Dukes BBQ Shack — Restaurant in Wentzville

This place was such a great find! We were on a road trip and ended up here by complete chance. We were on our way to a gas station on our road trip, drove by Dukes, and thought it looked worth the stop. We weren't disappointed!

First off, this place is SO adorable! It has retro BBQ shack vibes, but everything is new and shiny, not worn and grimy like many vintage shacks look. There's plenty of outdoor seating, a window to the back where you can see their MASSIVE smoker and some merch/sauce you can purchase on your way out. They even had a Ford tailgate they had turned into a handwashing station, which was such upscale! And practical way to upcycle!

The food was all exceptional. While they only have 3 BBQ sauces to pick from, the sauces were thick and flavorful. We did a sampler platter with brisket and ribs and pulled chicken/pork. All the meats were moist and smoked to perfection. The sides (baked beans, au gratin potatoes, and coleslaw) were all on point, too, and each of them had their own unique flavor twist. The only thing we felt like we were missing was cornbread/buns, which might have been add-ons we overlooked, but the platter was so filling that we didn't need it anyway.

The only miss for me was that the cashier seemed kind of impatient. We were asking questions about the menu, and her answers were very short and hurried like we were holding the line up even though we were the only people in the lobby. It wasn't a bad enough encounter to ruin the whole experience, but would definitely be problematic if that was her regular demeanor.

As a Minnesotan, I don't know that I could accurately assess how authentic of a BBQ place Duke's was, but it felt pretty legit. I couldn't tell if it was a new restaurant or very tastefully remodeled, but they had a ton of trophies/awards from various years, so I assume they've been in business for a while and have earned their BBQ clout. There were plenty of locals there on their lunch break, so I assume it's not just a touristy hot spot. If you're traveling and looking for an authentic, delicious BBQ joint, give...

The food is good I like the brisket and pork and the burgers are good to

Now the ribs my last time j went they were burnt black in the top the skin was one piece I tried chewing it but good so after 5 or 6 times I'm not trying the ribs again

First few times the but was like when a person makes them at home tough not falling off the bone but okay just not cooked long enough

The last few time

s either yesterday's ribs or over scrorched

They need to use a different method either cooking the ribs not sure if it's slow and low or if it is it's not indirect flame smoking method

But the top was scorched on my last slab I don't complain but if it was a steak I would have sent back and I never send back I just quit going personally

The tacos were the best we lived them the brisket 5 stars pork was good

The beans seem a little hard not broken down melt in your mouth but in between a chilli and baked beans but more chili taste

Now I have 20+ years in restaurants, certified bbq food judge

I have worked at multiple high volume barbeque restaurants include pappy's downtown and other locations also completely different bbq restaurant companies

The location awesome atmosphere , most of your desserts and food are 5 stars we definitely will go back but just not order the ribs personally till something gets corrected I was hoping overtime they would correct but it's been some time

So respectfully recommending trying to work on the ribs so they get broken down without burning . Our family was the first one in that day

So not sure if the ribs were last night's batch but it sure tastes like it if not just was way overcooked

Everything else was perfect

I would even be glad to offer suggestions if wanted

I gave you a four star because it's good I'm not going to low star over one unfavorable protein

But please try whatever to slow down the cook time on ribs using indirect heat and possibly the...

UPDATE: Changing my rating from 5 stars to 3. Sounded so good while I was writing this review I had my husband pick some up for dinner. 3rd time was NOT the charm for us. My husband ordered 2 meats and 2 sides like we had previously gotten but didn't specifically say he wanted The Duke's Plate and the cashier didn't bother to inform him. Big mistake. Instead of costing $16.27, it cost $31.74! My husband didn't know how much it should have come to so he didn't question it. On top of that, my brisket was so fatty that only 1/3 of it was edible. The Mac n cheese container was about 2/3 full. Customer service 101 is that you want to keep your current customers coming back. New customers are awesome but your return customers are money in the bank. We won't be returning anytime soon now and we will retract the recommendations we previously gave to friends and family. Thing is, I probably would have overlooked the fatty brisket etc if the cashier had just mentioned something about getting the Duke's Plate instead of everything separately. You got an extra $15.50 out of us last night but it will end up costing you a lot more in the long run....

Original post: Yum yum! Everything is homemade It was our 2nd time visiting. My husband and I shared a 2 meat and 2 side combo. We had the pulled chicken, beef brisket cowboy fries (they have the BBQ rub on them!) and smoky mac and cheese they have a st louis type sweet BBQ sauce and a slice one. We like the sweet. They have daily specials and homemade desserts including pies, cookies and gooey butter cake. We haven't tried those yet but we'll make our 3rd trip soon I'm sure! The atmosphere at the restaurant is awesome. Other restaurants should hire out whoever did all of their design and concept work. It was absolutely perfect right down to the old honky tonk music that you just have to giggle at as you...