Cahokia Mounds/Collinsville/St. Louis

[maggiethecat]

I'm starting a writing series that I'm calling "Broke and Bored." It will concern weekends a shortish hop from Chicago, and this weekend I'm going to venture to the Cohokia Mounds in Collinsville, IL, near St. Louis. Our food budget for the trip will be about 50 bucks -- that's the "Broke" bit. Any suggestions for good stuff in or around Collinsville/St. Louis? (We will be toting a cooler of juice, sandwiches, fruit, booze etc. We won't starve!)

[cookingkid]

I'm starting a writing series that I'm calling "Broke and Bored." It will concern weekends a shortish hop from Chicago, and this weekend I'm going to venture to the Cohokia Mounds in Collinsville, IL, near St. Louis. Our food budget for the trip will be about 50 bucks -- that's the "Broke" bit. Any suggestions for good stuff in or around Collinsville/St. Louis? (We will be toting a cooler of juice, sandwiches, fruit, booze etc. We won't starve!)

←

There are a few places to recommend, but for the dirt cheap way to go, you may have more limited options. I would go for Smoke Pit BBQ in Collinsville. They use sassafras to smoke their meats and they make their own bread for the sandwiches. I can't remember what it was called, but there is a side item of green chile (beans, maybe?) that was good. Maybe I remember it more for the fact that it seemed out of place.

If you have more money, go to Erato in Edwardsville for dinner. And it you don't do anything else, you better go to 222 on Saturday morning for killer bakery items.

Good luck, and let us know what you wound up doing.