Wonderful people. Great hidden little BBQ place. They have a patio and plenty of outdoor seasoning…read more As stated they are outside. No indoor seating. I really love the smoked tacos. Had the chicken one out at an Alton event. Delicious especially with the fresh salsa. Give them a try! They're behind the big shopping complex on Homer Adams with Marshalls, ultA, goodwill, five below.

We're Outside just made my Memorial Day Week-End Complete. I enjoyed a fork tender pork steak with…read morea side of Baked Beans and Mac-n-Cheese. Typically I am not a white bread person, but the two slices that came with my meal were soft and fresh. I was able to make a small sandwich with leftovers from the large steak, for lunch the next day. It's a small operation, you place your order at one window and when your number is called, you pick it up at the next one. Everything is, "outside" hence the name of the business. I always get mine to-go, but there's plenty of outside seating available. If you dine on their patio, they've go great music playing. The kind you'd play at your very own backyard party. The service is exactly what you'd expect from a local mom & pop type business. It is personable and just downright friendly. It's also a black owned business. So get out and support a minority and locally owned business.

When I moved over to the Riverbend area, I was worried about finding a good BBQ restaurant. After…read moreall, I had so many to choose from living in the city of STL. There it was like finding a Walgreens, there practically was one on every block. After a few misses at other restaurants, I thought I'd give Fire-n-Smoke a try. Actually, I was driving back from STL and my go to in STL was closed due to a water pipe break, so I had no BBQ in the car. When I programmed their address in the GPS, I was shocked how close it was to the intersection of 111 and 255. This was going to be an easy pick-up and back on the road to home. First impressions count and this place was super clean, practicing social distancing and everyone was wearing mask (correctly) and the staff were also wearing gloves on both sides of the counter. Win! Being a first time visitor, I'll admit I went overboard with my order. I ordered way to much food for one person, but I got to sample many things and I divided it up into additional meals. Not only did I have today's lunch, but I also have lunch and dinner for tomorrow. To sample multiple meats, I ordered the Three Meat Platter. I choose; Baby Back Ribs, Burnt Ends and Pulled Pork. The young cashier recommended the pulled pork, she said it was one of their most popular. Out of the three meats, it was my favorite. The ribs had good flavor, but did not totally fall off the bone the way I like it. I had to do some work, to get all the meat off the bone. The Burnt Ends were good, but a little fattier then I am use to. However, I'll give them another try. My platter came with two sides. Everyone raves about the Mac-n-Cheese in the Yelp reviews, so it was a no brainer to choose it. Again, I asked the cashier which other one I should choose and she recommended the Fried Potato Twisters. I didn't want two heavy carbs, so I asked if they did the BBQ Beans in house and she said, yes. I know it's another carb, but it just seemed a better choice. Also, easier to split up into another meal than cold fries. I liked the Mac-n-Cheese. I really appreciated that it was baked and served in its own separate tin dish. Could have had more seasoning for me, but that can be resolved with a pepper shaker and spices from home. The BBQ Beans were pretty standard and had good flavor and lots of brisket pieces in it. In addition to the Three Meat Platter, I ordered 6 Chicken Wings and I'll tell you now, these little babies will be a go to for me. They are smoked over oak before being tossed in the fryer and tossed in the sauce of your choice. I had the Buffalo sauce served on the side for mine. No sauce needed, these little beauties tasted divine, just as they were. Best of all, they also packaged them, 3 flats and 3 drums. If you know me, you know I want the numbers to match. Service was friendly and as stated earlier, they were following CDC guidelines to the max. So glad I finally gave them a try and realized it's only a 12-15 drive from home. Not bad for good BBQ. When: February 20, 2021 Why: Lunch and Searching for a BBQ joint to call my own.

Great place! From the moment you walk in you get a great vibe, great decor and music, friendly…read morestaff who are always smiling and happy to help, it's refreshing to see. Ordered a 3 meat platter, ribs, burnt ends & brisket, sides were Mac & cheese & twisted fries. Platter took a few minutes to make while we freshened up, got our drinks and found a table. Food was delivered and first off everything looked yummy, everything was also hot which is important to me. Ribs were lightly smoked, had good bark on them & were seasoned well. Burnt ends were delicious and so was the brisket. Platter served with 2 slices of bread & garlic butter, this was a nice touch. Sides were both yummy as well. Tried a few of their specialty sauces and they were delicious as well. Now I may be nit picking here, but they lost a point for how the platters were served, 2 identical platters should be identical. One platter had thick cut brisket, the other thin sliced. One had Mac & cheese with crunchy crumbles, the other no crumbles. Also the ribs were dry, I know with baby back there is not much meat, but these were overdone.

