, seasoning, meat and sauce in a way that produces big flavor without losing what makes the meat itself special.
That’s exactly the approach you’ll find at Sharpshooters Pit & Grill.
Low and Slow BBQ Over Cherry Wood
Great barbecue can’t be rushed.
At Sharpshooters, meats are slow smoked for hours over cherry wood, with some spending as long as 14 hours in the smoker.
Cherry wood provides a relatively mild smoke with a subtle sweetness. Instead of overwhelming the meat, it complements pork, beef, poultry and ribs while helping create the deep color and flavorful bark BBQ fans look for.
The long cooking process also gives tougher cuts of meat the time they need to become tender.
It’s the difference between simply cooking meat and actually making barbecue.
St. Louis BBQ Ribs Worth Getting Messy For
For many people, the search for the best BBQ in St. Louis begins with ribs.
A great rack should deliver smoke and seasoning from the first bite while remaining juicy and tender.
Sharpshooters’ smoked ribs are dry rubbed before spending hours over cherry wood. The slow-smoking process allows the seasoning and smoke to build flavor while the meat gradually becomes tender.
Then comes an important choice:
Sauce or no sauce?
At Sharpshooters, you don’t have to cover great BBQ to enjoy it. The restaurant’s philosophy is essentially “sauce on the side, nothing to hide.”
That means you can taste the smoke, seasoning and meat first and add as much—or as little—BBQ sauce as you want.
Slow-Smoked Beef Brisket
Although St. Louis is traditionally associated with pork, today’s St. Louis BBQ scene has embraced another smokehouse favorite: beef brisket.
Brisket is one of the true tests of a pitmaster.
Cook it too quickly and it can be tough. Leave it too long or handle the temperature incorrectly and it can become dry.
When it’s done right, however, brisket delivers everything barbecue lovers want: a seasoned bark, smoky flavor and tender beef.
Sharpshooters offers slow-smoked beef brisket as both plates and sandwiches, making it an excellent option for anyone searching for brisket in St. Louis.
Pulled Pork: A BBQ Classic
Few foods demonstrate the benefits of low-and-slow cooking better than pulled pork.
Pork shoulder contains connective tissue and marbling that gradually break down during a long smoke. Given enough time, the meat transforms into juicy strands of pork that pull apart easily.
Sharpshooters’ smoked pulled pork brings together cherry-wood smoke, seasoning and tender pork in a classic BBQ favorite.
Enjoy it as a plate with sides or piled onto a sandwich.
Add your favorite house BBQ sauce—or eat it exactly as it comes out of the pit.
Don’t Overlook the Smoked Turkey
BBQ doesn’t always have to mean beef or pork.
Smoked turkey is one of Sharpshooters’ standout alternatives for guests who want something a little lighter without sacrificing smokehouse flavor.
Turkey can dry out quickly when improperly cooked, which makes temperature and timing particularly important.
Slow smoking allows the meat to develop smoke flavor while maintaining the moisture that makes good smoked turkey worth ordering.
For groups trying several meats, adding turkey alongside brisket, ribs or pulled pork creates a great contrast of flavors.
Smoked Chicken Wings
Chicken wings are another reason to visit Sharpshooters.
Instead of relying solely on frying and sauce for flavor, smoked wings get their character from time in the smoker.
Smoke penetrates the chicken while seasoning builds flavor on the exterior, creating a completely different experience from ordinary restaurant wings.
Pair them with one of Sharpshooters’ BBQ sauces for even more flavor.
BBQ Sauce Should Complement the Meat
Ask ten St. Louis residents about BBQ sauce and you may get ten different answers.
That’s part of the fun.
Sharpshooters offers multiple sauces so guests can customize their BBQ, including options such as:
- Sweet & Smokey
- Hot & Spicy
- Carolina Mustard
The important part is when the sauce gets involved.
Instead of using sauce to hide the meat, Sharpshooters serves sauce alongside its smoked meats so you control the flavor.
Start with a bite without sauce.
Taste the smoke.
Taste the rub.
Taste the meat.
Then decide which sauce belongs on the next bite.
Build the Ultimate St. Louis BBQ Plate
Can’t decide between brisket and pulled pork?
You shouldn’t have to.
One of the best ways to experience Sharpshooters is by ordering multiple smoked meats and creating your own BBQ feast.
Try pairing:
Smoked Ribs + Brisket
or
Pulled Pork + Smoked Turkey
Then add your favorite sides and sauce.
It’s also a great strategy for someone visiting from outside Missouri who wants to experience several different styles of smoked meat during one meal.
Fresh BBQ Matters
One of the principles behind Sharpshooters Pit & Grill is simple:
Fresh, never reheated.
That’s particularly important with BBQ.
Smoking meat requires hours of preparation, but the quality of the finished product also depends on what happens after it leaves the smoker.
Sharpshooters prepares its barbecue fresh rather than building the dining experience around reheated meat.
That commitment helps preserve the moisture, texture, bark and smoke flavor developed during the cooking process.
A Different Kind of St. Louis BBQ Experience
Sharpshooters Pit & Grill isn’t your typical barbecue restaurant.
Located at 8135 Gravois Road in the St. Louis area, the restaurant offers a casual destination where BBQ fans can enjoy smoked meats ranging from ribs and brisket to pulled pork, turkey and wings.
It’s become a local option for lunch, dinner, carryout and anyone who simply wants a plate of freshly smoked BBQ without unnecessary fuss.
The emphasis remains where it should:
On the food.
Why Sharpshooters Belongs on Your St. Louis BBQ List
St. Louis has no shortage of barbecue restaurants, and that’s something locals should be proud of.
Competition pushes pitmasters to get better.
What helps Sharpshooters Pit & Grill stand out is its combination of traditional BBQ fundamentals:
Low-and-slow smoking.
Cherry wood.
Freshly prepared meats.
Dry rubs.
House BBQ sauces served on the side.
Ribs, brisket, pulled pork, turkey and wings.
There aren’t shortcuts to great smoked meat. Time, temperature, wood and experience have to work together.
That’s what makes barbecue worth waiting for.
Looking for the Best St. Louis Style BBQ?
Whether you’re a lifelong St. Louis resident or visiting Missouri and searching for authentic local barbecue, make Sharpshooters Pit & Grill one of your stops.
Come hungry and build a plate with smoked ribs, brisket, pulled pork, turkey or wings. Add your favorite sides, experiment with the house sauces, and discover which smoked meat earns the top spot on your personal BBQ list.
Because when barbecue is smoked properly, the meat doesn’t need to hide behind the sauce.
Visit Sharpshooters Pit & Grill
Sharpshooters Pit & Grill
8135 Gravois Rd
St. Louis, MO 63123
Phone: (314) 353-4745
Come experience St. Louis BBQ smoked low and slow over cherry wood.