I need good eats in MO and TN

I will be driving from South Dakota through Kansas City and to Columbia MO on Sept 15. Spending 2 days in Columbia and then on through St. Louis and over to Crossville TN on Sept 17th. Spend 4 days in Crossville and then over to Pigeon Forge Tn for a day. Sept 23rd back to Columbia, and Sept 24th back home.

Does anyone know a good place to stop and get some great Q? I hope to find a good bbq joint at least once every day. Any tips on where to go and how to get there would be great.

Thanks.

Thanks for the tips everyone. I wouldn't mind try the worlds greatest burger!

I love finding those little out of the way places that only the locals know about. They usually have great food.

Ron_L said:

In the St Louis area there is some pretty good BBQ at a local chain called Bandana's BBQ. It's not bad.

Also, Bill Arnold's (of Blues Hog fame) place is somewhere down there. I can never remember the name of the place. I'm sure that one of the MoFo's will know.

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I checked out Bandanas bbq in St Louis. Had the rib and chopped beef combo with coleslaw and baked beans. Ribs were good, came without sauce just how I like 'em. Beef wasn't brisket but was OK. Wife had pulled pork and chicken. The pork was pretty good and I didn't try the chicken. The sides were great; beans, corn on cob, coleslaw, and big slices of garlic bread.

2ND Stop was at Gates Bar-b-q in Independence MO. Had the Burntends sandwich and a coleslaw. Way to much sauce on the meat for my taste. Coleslaw had chopped pickle in it that I didn't care for. Decieded to put the slaw on my sandwich.....made a pretty darn good sandwich. Only bad comment about the restaurant was the girl who took our order had a major attitude problem. The other workers were all very nice.

3RD stop was Biffel's bbq in Concordia MO. Ordered the long ribs with beans and slaw. Ribs were big and meaty, had a very good taste. But the ribs were drowning in sauce! I used my toast to mop the sauce off the ribs. Beans had a nice smokey flavor. Wife had the Sloppy Biffel Sandwich, chopped beef in sauce. It was also very good but too heavy on the sauce (guess thats why its called sloppy!)

3 bbq joints in 4 hours! Not a bad first day of vacation.