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South City BBQ Joint Gets Stellar Ratings from the Dining Divas
By Lisa Kampter
Immediately when I saw the Stellar Hog, I compared it to Henke’s Tavern in Florissant. Located in the middle of a neighborhood on Leona near Bates in South St. Louis, this place is rich in history. You’d never realize that inside the small white building you’d find some of the best food around. I can honestly say that rarely do the Dining Divas agree on our food, but this time, we all agreed we wanted to come back!
Of course, the Naysayer Diva wondered if we should be concerned about the cops on golf carts out on the streets in the neighborhood. Nah, we said. At least they’re not taking up too much space for parking.
The Stellar Hog is bigger than Henke’s and with the option of dining outside at picnic tables. That’s where I made the mistake to assume that the ladies would want to sit outside because of the cooler summer night. I was wrong! The Demanding Diva barely sat down before she got right back up and got us a table indoors. We were all okay with that. Picnic tables are okay for a quick meal. But for a BBQ dinner, we needed seats to get comfortable in.
The Stellar Hog was very busy this Thursday evening. A large party was being held outside. So the owner’s mother jumped in to serve us as the waitresses were super busy. We loved it. We were able to get so much information from her about the place and the food. She proudly spoke about her son and his passion for smoking meat and his new restaurant. She shared her opinions regarding all of the food choices we considered. And she was absolutely spot on with her recommendations. The Cheesy Pulled Pork Fries were so good we had to place another order. Up until now, the Italian Diva would have said the Shaved Duck had the best pulled pork fries. Not anymore!
Several people were interested in the ribs. Apparently several people before us were too. They were out of ribs by the time we ordered. So a couple people went with a burger, at “Mom” the waitress’ recommendation. What a surprise it was for those who got it! Topped with cheddar and an onion jam, which was made with caramelized onions, pulled rib meat, and brown sugar, it was so unique and delicious.
After enjoying the fries with pork, we knew the Pulled Pork Sandwich would be great, and it was! You can order it by the pound or as a sandwich.
The Stellar Hog’s Beef Brisket was some of the best brisket several of the Divas had ever had. “Mom” brought out BBQ sauce for it, but it didn’t need it. While enjoying our food, a few of us talked about another night out but this time with our spouses. They’d love it.
On this particular night, karaoke began at 9 . Typically you put a microphone in front of several in this group, and you may not get it back. Worried that we’d scare off the crowd or perhaps the golf cart cops would be called in, we decided against entertaining the crowd.
The owner came out to talk to us. “Mom” probably made him. It was cool to hear his story and to see the passion he has in his work. He and his family are working to make The Stellar Hog a family friendly, pet loving, BBQ destination. And their hard work is paying off. We were hooked, even before we saw the microphones.
