Rural Missouri - September 2019 - 13

by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop

potting a grain bin on the side of the road
in rural Missouri isn't something that will
make you look twice. However, if you miss
the grain bin just west of East Prairie in Missouri's Bootheel, you'll want to do an about-face
and head back to enjoy the savory, smoked selections inside this one-of-a-kind structure.
Joe and Kena Sorrells own Sandy Ridge Smokehouse in rural Mississippi County. Located in a
435-tree pecan grove, the restaurant features traditional smoked staples created with unique twists,
fried ﬁsh, sizzling steaks and sizeable salads served
with a slight southern inﬂuence.
The Sorrells entered the restaurant community 3 years ago when they opened a local fast-food
franchise, but knew the area could support more.
"Almost immediately we started the construction
process on Sandy Ridge," Joe says. "There's a lot of
detail work in here, we're proud of the way we went
about doing it. Almost everything in the restaurant
is local."
The entirety of the dining room is located inside
an old family home. They gutted the house and added a commercial kitchen out back. But the centerpiece of the smokehouse is the grain bin they added, better known as the Pit Room, which connects
the two areas.
The cavernous room is home to a semi-circle bar
that features the area's staple crops on display
in the bartop. Carmelized pecans are served
at the bar in mini cast-iron skillets and a
smoker forms the center of the room.
"The grain bin was something we
thought was a great design element and
went along with the agriculture in the
area," Kena says. "A semi-circle bar in
the Pit Room is not only cool, but develops the idea of community. People can
see each other at the bar and guests as
they walk in the door."
Sandy Ridge's barbecue is smoked with
a trio of woods: hickory, pecan and sassafrass. "Hickory is what is typically thought of
with barbecue," Joe says. "We added the pecan

wood to add a darker bark and sassafrass has a
fruity ﬂavor."
Smoked meats are the star of the show at the
restaurant, which is located 8 miles from the busy
Interstate 57. "Barbecue is typically seen as a universal food for many people," Joe says. "Our intent
was to give a different twist on them, make them
unique."
Start your meal with one of those unforgettable
creations and order the pork candy. The appetizer
features pork belly which is smoked, cooled and
cubed before being deep fried to order. The crispy
squares are then tossed in a sweet chili sauce and
topped with green onion.
"It's one of those items that once people try it
once, they want to have it again and again," Joe
says. "The sauce has a little bit of Asian ﬂair to it
along with just a little heat."
Salads aren't just a side at Sandy Ridge. The
Smokehouse Salad is an entree you deﬁnitely eat
with your eyes ﬁrst. It features a large bed of greens
topped with rows of cheddar cheese, grape tomatoes, hard-boiled egg, bacon, avocado, red onion
and cilantro. The platter is then topped with your
choice of smoked pulled pork or grilled chicken and
served with a mufﬁn and dressing on the side. "Typically what happens is when someone orders and it
comes out, their ﬁrst reaction is 'Oh my goodness,
it's beautiful and there's a lot here,' " Joe says.

If you like a little heat with your lunch, try Sandy
Ridge's take on the traditional Philly. The Bootheel
Philly features Cajun-style andouille smoked sausage sourced from Stonie's Sausage Store in Perryville. The meat is butterﬂied, seared and covered
with grilled onions and peppers and ﬁnished with
melted Swiss cheese. It's served on a Kaiser roll
with a side of housemade white barbecue sauce.
The restaurant - which is served by SEMO Electric Cooperative - pays homage to the Mississippi
Delta with a popular item that is fried, not smoked:
catﬁsh. The 5- to 7-ounce U.S. Delta Catﬁsh ﬁllets
are split and coated with a white cornmeal. The ﬁsh
is available as a sandwich, but opt for the entree
option if you've brought your appetite. The plate is
typically served with four ﬂavorful ﬁllets and freshly
fried hushpuppies along with your choice of two of
Sandy Ridge's 14 sides.
For traditional barbecue enthusiasts, the restaurant features slow-smoked brisket, baby back ribs,
pulled pork and pork steaks served with ﬁve types
of sauces. In the mood for a steak? Sandy Ridge
features an 8-ounce skirt, 8-ounce ﬁlet and massive 20-ounce bone-in rib-eye - Joe's favorite - all
grilled to perfection.
"The goal is to have something on that menu -
regardless of what your food likes are - that everyone can have and enjoy," Joe says.
Daily specials at Sandy Ridge include a pesto
grilled cheese with marinara sauce on Wednesdays
and smoked and fried bologna sandwiches on
Thursdays.
The food is unforgettable and the decor
turns heads. However, it's the atmosphere
in and around the smokehouse the Sorrells are most proud of.
"No one goes home hungry, the portion size is large and satisfying," Joe
says. "Kids can run out and play in the
pecan grove and parents can enjoy time
to visit with themselves or others."
Adds Kena: "We have a place where
kids feel like they can have fun and play
games. Any time I see a large family come
in and all enjoy themselves, that makes all of
our work worth it."

Above: Brisket is perfectly smoked and served with baked beans and smoked cheddar grits.
Left: The Pit Room serves as the bar and connects the old farmhouse to the kitchen. Top: Pork
candy features smoked pork belly which is fried to order and served with a sweet chili sauce.

Sandy Ridge Smokehouse
Specialties: Appetizers including pork candy, loaded kettle chips and smoked bone-in wings. Smoked meats including brisket, baby back ribs and pulled pork. Entrees including Smokehouse Salad, U.S. Delta Catﬁsh and steaks.
Price: Appetizers from $4.95 to $9.95. Salads and sandwiches from $7.95 to $11.95. Entrees from $11.95 to $34.95.
Details: Open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m.
to 8 p.m. Closed Monday.
Directions: Located at 3234 West Highway 80 in East Prairie.
Contact: 573-649-9637 and on Facebook.

East Prairie

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Rural Missouri - September 2019

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