If you’re not from this neck of the woods, your first question may be, “Where in the world is Creal Springs, Illinois?”
Truth be told, even if you are from Southern Illinois, there’s a decent chance you still aren’t exactly sure where Creal Springs is. But do yourself a favor: fire up the GPS, trust that little blue line, and make the trip to Big Blues Que.
The first thing you need to know is that they’re only open two days a week—Friday from 4–8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. There’s no indoor seating, but they have several tables outside and plenty of shade trees. Honestly, sitting outside under the trees and eating barbecue just seems like the proper way to do it anyway.
One of the owners, Gale Tanner, is one of those people who has never met a stranger. Give her about five minutes, and you’ll feel like you’ve known her for years.
Now, let’s get to the real reason you need to head down there: the food.
Everything from the loaded potatoes to the ribs is done right. The meat is slow-cooked and smoked right there on-site, and you can tell they aren’t rushing anything.
Hands down, my favorite is the smoked meatloaf.
Every time I order it, I tell myself, “I’m going to save some of this and make a meatloaf sandwich tomorrow.”
That has never happened.
Not once.
And trust me, it isn’t because they give you a small serving. They give you plenty of food. Apparently, I just have absolutely no self-control when smoked meatloaf is involved.
Their pulled pork is some of the best I’ve ever eaten, and then there are the ribs.
Man, oh man.
They have just the right amount of tug when you pull the meat from the bone exactly the way good ribs ought to be. I have no idea what kind of rub they use, but whatever it is, they need to keep doing it.
If you’re from the Midwest, you already know about pork steaks. If you’re not from around here and have never had one, do yourself a favor and order one. You will not be disappointed.
The pork chops are another story altogether. These things look like they’re about two inches thick and are slowly smoked until they’re done just right. This isn’t some little paper-thin pork chop that looks like it lost a fight with a meat tenderizer.
They also have all the barbecue sides you’d expect baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw, and the rest of the usual suspects.
And then there’s dessert.
Saving room for dessert is easier said than done because, by this point, you’ve probably eaten enough to make getting out of your chair a two-person operation. But give it your best shot.
They normally offer several different desserts each week, and I honestly can’t remember ever having anything there that wasn’t top-notch.
Big Blues Que may be a little out of the way, but it is absolutely worth the trip.
If you find yourself in Southern Illinois on a Friday evening or Saturday, punch Creal Springs into the GPS and go check out Big Blues Que.
Go hungry.
Very hungry.
And if you order the smoked meatloaf thinking you’re going to save some for tomorrow…
Good luck with that.
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