17th Street BBQ
Mike Mills, a great pitmaster, is popularly regarded as "The Legend" in the barbecue world. In Southern Illinois, he oversees the pits at his two nationally recognized 17th Street BBQ barbecue restaurants.
He was a co-captain of the Apple City Barbecue team in the early 1990s, one of the most well-known teams on the circuit. At Memphis in May, often known as the Super Bowl of Swine, he is a four-time World Champion and three-time Grand World Champion. He was also the Grand Champion of the Jack Daniel's World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest in 1992, as well as the winner of the Jack Daniel's Sauce Contest.
Mike is a partner and barbecue expert at New York City's Blue Smoke restaurant. In Las Vegas, he was a founding partner of Memphis Championship Barbecue. Peace, Love, and Barbecue, his book, was nominated for a James Beard Foundation award in 2006 and won the National Barbecue Association Award of Excellence in 2006. At the Jack Daniel's World Invitational Barbecue Cooking Contest in October 2008, he received the Pioneer of Barbecue award. In 2010, Mike was named to the Barbecue Hall of Fame.
- Website: 17bbq.com
- Location: 32 N. 17th Street Murphysboro, IL 62966
- Phone number: (618) 684-3722
