The Barbecue Rankings Tour was back in Illinois yesterday for a stop at Hicks Bar-B-Que Company in Belleville. A family hobby of competition barbecue turned into an off season catering business and then grew into the brick and mortar Hicks that opened about 4.5 years ago. Al Hicks said that if you look up "Mom and Pop Restaurant" in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Hicks BBQ as the definition. The business involves the whole family and Al said that "There is a Hicks here all the time".
One thing that makes Hicks unique and a favorite of locals is the drive through window. This makes for a convenient meal for locals, but barbecue is by no means fast food. Hicks' pork butts are smoked for 14 hours and the brisket 11 hours over fresh apple wood.
Hicks calls it's Cue "Memphis style barbecue with a North Carolina twist". This is evident in their aptly named Sweet with a Kick homemade sauce. It's a blend of a sweet sauce with a vinegar and pepper sauce. It's really good! The sweetness seemed to get stronger the more I ate. Right now it sells in local grocery stores, but they are having trouble keeping up with demand as they make it in house and it is flying off shelves.
Not far from St. Louis, it's worth the trip for any barbecue lover in the Lou.