Accolades + Honors
101 Best Restaurants in America
Top 10 Extraordinary Ribs
50 State Dinners: Food Treks Worth Taking This Summer
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
Carolyn and Gary Wells Pioneer of Barbecue award
by Jack Daniel's World Invitational Cooking Contest, October 2008
James Beard award nomination
National Barbecue Association Award of Excellence
"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.