Why Pork Place Beats The Beef House At This Year’s Missouri State Fair

When it comes to value for your food money, this year, Pork Place beats the Beef House hands down.

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I was shocked, but not really surprised when I went over to the Missouri Cattlemen's Association Beef House for dinner on Thursday night and saw the prices. All of us in the radio station crew was excited to get the Ribeye Sandwich because it's our favorite. Yet, after seeing the prices, Craig and I were the only guys who popped the cash to enjoy their really tasty steak sandwich.

This year the Beef House is charging $15.00 for their Ribeye Sandwich, which is $5.00 more than last year. The prices of the cheeseburger, beefburger, and BBQ beef sandwich have gone up two bucks as well. My Thursday night meal, after I decided to skip my bag of chips cost $17.50 for the sandwich and a Diet Pepsi.

It's an excellent tasty sandwich, and the soda was cold. Yet, I almost had to laugh at the cost. As Kix 105.7's Tim Thomas commented while eating his two beef hot-dog special, spend two or three more bucks and you could get a better meal at a steak house. With inflation, and the high cost of beef right now, I'm not so sure that's a true statement. The last time I got the steak sandwich at Little Big Horn it was a little spendy too. But his hot take has merit.

On Friday night, we hit the Missouri Pork Association's Pork Place. I got the pulled pork sandwich, chips, and an ice-cold Diet Dr. Pepper for $13.00. Definitely a bargain. It was just as tasty and filling as the Ribeye Steak Sandwich. I got a side of chips, and my drink too. Here's the kicker, I found a menu from Pork Place from 2018 and while the price of the dinners has gone up two to three dollars, they've managed to keep the prices on the sandwiches largely unchanged.

My hot take, yeah I was surprised at how much the Ribeye Sandwich's price increased. Yet, if you're a beef lover, you can get a cheeseburger, chips, and a drink at the Beef House for $13.50, which is around the same price point as Pork Place's Pulled Pork Sandwich. Yet, my brain, when comparing menu prices just can't get past the impression you're going to get more bang for your pick at Pork Place.

The bottom line. The Pulled Pork sandwich from Pork Place and the Ribeye Steak Sandwich from the Beef House are both very tasty. As I am sure, the rest of the menu is too. Second, the restaurants being run by the Missouri Pork Association and the Missouri Cattlemen's Association respectively, almost guarantee you a great meal. After all, it's their showcase to get you to eat more beef and pork.

So if you're heading out to the fair and you're going to get a meal, you can't go wrong at either place. Especially when you add in the opportunity to get out of the sun and heat, into some air conditioning, and just take a breather from the sights and sounds of the Fair.

When you start comparing the prices at The Beef House or Pork Place to some of the items at the stands on the fairgrounds. Like the $16 dollars, I spent on two slices of pizza and a soda last year.  Or the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich priced at $18 dollars I saw on one vendor's menu board. There is some bang for your buck from these places.

That said, I'll probably resist the urge to get the Ribeye Steak Sandwich again, and maybe just opt for the cheeseburger.