Squeakers Bar & BBQ

Better than average but no longer around.
Guess my review was too late to save it.

Was always great. Unfortunately, they closed yesterday. They were bought by another bbq company.

I had the Pulled Pork Platter and it was very good! Good size portions! Nice and clean on the inside and a small patio outside to eat. The service was good too.

Ms T and I went to Squeakers Bar for lunch as we continue to sample St Louis barbecue places. They seem to open (and some even close) faster than we can get to them. Squeakers is located in a strip at the intersection of Dougherty Ferry and Big Bend along with Tavern Kitchen and Corner Pub & Grill. Ms T claims to have been there when it was the previous establishment. It is a nice place. They were not busy for lunch on this day and our service was very good. I say that because I noted a lot of comments regarding poor service in reviews.
Ms T ordered a Pulled Chicken Sandwich and slaw on the side. I ordered a Brisket Platter with Mac & Cheese and Slaw for sides. I also ordered a half slab of back ribs. The pulled chicken was excellent. It appeared to be only breast meat. It was moist and perfectly cooked; not dried out. It was dressed lightly with a sauce and Ms T said she would certainly come back for this. The bun was an edible standard bun with a generous serving of chicken. So far so good.
I immediately sampled the nice sized dish of mac n cheese. This was made with cavatappi and is what I call sauced style, but the sauce is not runny and not over applied. We both really liked it.
My brisket platter was a disappointment. Although it was a generous serving, the brisket was similar to what I have had in the past year at Adam’s Smokehouse, Pappy’s and Bogart’s. It was underdone and sliced very thin. You can’t slice it like this if it is cooked properly. It would make a decent roast beef sandwich, it just is not great smoked brisket. It did not help that on this day, the brisket was not fresh. It had the refrigerator stale taste that roasted beef gets after 2 – 3 days. At this point in time with Salt + Smoke being in the 4+ star range for brisket, this sample at Squeakers would be 2 stars. The smoke is very mild. They advertise using fruit wood, which is nice for chicken and OK for ribs but brisket calls for something more robust. The brisket has not improved since Miller’s Crossing.
The half slab was better flavored than the brisket, but quite dried out. The smoke level was good and the rub was adequate, providing just enough salt. So while pretty well flavored, the dryness was a distraction. Now here is a problem that is not totally the smoker’s fault unless they are careless in rib selection. Someone, somewhere decided that back ribs should be «meaty». In doing this, the cutter leaves a strip of loin meat on the ribs. This meat is fine as a pork chop or medium rare loin roast, but it cannot stand the long and slow cooking time that makes rib meat so delicious. It is like cooking chicken breasts and thighs for the same amount of time. I trim this off at home before I smoke the ribs. I could peel this loin strip off the ribs at Squeakers and it was sawdust dry. The rib meat was pretty good except that the small end was not chewable, very hard and dried out. When properly cooked, the meat surrounding the ribs is something special. If there is not enough of it for you, just get more ribs.
The other side was coleslaw. It was pretty normal style, creamy, not overdressed, but bland in the extreme. I doused it with the bottle of 314 Sauce that they have on the table and a little salt and it was not bad. It just needed some vinegar.
I liked the place but without the chicken it was 2 stars. We both liked the chicken and the mac n cheese. I cannot recommend the brisket. I don’t think the issues were just a one day thing. The ribs are worth trying, hoping they are not dried out. Oh, and… we did have to use a Table Wedge.

Your website says you are opened until 10PM on Tuesday. It is 9:04 and your host says your closed. Which is it, 10PM or 9PM? It’s hard to get anyone’s attention when we go there anyways. Completely disorganized, do we seat ourselves or does someone seat you, no one stops to tell you. I’ve waited at the door for 10 mins before without a word said, then we just sat wherever .we waited 15 to 20 mins for server, again no way to know if you order at the bar or do you wait for server. Your servers didn’t know who had what section, being greeted by two servers trying to get a good order after waiting 15 to 20 mins. The food is great but the customer service ruins it.

