Lutz's BBQ — Restaurant in Jefferson City

So, who would you consider the best BBQ in Missouri? If you're leaning towards StL or KC...let me review a place in JCMO that will give them a run for their money. Lutz's very likely has the best BBQ in JCMO and has sauces that can compete with the big boys at the American Royal. Lutz's resides inside a gas station (used to be a Blimpe long, long ago)...due to a bit of local history regarding food trucks in JC. Yes, they started as a food truck but due to local ordinances, they moved into a gas station. Due to formerly being a fast food sub joint, their dining is a little small. However the dining area has a great atmosphere for a BBQ restaurant. The decor is well appointed and compliments the cuisine. The service is also very good; while they are a counter-serve restaurant their staff is overall very attentive and friendly. Now let's get to what puts Lutz's on the map; their outstanding BBQ. For this review, I had one of the daily specials being a sliced pork sandwich with house seasoned chips. The pork was flavorful and moist and was generously proportioned on this sandwich and had the right amount of seasoning and cookies just right. The chips...let's say there's a good reason when my folks order a carryout order, especially when serving dinner for my sister and her family, they always have to get two bags. These are homemade sprial-cut chips made right in store. These are sliced nice and thin for that irresistible crunch and are fried just right. They also have a wide variety of spices and seasonings they and apply to your chips. For my basket, I had their house seasoning which I think works well with their chips. On the table, they have a couple different sauces you can sauce your BBQ with (or dunk those chips or fries in). One is (if I recall correctly) their KC style sauce, one is closer to a Carolina vinegar-based sauce and one is spicy. Speaking of, if you love that sauce you used so much, they also sell their BBQ sauces in-store (HyVee carries them, too...but I recommend getting it straight from the source as they tend to sell out at HyVee). Outside of what I had, I also enjoy their chicken and their ribs and they have a good brisket, too. You can also order ahead either by phone or online, useful for a big family meal or setting up some catering for your event. Definitely don't let the gas station location discourage you; you'll be missing out if you do. For BBQ in Jeff City, definitely stop at Lutz's...though don't blame me if you're returning for...

Terrible customer service. Cashier made a mistake on my order. Plus we only received one sandwich and it was spilled all over the bottom of the bag. I went back to show them what happened and they wanted to charge me for the "extra" sandwich. No way. I already paid once. Then the owner discussed this with my wife saying that we were lying about the time I was there. I ordered and 8 more people ordered after me and got their order. I went up to ask about mine and they said sorry and got my order to me. I didn't care about the time to get my order but wanted what I ordered. No satisfaction after talking to the owner. They feel their employees can do no wrong and do not want feedback from customers on how they are doing.

Below is their response. Missed the point that they placed the order incorrectly and it costes two trips. Only options offered was to pay for the 2nd sandwich which they didn't give me or to refund my money. They lost 2 customers unfortunately by one employee mistake which they refuse to acknowledge. They are not willing to...

My family has tried this place many times. I remember the one in Columbia was always good, and nice folks. However after our recent experiences at the Jeff city location, we won’t be returning. We’ve recently went there on 3 different occasions to get sweet potato fries. This most recent time did it for us. Paid almost $20 for two orders of fries, and a tip of course. However we received only one box, and when I ask about it they tell us they put it in once box. The other times they came in two different boxes. My husband likes sugar and cinnamon on his, and I prefer salt so that’s why we always get two different orders. Why would you put two differently seasoned fries in the same box? Not only that, they were undercooked a tad, had not ONE pinch of any seasoning on the fries, and paying $20 for “two” orders of fries you’d think they’d be made greatly. We’ll be eating at como fire from now on, they have better meats, better selection and amazing customer service. I’d recommend the same, save yourself the drive if you’re coming from...