Missouri Hick BBQ, in Cuba

Cuba, as in Missouri

With the recent talk of our president visiting Cuba, I was reminded that I never wrote up my dining experience in the small Missouri town of Cuba.

Hicks in Cuba?

I'm not sure how the town got the name Cuba and I'm not sure if there are a lot of hicks in this town.  But there was some pretty fun hillbilly humor on the sign near the cedar stairway and skillet display.  The chalk words announced, "We like Pig Butts and we cannot lie."

In the Stables... on the Farm

I loved the cedar tables and benches, beside the barn doors.  It would have made my day if "Old Daisy" the mule had really poked her nose out over the table! 

Barrels and Washtubs

The barrels holding up the counter and the tubs holding the ceiling lights were a giveaway, that Missouri Hicks has not been sitting around here on the old Route 66, for decades.  It was all a little too clean.  Which is a good thing, when you're fixin' to eat food.  And besides we were getting our "authentic retro fix" right next door, at the iconic Wagon Wheel Motel.

Piggy Place Mat

I did love my paper placemat! That sweet pig was wearing a napkin and ready to dig into a meal himself. Hopefully not pork!

Missouri Hick Beer...

Don was pretty delighted to have a local beer.  Missouri Hick's River Buck Ale.  I was amused to see how many different sauce options we had, all lined up in squeeze bottles on our table.

Starch for Me!

Sometimes I just have to go for the foods that I crave!   The "Hick Bowl Mash"  seems like an incredibly poor choice right now, but that night I had to have my mashed potatoes with brisket, gravy and cheese, plus two rolls!  Yikes.  

Pulled Pork

Don enjoyed a little pulled pork with two sides. He's the BBQ guy, so we both got what we wanted.  By the time we finished up, a few other travelers staying at our motel had come over to dine.

Before heading back to our little retro oasis, we swapped travel stories with the new arrivals.  We were traveling in opposite directions on the Mother Road, so we were able to give each other tips of all the things not to miss.  

Route 66 

We headed back, past the motel office feeling content and lucky. I'll bet the restaurant and motel could be a whole different experience with swarming tourists in sweltering summer months.  But in October, we had some decent food in a relaxed and clean atmosphere... and a fun people encounter to top it off.