by Darline Mabins
Unite Contributing Writer
Springfield, MO— April showers bring May flowers and hopefully a visit from your families to our restaurant for this month; Chicago Smerqs. When most people think about popular foods of Chicago, deep-dish pizza is usually the first thing to come to mind. While it is true that Chicago serves up great pizza. You would be surprised to know that Barbeque is also a popular item in Chi-Town.
Although not known as the barbeque scenes of Kansas City or the Carolinas, Chicago barbecue is just as delicious. There are specific techniques that you will find in Chicago barbeque like;” boilbecue” and smokeless roast. The most well-known is their take on rib tips. If you are a fan of rib tips…Chicago Smerqs does not disappoint.
We caught up to the busy owners and sat down to discuss their journey. Husband and wife team; William (Bill) Mosley and Anedra Mosley are not newcomers to the area. Bill is a hometown boy who is proud to share with anyone that asks that he is a Central High school graduate. Anedra made her way to Springfield in 2003. The pair are married and raising their family in the Queen City. When asked if they always had aspirations to own their own restaurant; their immediate response is; yes. Anedra is who you would call their idea woman/visionary; while Bill is there to support and help to bring their dreams forward together. The couple has two existing small businesses, A &B Blessing (home healthcare business) and BMJ Realty LLC, which are still going strong. They were approached by an acquaintance about opening a franchise. The couple saw this as the opportunity they were waiting for to finally accomplish a dream. So the couple found a location and secured capital to begin the process. Unfortunately, as time progressed, they found themselves on an island; with no support or input from the franchisor. So they were left with a decision. Stop and let everything fall apart or move forward and figure things out on their own.
March 2021 Chicago Smerqs opened its doors. With a menu that is made up of the couple’s recipes and side dishes that they have adapted to make their own. What is a Smerqs; you ask. The word is comprised of the words: smoke, jerk, and barbeque. Put them all together, you get smerqs! The barbeque sauce is made entirely from scratch and in-house. The only hint I was given as to what it contains, was from Anedra who mentioned they use a small amount of jerk sauce in their recipe. When asked what the most popular item on the menu was. Anedra’s response was the restaurant’s fried catfish. She thinks it appeals to all; young and mature customers.
When asked about where they hope to be in a year? Anedra hopes to see more customers and that the community on the west side of town will know that they are indeed open for business and in the area. So as we look towards the Spring season and begin to venture outdoors more, make a trip to the west side of Republic Road(3202 W Republic Rd Springfield MO 65807) and stop by Chicago Smerqs. They are open Thursday thru Sunday from 11:00 to 7:00 pm. Catering is also available.