It is obvious from other reviews that A LOT of people seem to love this place. I’m going to give the owners the benefit of the doubt here that they haven’t had that many friends or relatives hype the place, and I’m taking into account that there are also quite a few people who didn’t like the place, as well. Believe me, I wanted to like the place. It’s close to home, and the menu offers a great variety of options for the non-​BBQ lover (hubby, who ordered the fish and chips, at a BBQ place! Go figure.) In the interest of disclosure, we used a Groupon. I paid $ 12 for a $ 20 Groupon, a savings of only $ 8 but worth it to try out a cute little neighborhood place. By the time we added a 20% tip to our pre-​Groupon total, the $ 8 was gone. At this point, I will add that we use Groupons fairly often, and I have NEVER given any negative feedback. Until now.
So, what went wrong? We made the mistake of going on one of the coldest nights of the year. Having read previous reviews that said there was no hostess and you should seat yourself, we did so, taking the only remaining table which unfortunately was only a few feet from the front door. My husband refused to take his coat off the entire time we were there. I did shame him into not leaving the hood up, but after the fifth or sixth icy blast of cold air I almost couldn’t blame him.
After several minutes wait, a server approached us and chided us for seating ourselves. We apologized if there was a misunderstanding, but we noticed several people coming in and seating themselves as tables became available. She left to get water and menus, and meanwhile another very nice young lady appeared with water and menus. We gave our order, and settled in to try to keep warm. Ten minutes later, re-​enter server number 1, who was now miffed that we already had been served and placed an order.
As previously stated, hubby ordered fish and chips which indicated that it came with a side. When he asked for the mac and cheese, he was informed that the menu is misleading and the chips are the side. No problem. Except that the chips were way overcooked, dark brown and had almost no flavor. Peeling aside some of the breading on the fish, he was left with two small fish-​stick size morsels of food. The entrée was a bit overpriced for the size of the portion. I ordered the beef brisket. I think I was expecting slices of meat. Instead I got something that was more on the side of being chopped meat. A very small portion on a plain, cold, untoasted hamburger bun. Think of a cheap store-​bought bun right out of the plastic bag. Sadly, I too was lured in by the homemade chips, and mine were the same disappointment as hubby’s. Again, price for portion size was too high.
In no way do I blame the owners for the patrons who allowed rude, bratty, ill-​behaved children to scream, throw temper fits, kick nearby tables as they ran about, and almost hit a fellow diner with a thrown smart phone during a full-​blown tantrum. It is not his fault if people are too lazy or inconsiderate to control their own children. And yes, it is a place that caters to casual family-​style dining, so there was no expectation that we were dining at a 4-​star restaurant.
I do fault the owners for not having regular bathroom checks to make sure the one-​seater ladies room is stocked with toilet tissue and that patrons don’t have to see another customer’s unflushed leavings. I will say that otherwise the bathroom was very clean and nicely decorated.
Before I forget to mention it, the young lady who ended up as our server was very nice, very efficient, and performed her job with a big smile and a cheerful attitude.
When asked by Groupon to rank the restaurant thumbs up or thumbs down, I gave it an honest thumbs down. When asked to provide feedback to help the owner, I said what I said above. Get a hostess, rearrange tables away from the front door, improve food quality and provide adequate portions for the price charged, and have someone check bathrooms now and then.
I got an e-​mail from the owner that was disturbing, borderline threatening. He informed me that he did not appreciate my negative remarks and demanded that I e-​mail him personally so we could discuss my attitude. Buddy, a new restaurant opens every other week around here. I don’t need to waste my time listening to you have «attitude» with me, and I sure don’t need to waste my money for a miserable evening where I go home afterward and eat a bowl of Cheerios. They were tasty, by the way :)

Pretty decent. Average bbq but I liked the portion sizes — the three ribs and side is exactly the right size for me. Service was alright — the seat yourself situation seems like it could go badly if they get more traffic.

Excellent meal and huge portions. I got the pulled pork chop salad and had to box up half of it. The pork was moist and tender. A little expensive, but the portions make up for it.