What a great BBQ place! Went in for lunch on a work trip and was very pleased. Ordered the…read morebrisket sandwich (after Fawn's recommendation) and it was amazing. Great meat, solid bun, a ton of chips, and a nice pickle. Others got the Carver's sandwich and the pulled chicken, and they both cleaned their plates. Excellent food, service, and price. Thanks! [Out-of-towner looking for good local places to eat.]

I'll never understand a BBQ place which doesn't strip the membrane off of its ribs. Losing half the…read moresmoke! I steer clear of the ribs anyway. The brisket and pulled pork are where it's at. It's meat. In this day and age, expect high prices. Not their fault, I suppose, but for what it is, consider it pricey.

Stopped and got a pulled chicken sandwich and baked beans and Mac and cheese. Good food as always.read more

The help was very friendly, and courtesy. They helped us with our order. I would gladly go back for…read moremore pulled pork, and baked beans.

Just reading their menu titles was intriguing: Dirty Fries, Swamp Salads, PigMac, Gator Bowl,…read moreVoodoo Reuben and much more was unique. The food is excellent. BBQ. Entrees, Sides.everything. I've never been to a restaurant where the service and personality and warmth of everyone there makes me want to come back. And I will come back. It's worth the drive.

The decor is nice the waitress was nice but the owner was at the bar drinking and being…read moreirresponsible and very off pudding I would not ever go back in fact I left before my order came out. waitress told me they were out of what I had ordered so I politely excused myself and just left I was not uncomfortable with the demeanor of the owners.

Worse ever. I ordered for the first time. The que was dry, burned, unchewable and appeared old…read more Very disappointed. Will never go back. They also do not give paper receipts. The wait was reasonable and the person who waited on me was cordial. Maybe this was an off day, and everyone has one but remember the first impression is a lasting impression.

From the owner: "This Isn't Your Ordinary BBQ!" Come enjoy our smoked rib tips, slabs, wings, and more. We also…read moreoffer a variety of sides and baked goods!

Bakers & Hale is a family favorite and an absolute must whenever I am in IL seeing family. The vibe…read moreis incredibly relaxed and very family friendly, ample space so you never feel crowded. The food is consistently good with generous portions, and the friendly service always makes the experience enjoyable. if your there during the live music, it's a really nice touch. Even though I come here all the time, for some reason I always forget the actual name and just refer to it as "Bangers and Mash." Luckily, my family always knows exactly whatI mean!

Bakers & Hale is probably one of the if not the most popular restaurants in the Riverbend area…read more They are know for their amazing bands on the patio, which is year round and a pretty decent Happy Hour. The other day I meet up with some of my cousins for Happy Hour. I cannot go wrong with one of the HH pizzas. Three of the six cousins, ordered pizza with different toppings. I went with the HH Taco's. I enjoyed Two Shrimp Taco's for only $7. The HH pizzas are $10. Three cousins went with the regular menu and enjoyed salads, chicken wings and chicken strips/tenders. Everyone was pleased with their food. The only thing keeping B&H from getting 5 Stars is the service. It's never consistent. One time it's over the top and the next time it's the bare minimum. It really depends on who you get as a server. The seasoned ones who have been for a long time, know how to work a table. The newer and younger ones, just don't get it. They don't hustle and as their station fills up, they get overwhelmed and everything goes downhill. When: January 7, 2026 Why: Happy Hour with the cousins

This was honestly one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. The menu is pure false…read moreadvertising. I ordered catfish, and they brought me tilapia like I wouldn't notice the difference. Completely unacceptable. They were out of every basic drink no sodas at all and handed us water in cheap red plastic cups. On top of that, the building was freezing, like they didn't care if customers were comfortable. The service was horrible. Our server had an attitude, moved slow, and acted like serving us was a problem. The entire place felt unprofessional, unorganized, and not ready to serve anybody. Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money. Lovett's Soul Food is an embarrassment at this point. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I want say me and my family love lovers soul food it's like family when u go in and one of the best…read morehome cooked meals u get for a amazing price thank u from my family to your please stay around for many years to come sincerely Melissa Honchell

Great. Pulled pork, sandwich. BBG Sauce, is good…read more Pulled pork, by the. Lbs Or sandwich.... Just try it. I've been going, there, every year. & getting it.....

This group has been lovingly providing their barbeque cookouts for years. Not only is the food…read moredelicious but every bit of the profit goes to needy families for shoes, coats and also Christmas gifts for families. Being part of Kiwanis also means they support the International Children's Fund and a number of other "child-centric" charities as well. They have 4 cookouts annually and I would highly recommend you put them in your schedule.