This slightly out of the way gem is totally worth a stop! It's not right off the freeway, but it's not far either. I forgot to take pictures because I grew up in an analog childhood. Definitely get their buffalo wing appetizer. I've never had such a satisfying crunch to a buffalo wing outside of a great Korean place. And they're juicy and delicious on the inside. Get the seasoning on the fries. It's pretty good! The catfish sandwich was satisfying too with a nice crispy breading on the catfish. read more

The food was fantastic. I got a Rueben and fried pickles (dine in) and it was so good that I went back the next day for another Reuben (pick up order). Very unassuming atmosphere and building but highly recommend. read more

it has taken a while to write a review. Having left the area years ago and just visiting for a short while in the past. the last time we visited we wanted to try the Pilot House ( never tried it while living in the Jackson area}. My Wife and I went there it night before Thanksgiving at around 5:30 Pm. I wanted to try the Ribs and were told they were out of The Ribs already. {5:30. ????}. so I ordered the Brisket the place was kinda busy so it took a while. The Brisket slices came out with Grill marks on then {never see grill marks on a brisket before {should have been a reds flag}. the meat was way to salty I tried to scrape the out side rub off but the meat was still to salty I ended pu not finishing the meal . The sides I had were conmmon . Needless to say we were disappointed for a place I always wanted to try read more

Ribs were moist and paired well with the bbq sauce. Seasoned fries were very yummy as well! Would come back next time I'm in Cape girardeau read more

Pilot House - Half rack of ribs plate - Barbeque Near Me - Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Definitely a dive bar. It is off the beaten path, the food is good. My wife said the catfish was good. I really liked my Philly, I couldn't get through it however, you have to bring an appetite, the Philly is huge and they give you a lot of onion petals. I think it's worth a try. I will try the ribs next time. read more

The restaurant is well hidden but the GPS got us there. Small place. More of a bar than a restaurant with just about 10 or 12 tables but here on yelp the general consensus was that the fried fish is really good and it was. We ordered the rib dinner too and the meat was fall off the bone. They cook the ribs 3 times. Smoking, baking and I think maybe steaming. They are good and soft but don't expect smoked ribs like from a barbecue joint. Generous portions though. I rarely need a doggie bag but we took home leftovers from both of our meals. Parking lot was ample sized but men's room was not. Tiny little space. Not particularly clean or comfortable. But I would eat here again. read more

We came here for Father's Day and it was disappointing for Dad. He ordered a catfish sandwich and was highly disappointed. They forgot to bring the too of his bun and he had to wait for the top for 10 minutes. He didn't care for the seasoned fries. Everyone else thought their food was just okay There was no ambiance to speak of. The place looks pretty run down. I'm sorry to say I will not be back here. read more

Been going to Pilot House for 40 years. God it is a far cry from years past. Sandwiches have little meat, staff is lazy. Slow, impersonal and frankly you can find better BBQ out there with better service. Too bad the good old days are gone. read more

Great people great food at a great price!! We need more places like this. Very enjoyable

We do enjoy eating here however, I placed a catering order for Father's Day for a Baby Gender Reveal party of 40 people. When we went to pick up 2 hours before the party, our order had never been turned in and we were told they didnt have enough meat to fulfil our order. They said the person who takes the catering order was on vacation ! Almost RUINED my party. Luckily Wings Etc came through on a large last minute order. I will not consider Pilot House to be a reliable catering source in the future. I still have the email conformation for my order. I emailed that person with no response, not even an Im sorry! read more

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Stopped at Cape Girardeau for fuel and dinner break while flying from Canada to Texas. Many great items made it hard to make a decision. Ordered the cheese steak sandwich with mushrooms and a side of spicy fries. Both were wonderful, and the servings were substantial. Service was timely and friendly. Nice view of the airfield from our table. We were there around 5:15 pm on a Saturday and did not need to wait. read more

Pilot House - Barbeque Near Me - Cape Girardeau, Missouri

The sign says established in 1962 and the dive-bar exterior seems to back that up, as does the dive-bar interior. But the food and the service is exceptional. I had Big Hot Cheese, which is hickory smoked pork, pimento cheese sauce, slaw and jalapeño on grilled sourdough; delicious. And the fries are amazing. Some of the best food and service comes from dives, and this is no exception. I highly recommend it for the food, the service, and the ambience. read more

My husband and I have been here numerous times. We absolutely love the stuffed mushrooms, the catfish and the hush puppies. The Pilot House is an essential stop down here if you enjoy delicious, comforting food and a good cold drink. The staff is so friendly and helpful. The classic decor and atmosphere can't be beat. This place is truly a hidden gem!! read more

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Best local food around. I love the staff, they are always friendly and quick on service. Small but nice. Sometimes when they are super busy you might get sat with people you don't know. Which in nice way to meet new locals. read more

Service was good -- food decent, but nothing to necessarily write home about. I had the brisket sandwich.