Pay attention, owners, or your restaurant is not long for this world.
The experience started poorly as soon as we walked through the door. You enter right into dining room. There’s no reception area, no hostess desk. Because there’s no hostess. Or even a sign to tell you whether to wait or seat yourself. After a couple minutes, I had to ask a patron to find out that it’s seat yourself. After we were seated, we witnessed a couple walk into the restaurant, linger at the door for a minute, then turn around and leave when they weren’t helped.
After taking a seat, we waited a few more minutes before the server approached our table to ask if we’d ordered yet. From whom, I wondered, if not you, our server? Keep in mind, this is like 3 in the afternoon — they weren’t in the weeds.
And to make matters worse, the server was unfriendly. No smile to greet us, no smile at any point in the meal. And not very helpful, either. My wife asked what the house made potato chips were like, she responded «I don’t know, they’re chips». She might have said something like «oh, they’re sliced thin, fried in peanut oil, and dusted with sea salt and Parmesan», but no, her helpful response was «they’re chips». At the end of the meal, she came to clear our table, and said she’d bring our check. No offer of dessert. As we were leaving, nobody offered up a «Thanks for coming in», even though we walked right past the table where the ostensible owners were seated.
All that out of the way, let’s move on to the food. The brisket was ok. The regular sandwich is a little on the small side, but not too bad. The pulled pork was good, moist and flavorful. The Rueben was good; very generous with the corned beef, which tasted very good.
Side notes: the fries were good (we didn’t order the chips), and the Caesar salad was good. The pulled pork BBQ beans came out mushy, almost the consistency of refried beans, with little to no pork in evidence. The three sauces offered are good, but nothing special.
To sum up, 1) Don’t leave your customers wondering what to do; 2) Train your staff in friendly customer service; and 3) Scrupulously watch food quality. There’s too much good BBQ in this town for sub-​par product to survive.

The place was pretty empty when I went so I dont know if I beat the rush or if not many people know about this place. Anyways, I had the half rack of ribs with fries and the baked beans. The ribs were excellent and the sauces were amazing. The fries were surprising incredible! Way better than any ordinary fries. The baked beans were just
alright but overall this place is incredible! I prefer pappys ribs over this place but if I’m close by I’ll definitely go here.

We ordered carry out and it was aweful. We opened our boxes and the portions were smaller than a kids meal at most restaurants. The 3 rib «boners» were dry with little meat. Fries were cold. The brisket sandwich tasty but tiny. Food not worth the price. I would not recommend carrying out. If eating in, you could send it back. Now we’ve got to find something to eat because we’re still hungry.

Should there be lines out of the door like other places in St. Louis? Maybe, never understood how you create magic. My wife and I wanted to eat lunch somewhere different and I remembered I wanted to give Squeakers a try. We drove right up to the place parked the car and was greeted with that wonderful smell of smoking meat. We walked into a very nice and clean space with plenty of tables available. It was way after lunch time and well before supper. I ordered the Big L which was their take on a pulled pork, hamburger, straw fries, american cheese, pickles, onions and tomato sandwich. What a great creation. Multiple layers of taste just assaulted you with every bite. What really made the sandwich special and really tied it together was the cheese. I am serious. The Big L also came with a side order of homemade potato chips which were also outstanding.
So I come to a BBQ place and did not order BBQ? Oh yes I did just to be friendly I ordered «The Boner». Which consisted of 3 smoked and tender baby back ribs. Now here is where our worlds might collide. These ribs were not rub heavy. I enjoyed putting my own sauce on them and enjoying the smoked meat flavor.
Mrs. K. ordered the BBQ pork sandwich with the great homemade chips. She said it was very good maybe one of the best she has had.

Good BBQ at decent prices. If you are in the area, stop in and give they a try.

Food is good and décor nice but terrible service. Waitress got our order and drinks fast, bus person brought out our food and we were ignored. No refills. No follow up. We had to flag down the bus person after about 20 minutes to FIND our waitress so we could pay our bill and leave. The entertainment was also weak. The guy murdered Clapton, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Paul Simon, etc. We wish it had been karaōke.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed their ribs. I’m not a fan of «fall off the bone» ribs. I prefer smoked, dry rubbed ribs like Pappy’s or Bandana’s. These ribs at Squeakers were the fall off the bone style so they certainly spent some time in or around hot water. But they were also seasoned perfectly and smoked a seemingly long time. Very good flavor and color.
Their barbecue Sauces were good also.
Their baked beans were good, but nothing to write home about. Add some BBQ sauce and the awesome 314 hot sauce and they were perfect.
The cole slaw was delicious. Very fresh, as if it were made to order.
Full bar, beers on tap, several TVs. A nice atmosphere and excellent service.
I’ll be back.

