Big Boy's Q and Southern Soul will show a love of barbecue by new owners

WOOD RIVER - The best prepared food always comes from those who love their craft.

Ron Boles and Jimi Sinks are two who definitely have a love of cooking and serving a wide variety of meats and dishes. The pair are the new owners of Big Boy's Q and Southern Soul at 300 Wood River Avenue in Wood River. The two open their doors at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the new location and the two are beside themselves with excitement.

Boles and Sinks have acquired a name throughout the region for catering this kind of meat and sides preparation and decided to take it to a permanent location.

“Our best item is pulled pork,” Boles said. “We have been written up about our pork sandwich. We also will have pulled pork tacos, hamburgers, chicken, bratwurst, rib tips and run a lot of specials like snoots, pork burnt ends, lasagna and much more. We will run a lot of specials and we will be switching our sides.

"For instance if you get a pork steak or sandwich in three or four days we will switch our sides. One day it may be mac and cheese and next day green beans and potatoes as sides. Everything will be fresh and written on the chalkboard in the lobby on our specials and sides.”

Both Boles and Sinks come from families who enjoyed cooking. Boles said his grandmother had some wonderful recipes, but he said he and Sinks have developed most of their own recipes over the years. He also worked in his father’s restaurant business across the river in Missouri and he said he learned a lot from his dad.

Ron and Jimi have been a success in the barbecue and southern style food preparation end of things since they catered their first event to about 200 people at Bubby and Sissy’s in Alton. Ron said he was grateful for that being his first big event that garnered him significant exposure. Since that point, things for their catering business have taken off and on Tuesday, they will be housed in a location. Boles said he will have a pick up location for the food in the beginning and hopes eventually to expand the business some with in-restaurant dining. As the weather warms, he said he will place a few picnic tables outside for outside dining next to the restaurant.

Boles said his group will concentrate on six meats and do them correctly.

“We will try to do our meats the best and I think we will succeed,” Boles said. “We will be putting a lot of love in the food. I fix best mac and cheese anywhere in the St. Louis area. I use Velveeta cheese, real butter and make it the way I do because I want people to come back."

Boles said he can’t wait to open the doors Tuesday morning to the public in Wood River.

“I am extremely excited like a kid in candy store,” Boles said. “I love to barbecue; this is what I do. I grew up in the restaurant business working with my dad, who is a retired chef.”

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