We have been here several times and I never seem to have time to review. Likely because we are usually on motorcycles. The food has been consistently great. We have had many selections from steak to a burger. All prepared as ordered. Service can be a bit slow at times but they are usually very busy so it is to be understood. read more

Well, it's nothing fancy, and it's pretty small. But if the laughter and enthusiasm of the crowd at the Pilot House indicates the level of satisfaction, then this place is tops. The wait staff is young and amazing. My server, Alana, was ON IT. Smart, sweet, and friendly, with some serious wit and an excellent sense of humor. The side salad was a bit unusual with lettuce, brocolli and cauliflower in bite sized pieces (I asked for no peppers). But the surprise was the dressing. It was sweet and... hot! But it wasn't spicy hot, it was hot--as in temperature. Fist time I've encountered that, but It was good! The menu doesn't list steaks, but suggests asking the server about them. I was glad for that, since BBQ and smoked meat is good, but I wasn't in the mood for brisket and I don't eat pork. Everything must be made fresh because the speed wasn't very fast. But I had nothing but time and all good things are worth waiting for. My strip steak was cooked medium and consistent. Good flavor and the horseradish was very good too. The twice baked potato (without the American cheese) was delicious. The food hit the spot. And you should be warned that the portions are generous. The "entertainment" was fun, too--the lady tending bar was singing along with Tina Turner wondering "What's Love Got yo Do With It?" And finally, the conversations around me were reflective of people who genuinely were enjoying the chance to get out, get some good food, and just be with each other, face to face. I thoroughly enjoyed my food, the service, and I'll be back! read more

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Enjoyed a delicious meal there years ago when our son attended SEMO. Took our grandson there last nite after the Cape track meet. Small parking lot was crowded (good sign). Waitress took our orders shortly after we were seated (another good sign). Apetizer (loaded potato) finally came out - was so burnt even the steak knife wouldn't cut it. Very loud & boisterous &/or drunks seated close by were positive EVERYONE in the restaurant wanted to hear their stories & jokes. Waitresses were nice - but, food took way too long & after a few bites we asked for take home box's to take the food home for our dogs. None of our 3 meals had any taste whatsoever. Had the waitresses not been nice & trying to be accomodating, a 1-star rating would have been too much. Needless to say - we won't be back anytime soon. A miserable experience. read more

Good food. Good service. Unlike several other local restaurants, they actually treat you like they're glad you're here. Finest food in town.

Great food, great service, locals only kind of place. It's reminiscent of it's date of establishment, and I enjoy the unassuming vibe.

Not easy to find, but don't miss this place. We split the tank and each had a side salad with hot bacon dressing. I'm not kidding when I say that the salad was so delicious that we could have literally licked our plates!! My husband has always ordered the tank, but tonight we split one. Oh my goodness, I will never order anything else!! Very tasty, moist, nice blend of flavors (I got the jalapeños on the side). read more

The Pilot House has the best beef kabobs, twice-baked potatoes, and salad. The food and service is outstanding!

I was recommended by more than four different folks to try this place. I'm from NY working in the area. At first driving up its not what you expect. But after entering I was met right away and asked to sit anywhere. There were not many people there....yet. Right away you can tell it's a local place where local folks come to eat. A big plus for me. I had the best catfish I think I ever had. Fried but not greasy reminded me of my family's Italian cooking of fried calamari. The side dishes of baked beans were excellent light bbq and a smoky flavor. The coleslaw was fresh and tasty. When I was about to leave the place it was packed and people were waiting to sit. Highly recommend a stop in. But don't be shy to the first look outside. A definite should stop in for fresh good local food. read more

Pilot House - Fried catfish w/baked beans and fresh coleslaw - Barbeque Near Me - Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Wonderful place , great food and friendly staff .. once they know what you like they take good care of you.. one of my favorites To eat ... am there every Monday for sure read more

Do not let the outside deceive you!!! It is a "dive" but the food is freaking awesome. Not a very large place and definitely a place the locals enjoy. Parking lot is extremely small but just park along the big pickup trucks and go inside. Everyone was friendly and we all liked our food. I got the Giant kabobs special, only available on weekends and was not disappointed! The seasoning and side of horseradish was spot on! Again it is a dive but clean and delicious! read more

