When I first started this blog in March of 2010, my goal was to explore and write about restaurants in the St. Louis area. Other than a trip to Chicago, I’ve stayed pretty true to that goal.
But occasionally, I’ll venture outside of the boundaries I’ve set for myself. If a restaurant outside of the St. Louis area comes highly recommended, I’ll go for it!
And this one, friends? Came with a glowing recommendation from this guy:
You may remember my uncle from my trip to Epic Pizza & Subs. He raved about Epic Pizza, and I was blown away. So after months (maybe even years?) of hearing him rave about Bully’s Smokehouse, I knew I had to pay them a visit one day, even though they were all the way in Edwardsville, Illinois – a good 45 minute drive from my house.
The perfect opportunity came a few weeks ago when we had a Welcome Home party at Bully’s for my Aunt, who was stationed in Iraq. Perfect!
There were a ton of us there, so a ton of food was ordered. I tried a little bit of everything.
Spicy chicken wings,
Onion rings,
Sweet potato fries (with the most amazing sweet dipping sauce!)
Fried green beans,
And pork and beef nachos, smothered in white American cheese sauce.
It’s hard for me to even pick a favorite. All of our starters were amazing.
Yes, I said starters. When I go out to eat with family, we don’t play around. Haven’t you noticed?
My uncle ordered a BBQ sampler plate for me, so I could try a bit of everything.
There were ribs,
Chicken,
Brisket,
And pork.
Where to begin?
I sampled all of the meats by themselves. Everything was so tasty, although if I had to choose, I think the ribs were my favorite. They were extremely tender and practically fell off of the bone!
And then I smothered everything in my favorite condiment ever. Any guesses?
BBQ sauce. Of course. Bully’s has two types: Midwest Sweetness and Carolina Mustard. Although the Carolina Mustard sauce had an interesting tangyness to it, I preferred the Midwest Sweetness barbecue sauce. It had a smoky, subtle sweet flavor that I liked.
As if I hadn’t already eaten enough, I also stole a few fries (and a bite of bread) from my sister’s plate.
It was all good. The fries were sprinkled with a sweet seasoning that I fell in love with!
When dessert was mentioned, I initially declined. There was no way I could fit another bite into my stomach.
But then I heard two magical words.
No, not bread pudding. 
Funnel Cake.
Bring it on! We were all going to share it anyway, right? 
There was the classic powdered sugar version,
And we also tried a version with cinnamon and sugar on it.
They were both incredible, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would be the cinnamon sugar version. Wowza! I could eat this everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But then I’d probably weigh 500 pounds…and no one wants that, right?
Anyway, I’d call my visit to Bully’s a huge success. I don’t know when I’ll visit again, but I’m sure I’ll be back if my family has anything to do with it. I highly recommend Bully’s if you’re in the area! Just try not to stuff yourself as much as I did, okay?
See you next week!
