Barbecue: Nirvana along the Mississippi

A long weekend is not enough time to blanket the country in search of barbecue nirvana, said Kevin Pang in the Chicago Tribune. But three days was all I needed to find it in three states along the Mississippi.

17th Street Bar & Grill

Murphysboro, Ill.

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The ribs from pit master Mike Mills are “glorious.” Barbecued in a “light slather of mustard-colored sauce,” the baby backs are perfectly “pull-apart tender.” 214 N. 17th St., (618) 684-3722

Dexter Bar-B-Que

Sikeston, Mo.

The “luscious and tender” pulled pork is the way to go. It’s “chopped rather than pulled from the bone, with a pork-intensity verging on cured bacon.” Add a splash of hot sauce–spiked vinegar dip. 124 N. Main St., (573) 471-6676

The Bar-B-Q Shop

Memphis

Barbecue spaghetti may sound like a “Southern gimmick,” but here it’s an art. A 12-hour smoked sauce is paired with pasta and topped by a tangy pork shoulder “with notes of hickory smoke.” 1782 Madison Ave., (901) 272-1277