Reynolds’bar-B Que

I go to Reynolds often. I like so it much our committee had him cater our office party located in downtown St. Louis… we picked up the food. The food was great and we had 57 people at our party. The office workers consisted of lawyers, actuaries, accountants, account representative, managers and clerical workers. We ordered ribs, chicken, brisket, baked beans, potato salad and slaw. Everyone was pleased, and they were especially surprised by how tender and flavorful the brisket was. I gave it four stars because the food is very good but there is not enough room to sit comfortably with your family at a table or booth together. I recommend you try a take out order. You will be pleased and safe… Reynolds is located across the street from the police department.

I go to Reynolds. every 2 to 3 months, and in my opinion the bar-​b-​que is not very good. What is GREAT is their tripe. I understand that not everyone likes tripe (though I’ve found that most who say they don’t like it have never tried it), but for those who do, you will not find better tripe. Mr. Reynolds’, a really nice man, boils his tripe long enough that it is actually tender.
The place is closed on Tuesday.

A solid 3 ½ stars for an outstanding local barbecue joint with tons of local flavor and more personality than most Q places can ever hope to muster.
I have been wanting to try this place for a long time, but have never had the time (until today) to actually come in and sit down.
Located in an old diner, Reynold’s is pretty much everything I would expect in my ideal BBQ joint. Just a few rickety metal stools with red vinyl on the top line the counter, and as soon as you plop down and rest your feet on the foot rest, a sweet, humble, gentle man comes over and quietly takes your order. The menu is simply posted on one of those old felt letterboards and just lists out the types of meats and the prices. I wanted pork, but they were out, so I settled for a beef brisket sandwich, which came with my choice of baked beans or potato salad.
The diner was very clean and cozy. The other lunch patrons weren’t friendly, but weren’t cold, either. A stack of newspapers greeted me, and jazz music filled the room with life.
The gentleman who took my order very carefully gave me a plastic spork and paper napkins, which to me is the hallmark of a good Q joint (plastic ware, not the spork, although the spork makes any dining experience better). Soon, my lunch came out on a Styrofoam plate, warm and scrumptious.
The food here, compared to the other big contenders in St. Louis, couldn’t compete. It wasn’t bad, but the meat was overrun with sauce and didn’t have the best consistency. The toasted bun was cheap and stale. The potato salad was actually pretty good, and had an interesting flavor component that I couldn’t quite pinpoint.
My total came to about 7 bucks. Not bad for lunch, but the portion size wasn’t as big as you could get at the other Q joints in the Lou’ for the same price.
My favorite part was how diligent the gentleman was who served me. He kept checking on me to see if I had enough napkins or needed a knife. I found out at the end of the meal that he was Mr. Reynolds himself. This man clearly takes pride in his business, and has done a lot to improve the neighborhood. He serves or served as a town alderman, and apparently is quite involved in the community. He is so unassuming, you would never know when you walk in that he is the owner.
I truly enjoyed my experience here, and will definitely return as often as I can for a decent home-​cooked meal. The food didn’t wow me, but this is the kind of place that deserves more than one chance, and is certainly the kind of place where the charm, character, and history outweigh the thrill of being «the best BBQ I ever ate».
Some Tips:
–They take credit cards, but there is no place on the slip to add a tip, so if you want to leave a tip, tell him before you run your card, or bring cash.
–They are open Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and until 7 PMish.
–I heard they have amazing pie. Didn’t try any because I refuse to partake in the pie trend, but the great thing about Reynolds is that it has pie because pie is good, not because it’s cool. Looks like North City is the early adopter in St. Louis for trends, but still 10 years behind the rest of the country. (shrug).
–Sigh. If you’re scared to go here, just go to the Loop and eat a hamburger. I’m sick of listening to you. It’s on Natural Bridge a few miles from UMSL. You’ll be fine. Jesus.