Bandana's Bar-B-Q St Ann, MO — Restaurant in St. Ann

Wow! What a pleasant surprise. We were staying at the Pear Tree Inn next door and walked over for a dinner on a Sunday evening. The building appears to be a failed restaurant formerly tied to the hotel in some manner and the pace wasn't busy, neither of which is a good sign, but we went in anyway. We were greeted and seated right away. Our server visited our table within a minute and we ordered some water, a draft beer and a bottle of beer. The beer selection was limited with only 3 beers on draft. The Bud Light (don't hate) was cold, even if the price was a little on the high side.

The BBQ menu was simple, but it wasn't clear from the menu if the smoked beef was brisket or a different cut (it appeared to be a different cut of roast). We both ordered combo platters. I chose the three meat combo with pulled pork, BBQ beef and link sausage, which comes with 5 oz of each meat. The sides ranged from green beans, to BBQ beans, to salad to corn on the cob (which looked amazing at the table next to us). As we waited for the food, much to our delight, we noticed an array of 5 different BBQ sauces on the table: original (sweet, with a hint of mustard), KC sauce (sweet with a bit of the tang of apple cider vinegar), Chicago (sweet with dark color, both seeming to be the result of extra molasses), sweet and smoky (sweet with slight smoky and bitterness- very slight, not as rich as Chicago, but tasty in it's own right) and spicy (a little sweetness balanced nicely with a bit of heat that's perfect with the sausage links).

The food came fairly quickly and was warmer than I expected. I experimented with every sauce and meat combination. I found the spicy sauce was my favorite, with the original a close second. As I mentioned spicy was great with the sausage. Original was great with pulled pork (the meat favored by our competent, helpful server). Original and KC was best with the beef. The combo came with beautifully grilled French bread slices, which sounds simple, but well grilled, buttered bread is salty, crunchy, sweet and yummy, especially with BBQ!

OK, the meats! All were supremely tender with the respective meat flavors shining through. I would have liked more bark or crust from the smoked exteriors of the pork and beef, but that was more than made up for by the tenderness of the meat and the flavorful sauces. Seriously, did I mention the beef and pork were TENDER? I don't remember even having brisket that tender. My sides were a salad and green beans as I ironically tried to limit my calories after ordering 3 meats! The salad had a somewhat sharp cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes and croutons made from leftover grilled bread which were great, even for someone who is not fond of croutons.

We ate happily marveling at the flavors, smells and sounds of this unexpected gem and even watched some football on one of the televisions which the hostess thoughtfully asked if we were interested in watching. All in all, I was happy to part with my money for such a tasty meal and also happy to tip the friendly,...

Not really quite 4 stars here. 3.75. Chain location near the airport. Really quiet on our visit today. Probably due to our late lunch. Western theme decor-wagon on the ceiling, wash bucket light fixtures, bandanas everywhere. Greeted and seated promptly and personably. All the usual proteins here-ribs, brisket, sausage, pork butt. Also turkey and chicken. Available in plates, platters, sandwiches. Platters have around twice as much meat as a plate and two sides. But what style BBQ are we getting-KC, Memphis, Texas, Carolina?? Five different sauces available. Original (mustard base) spicy, sweet and smoky, Chicago sweet, and KC. Our server was nice enough but may have been new as you had to ask someone else what meat they used for smoking-Hickory. Also didn’t check if we need anything or water refills. But he was smart enough to tell me that the ribs were good enough to enjoy without sauce. DW wanted something lighter so went with the Pulled Chicken Sandwich, choosing the option of all white meat. This came on a nicely toasted fluffy bun. Her one side choice was the green beans. The meat was a bit on the dry side and not real smoky tasting. It benefitted greatly from a squirt of the sweet sauce. She pronounced it “good”. The beans, which I had as one of my sides also, were very good. Cooked with onion and some celery salt. My entree choice was the 1/3 slab rib platter with two sides. The scratch made potato salad had nicely done potatoes, boiled eggs, Mayo, and pickle. The main flavor profile was sweet pickle, almost too much so. But it was a nicely done product. Platter also came with some nicely done “Texas Toast”. The baby back (?) pork ribs were the highlight of the meal. Four bones cut pretty small, smelling of sweet smoke with a pronounced smoke ring. Dusted in a predominantly sweet tasting rub which went well with the smoking. The meat was tender without being too mushy and pulled cleanly from the bone. Very much enjoyed these. A good spot too enjoy an above...

I was staying at the Marriott next door, which is about a three minute walk away. It had been a while since I had barbecue, and this place came highly recommended/highly rated and deservedly so. I only had to wait about 30 seconds to be seated. At the time, they had about four beers on tap: Budweiser, Sam Adams, Blue Moon, and (I think) Coors. I ordered fried okra as a starter and a two meat combo platter with smoked sausage and beef brisket with potato salad and BBQ beans. I would have preferred burnt ends over the brisket, but they ran out of burnt ends earlier. Seeing as it was about an hour before closing, that was easily understood and forgiven. The server brought out the fried okra first. I was expecting a small plate since it was a starter, but instead, it was a large basket overflowing with fresh, golden fried okra. It was so damn good. Before I could even think to ask, the server asked if I wanted Ranch dressing to dip the okra in. Hell, yeah! Before too long, the manager/owner brought the main event and then proceeded to tell me about their plethora of BBQ sauces: sweet, savory, and spicy. When he saw that I was most interested in the spicy, he talked about a sauce they had in the back that was a combination of savory and spicy. He soon brought more than enough of that savory and spicy sauce to slather the sausage and brisket with. All the food was delicious, and they did not skimp on the portion sizes. I just wish I had enough room in my belly to eat it all. Sadly, I had to leave a little of it behind. As I was making my "Oh!" face and finishing my meal, I noticed the owner kept walking throughout the restaurant, making sure everyone was pleased with the service and food. I didn't hear a single complaint, and most of the tables were occupied. Great place to eat, and if I have the opportunity to stay at the St. Louis Airport Marriott again, I know where I'll be having lunch...