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Looked forward to trying this place since I've heard great things about their food. There were 7 of us. Two of us had the pulled pork ,which tasted like diesel fuel. Didn't even taste like a meat at all. Those that ordered beef dishes...those tasted like meat at least. Nothing exceptional there, even out of the 3 appetizers we ordered. I think it's one of those places that you need to be from the area and have been going there since your teenage years. read more

I admit I'm a rib snob, but those were the worst ribs I've ever had. Obviously I didn't get the more popular items, and didn't ask. I did notice several other patrons didn't finish their meals. First and last time there. read more

Good luck trying to get served if you're not a regular! We waited almost an hour for a table because they had one being held for people who weren't even there yet. Once we got to our table, we had to wait until after they got their food even though they arrived after us. When we asked if we could swap tables so our party could sit together, both the table of regulars and the waitress said tough luck because we're not there every Tuesday. I can understand if that group comes in every Tuesday and drinks all night and eats dinner and snacks there, but most of them didn't eat and some of them only had one drink before leaving. All in all we waited nearly 2 hours for mediocre food and horrible rude service. My husband has been eating here for 30 years (obviously not regularly) and no one in our family will ever eat here again. read more

Save your time and money. This place is dirty and outdated. We waited over an hour for a table and over 45 minutes to get our decent food. We will never go back. read more

Great for fattening but good food. Very tasty -- fried fish is popular. Airport location is interesting

Everything is always great. It has been for the last 20 plus years of me coming here. The staff and food are always wonderful ! Prices went up, but quantities and quality has stayed the same, if not better and worth it every time. This is my favorite place in Cape to eat. read more

What a local find. The best service and the food....omg. Try the tips n mushroom chowder on for size. We travel a bunch and this stop was a true winner. Loved the "penny" bar too. read more

Some of my favorite fried fish with delicious honey mustard and perfectly tasting and seasoned fries!

Great for a burger and brew. Locals place with a few unusual items on the menu. Fries are good, if you get them hot.

Great food and service. I had the chicken salad with warmed dressing and it was absolutely wonderful.

Best pulled pork pimento cheese sandwiches around. Get a Stag & a pickle to wash it down. read more

Ah, the legendary Pilot House. I've heard this place mentioned by friends no fewer than a hundred times over the years, but for some reason I've never set foot inside. We stopped in the other day for a light lunch and a couple of beers. I had a grilled chicken sandwich, although our friend have a few other recommendations (we were trying to stay healthy-ish, but got fries anyway). The fries come seasoned or not. All of it was very good. The thing here is the ambience for people who are into dive bars. Apparently a ton of people in Cape are just that, as I understand they line up around the corner on Friday and Saturday nights to get in. I like dive bars and this is a quality example. Not sure why it took me so long to get here, but I reckon I'll be back. read more

My husband and I came in for our anniversary lunch. We decided to split the catfish dinner and we weren't disappointed! The kitchen was great and plated everything for us instead of putting everything on one plate and sending an empty plate. Everything was fresh and hot. We really enjoyed the onions petals in the place of the French fries. Probably not the best place if you are in a hurry but the service is great. read more

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Arrived around 5 PM on a Saturday. No wait and was quickly seated and got menus and they took our drink order. So far so good. It took another 15 to have our order take.n. Still open tables at the restaurant, with only 3 tables that had food and around 10 that did not. Our food finally came out after almost an hour! Asked 3 different waitresses what was the delay and got 3 different stories. One said they had a huge take out order that had the kitchen backed up. Another said some of the help was new, and another said because so many people were seated at the same time. Whatever the case they should plan ahead and fix their issues. If they took a huge take out order then they would have known that 8 tables would have to wait an unreasonable amount of time. I had the chicken salad and it was quite small considering the price, especially the amount of chicken on the salad (maybe 4 or 5 oz). Other people in our. Party had very resonance portions on their sandwiches and chicken dish (literally twice a as much chicken then my salad had for the same price). Left a descent tip as not to punish the waitress as there was nothing she could really do. Would have been. Nice to received a discount or free dessert but no such offer was made. Others around us were also clearly upset by the long service time. Will not visit again or recommend as it seemed like this was somewhat common by the lack of concern by employees as not really doing anything to make it right. Also the men's room looked like a dungeon. Maybe a 15 watt bulb? read more

Outstanding place to unwind after a long day of driving! A must have is the Tank along with the seasoned fries, I will definitely be back!