Shemwell’s Barbecue

Shemwell’s is a piece of Cairo history. My parents and grandparents were eating here long before I was born. When I come «back home» to Southern Illinois, this is always one of the first places I eat. This past Saturday was no exception. I had the barbecue plate which comes with two sides and a thick-​sliced pork bbq sandwich with a vinegar based sauce that has enough heat that you break a sweat and your sinuses are cleaned out. So it’s delicious and medicinal! For sides, I chose coleslaw and baked beans. First, I’m rarely about anything other than the barbecue, but this coleslaw was amazing. Rather than a mayonnaise based dressing, it was vinegar based, which I much prefer. I loaded up my sandwich with the slaw and extra sauce and, with the help of several napkins, managed to gobble up every scrumptious morsel. The baked beans were loaded with molasses and were incredibly tasty. I love this barbecue joint, with its great smoked pork and wonderful side items. I also managed to grab a bunch of corn nuggets, and a little fried okra, and they were also perfect. I plan on coming back at least one more time while I’m here – probably two more times – three times for sure.

Good vinegar based barbecue sauce with a bite — makes you sweat just a bit. The beef was slow cooked, tender and flavorful. It served on toasted/​grilled bread instead of buns/​rolls which we liked. Interesting selection of sides — try the corn nuggets (kernels of corn breaded and deep fried), slaw is tangy not too sweet…

My inlaws are from Cairo and trust me, there isn’t much to do or see or eat in this town. But we stop in at Shemwells when we visit. The sauce is vinegar based and orange, over pork. I’m a texan and this ain’t my style, but if you are interested in experiencing local flavors you’ve probably never considered, Shemwells is the place. It is the typical run-​down diner atmosphere, with lots of locals eating lunch. You can buy the sauce in pint sized canning jars (I just don’t think it’s commercially produced like one reviewer wrote – it’s not even labeled). And there are options on the menu that aren’t sauced. I had the turkey club, hold the cheese. It was a decent little fast food lunch.
And this flavor is NOT just Shemwells. It is Cairo, and there is a Cairo BBQ brand as well.

I, at first, thought that maybe it was a «regional thing». Meaning, that perhaps this sauce was a flavor profile that the locals of Cairo were accustomed to. After a bit of research on the region I discovered that this sauce is particular to Shemwell’s. I would have to agree with a few other reviewers that this is an awful tasting sauce with a displeasing texture. Another reviewer noted that «something is different at Shemwell’s these days». I would hazzard a guess that the difference might be that their sauce is now commercially made for them and they are no longer making their own batches in house. Commercial bottlers notoriously alter recipes so that the product can retain color, have extended shelf life and be cheaper. It also seems from other comments that the Shemwell Clan has grown tired, lost their pride, enthusiasm and passion for their product. Perhaps this is the time for them to say that four generations is long enough and close it down before it becomes an embarassment that spoils the overall reputation of a four generation family owned business.

You must eat here if you think yourself a connoisseur of regional BBQ. Unique sauce that you won’t find any other place. Yes it could be remodeled, but the condition of the premises are part of what makes it authentic.

About the only restaurant left in Cairo. Decent BBQ, but the place reflects how run down the city has become. I wouldn’t detour off the Interstate (or US 51−60−62) to eat here again, which is sad because Cairo needs all the visitors it can get. However, if you do find yourself exploring this once-​proud town, you may as well stop by and eat at the last local institution.

You are almost out of luck when you visit Cairo for restaurant choices except if you like barbeque and chicken, you will do fine at Shemwells. This isn’t shredded or minced pulled pork in this part of the country. They do a brisket style pork that calls it pulled pork. It had a very mild smoky flavor and was very good. Sweet tea was on the strong side and surprisingly good considering the river water in the past has been awful to drink in other parts of the Ohio River valley. Sides (or fixin’s) were good as well. Lastly, you must try their BBQ sauce which is vinegary but a taste you’ve never had and could never figure out. Really tasty and it’s a family secret recipe. Shemwells is worth it to divert off I-​55 and traveling between KY and MO on the river bridges.