We are so happy to have a restaurant like Squeakers in town.
The décor is soothing, there are a bunch of big screen TVs, the place feels welcoming, and we have never been disappointed in the food or in the service. In warm weather, they have outdoor dining.
The onion straws (appetizer) are excellent. And the Empty Cabin Stew is well worth ordering.

We were just there tonight!!! It was wonderful and we were treated great! We have a lot of kiddos and sometimes when we walk into an eatery we are given the sink eye. Not this time and not at this place! I think they were genuinely happy to have us there!
Great food — great prices and they had the Cardinals game on!
Thank you Squeakers! We will be back!

I was hunting for a quick meal before going home to watch the Cards play in game 6. I passed on the other restaurants that were already too busy or nearly empty in this strip mall complex. TBH, I hadn’t heard of this place, so I pulled into a parking space and checked out Unilocal reviews, then headed inside.
They listed several inviting specials on the chalkboard by the door, but BBQ was calling my name! I took up a spot at the bar to checkout the draft choices and check on the pregame show. I was greeted by the friendly bartender who got me set up with a menu and a sample of Ferguson’s Pecan ale. I liked it well enough and got a nice pull.
I like to try pulled pork when trying a new BBQ place. If it is good, most anything else will be too. I ordered a double size to make sure I got enough and it really was! (Can’t imagine tackling a triple!). The pork was very moist and well shredded and piled high. After trying all 3 sauces, the spicy one was my pick. It is somewhat thick, sweet and smokey, with some heat that shows up after the second bite. My taste goes more toward a Memphis style and not so much the heavy, sweet molasses taste so popular here in this region. But this was good. They might try to do a KC or Memphis sauce to add to the the mix.
I really like their use of fruit woods for the smoke. (I use apple mostly at home). I like even more smoke taste than I got but not everyone would appreciate that amount. The pit master knows what he or she is doing here!
The ribs are next on my list. I’m very happy to have made this discovery so close to home! I won’t try to rank this place to other BBQ places (it is more than that)
as most reviewers seem to be obligated to do. It’s just good stuff and not a forty mile round trip either.
Try it!
Went back November 5^th for the ribs. Yup, they were really good. Just add fries and a beer and you’ve got the ideal «man food»! I posted a pic before it was destroyed. Solid 4 stars. It’s on my permanent go-​to list now.

So sad *sigh*
It was less than a month since our last visit. We were looking forward to a repeat meal.
Only to find out that things have already changed.
The non-​mayonnaise potato salad that was sooo good, has been changed to the mayo style with just big chunks of red potato.
My husband repeated his pork steak. That had changed also. This one was more like a thick pork chop, only squishy;(
I inquired about the changes and our server told us that the kitchen manager left, and took the recipe for the potato salad? I can tell you after just tasting it once, I could come close to duplicating it.
I ordered the ribs and at least those tasted the same. Very good!
They did keep the same piece of plain white generic bread. Now, that is what they should change, to say, garlic toast.
I overheard a server explain how some meatball dish they have there has changed. So, I suspect a lot of items were changed.
Looks like they changed the name too LOL from Squealers to Squeakers?
So, with all these new changes comes at least 2 less customers.

Squealers BBQ has recently opened in the Shoppes at Seven Oaks. It’s next to Christian Brothers Automotive in the spot formerly occupied by Café Nicoletti. It is a sister institution Miller’s Crossing in Chesterfield but has its own menu and identity.
I say all that to encourage you to try this place. I have had the ribs and brisket and both were very good, better than I have had in other local BBQ joints. You have to travel in to the city’s big name joints to do better.
But Squealers has a broader menu, including pizza, a variety of non-​BBQ sandwiches — including tilapia, French dip, Reuben, and burgers (including a bison burger special on my last visit). There are a number of salads, fish and chips, even a gyro.
BBQ is also available by the pound. Daily specials include a variety of off-​menu items. I had a pulled-​rib sandwich that was outstanding. Good variety of sides, a full bar, and very friendly and attentive service.
Take out is available too.
I really hope this business will succeed in this location. There are many good restaurants in this area at the corner of Big Bend and Dougherty Ferry. They have enough variety, good prices, and good BBQ to make it work.