Big A's on the Riverfront, Saint Charles

Name any way of cooking chicken, and chances are that the culinary team at Big A's on the Riverfront has thought of it. The gastropub's cooks specialize in a variety of chicken preparations, from dusting birds in Memphis dry rub to coating them with a teriyaki glaze. Their crowning chicken achievement, however, remains wings tossed in a choice of eight sauces, including the extra-spicy "Fire," a safer alternative to eating wings right off a fireplace poker. And those wings are served sided with plenty of praise—the BCI Annual Wing Dings competition has honored Big A's entries on eight separate occasions.

The specially-prepared poultry arrives tableside along with other bar food classics, including including acclaimed burgers and certified Angus steaks topped with house-made garlic butter. A sippable selection of domestic, imported, and craft brews wait to be raised in toasts. Big A's environment is as unpretentiously warm as the dishes it serves, featuring exposed brick walls, flat-screen televisions, and pool tables.