101 Best Restaurants in America
Top 10 Extraordinary Ribs
50 State Dinners: Food Treks Worth Taking This Summer
by Grub Street
Top 10 BBQ in America
by Playboy
"Best Ribs in the U.S."
by Bon Appétit magazine and featured on the Food Network show Bon Appétit Picks the Best
Best Ribs in St. Louis
Food Feuds with Michael Symon on Food Network
Best Barbecue in St. Louis
Riverfront Times
Barbecue Hall of Fame
Mike was inducted in 2010
Carolyn and Gary Wells Pioneer of Barbecue award
by Jack Daniel's World Invitational Cooking Contest, October 2008
James Beard award nomination
for our book, Peace, Love, and Barbecue
National Barbecue Association Award of Excellence
for our book, Peace, Love, and Barbecue
"America's most revered pitmaster"
by Restaurants & Institutions magazine
security clearance to board Air Force One
Mike is the only pit master in the country who’s had it
Spirit of Barbecue award
from the National Barbecue News
Arkansas Traveler
State of Arkansas, 1992
Apple City Barbecue Team Record
December 1989 to May 1994
The Apple City Barbecue team is known as the winningest team in barbecue. In its short cooking history, they racked up an impressive number of awards:
Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest:
Grand Champion
2 First Place Awards
1 Grand Sauce Award
69 Competitions
64 First Place awards
22 Second Place awards
9 Third Place awards
32 Grand Champion awards
Memphis in May:
2 Perfect Scores
First time ever.
4 times World Champion
3 times Grand World Champion
First team to achieve this feat; record held for 13 years and tied in 2007.