Donna and Terry Reinhardt opened their new barbecue restaurant The Burnt End in Red Bud in early March. (Sean McGowan photo)

With a background in competitive cooking, Donna and Terry Reinhardt whipped up a recipe for a successful barbecue joint called The Burnt End in Red Bud.

The Reinhardts opened in early March at 101 E. Market Street to a crowd of wide-eyed barbecue enthusiasts with their mouths watering. In anticipation, friends and family had been asking the Red Bud couple for months when they would unveil their competitive eats to the public.

“People kept asking us and asking us when we were going to open. Finally, we put a pig sign up and said, ‘If the sign is lit, we’re open,’” Donna said.

The constant pleading from the community turned out to be a good indicator for how much success the restaurant would pool. When asked how business has been, Donna responded with one word: “Crazy.”

The restaurant has been “extremely busy,” Terry included, saying, “We’ve had a lot of great support from the community and outside of the community.”

Part of their success comes down to their homemade burnt ends which are served as an appetizer when available or on a bun as a half-pound burger.

“(Terry) calls it meat candy,” Donna said. “It’s the finishing that makes it.”

Terry elaborated that the double-smoking process and his finishing touch of rubbing a layer of barbecue sauce onto the meat is what draws people to this item.

“It’s just really nuggets of gold,” he said.

But there are plenty of other choices for barbecue lovers who may prefer a pulled pork platter or a sampler that includes two kinds of meat. The sides are exactly what patrons would expect to go along with tender brisket or meaty ribs — baked beans, coleslaw, mac n cheese, tater chips and more — and barbecue sauces include sweet, heat and mustard flavors.

And anyone who can’t enjoy good barbecue without a cold beer can rest easy knowing the restaurant includes a fully stocked bar with a variety of alcoholic drinks. Another attention-grabber for customers is the experience Donna and Terry bring to the table, having competed in barbecue competitions for several years.

The Reinhardts have participated in Kansas City Barbecue Society and St. Louis BBQ Society competitive events.

“We’ve been a top contender in a lot of stuff,” Terry explained.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Contact theburntend@htc.net or 618-282-2271 for more information.

Donna said to look out for a grand opening in the near future. Ironically, the dream to open this restaurant was born out of the fact that the two had found themselves out of a job. But the Reinhardts are now steeped in success after only a few short weeks.

“Everyone’s first question (after we lost our jobs was), ‘So, you gonna open a restaurant now?’” Donna said.