Missouri Hick BBQ August 28 , 2011 Cuba, Missouri

As you can see, the outside of the Mo Hick BBQ looks the same. This photo was taken this morning.

The news soon spread on Facebook that Missouri Hick BBQ, a popular Cuba, Missouri and Route 66 restaurant owned by Dennis Meiser, had sustained damage during a middle of the night fire. Smoked meats, rustic decor, the waitresses called MO HIck Chicks, and many billboards have made a name for this “must stop” Cuba trademark. Some folks plan their trips around a stop at the BBQ spot. Many glowing remarks, often from international travelers, fill its guest book.

I received a text from a friend that said, “Mo Hick, say it ain’t so.” I replied. “So. It will rise again.”

Before church, I ventured to the popular, award winning BBQ spot to see what I could see for myself. A group of dispirited employess were sitting on the front porch. Doors to the building were propped open. Other than telling me not to go into the building, they didn’t have much to say. It was plain that the fire had saddened them. One employee said that the fire department may have been alerted by the fire alarm system during the middle of the night. No employees were on site when the fire started, and Meiser had been out of town. The employees said that he was on his way back to Cuba.

Mo HIck fire damage August 28, 2011

The worst damage seen on the outside is from the kitchen area. Thankfully, the fire did not reach the nearby gas tank.

Entry of Mo HIck BBQ

In the entry, you can see some damage from the kitchen area.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that while both floors of the dining areas are smoke-damaged, they are intact. The outside of the building on the front and sides look about the same. Most of the damage was in the kitchen although the front door was cracked.

Dining area of Missouri Hick BBQ Cuba, Missouri

As you can see, the new dining area seems undamaged.

 

Middle dining area MO Hick Cuba, Missouri

The middle dining area looks undamaged as well. Mo HIck’s famous BBQ sauce stands guard.

We have not talked to the fire department or Dennis, but we hope this popular eatery is soon reopened. Our thoughts are with Dennis and his hard working staff. We hope that like the mythological Phoenix, that MO Hick BBQ rises from these ashes to an even greater success that before.

Route 66 Missouri Hick BBQ Water Wheel Cuba, MIssouri

The well-known Water Wheel at the Missouri Hick is undamaged.

 UPDATE: This week’s Cuba Free Press carried an ad  that says the that Missouri Hick will re-open on Tuesday, October 25, 2011. The restaurant originally opened February 12, 2002. The phone number for Missouri Hick is 573-885-6791.

To see the many improvements at MO Hick after the fire, go here.