Biscuits, barbecue and much more: What to eat at this weekend's Roots N Blues festival

Aarik Danielsen, Columbia Daily Tribune
·2 min read
An attendee at Roots N Blues 2021 walks through the festival at Stephens Lake Park.
An attendee at Roots N Blues 2021 walks through the festival at Stephens Lake Park.

Music is atop the menu at this year's Roots N Blues festival, set for Friday through Sunday at Stephens Lake Park.

But festival vendors round out the experience, offering unique, portable feasts; as well as beverages to keep you moving from one stage to the next.

Here are just a few options for festival-goers, according to Roots N Blues:

Barbecue, biscuits and more

BBQ used to be in the festival name, and Roots N Blues still offers some serious options for barbecue lovers. Among them this year: Columbia standout Big Daddy's BBQ and St. Louis-area staple SugarFire Smokehouse.

Among the consistently great options at Roots N Blues is a Columbia vendor who knows how to serve up quality, Southern-style food whether from a food truck or at its brick-and-mortar restaurant, on a street corner or a festival midway. Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. will have heaping helpings for festival-goers.

More:How Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co. elevates a simple breakfast staple

Pizza, ramen and other quality entrees

Among the other enticing possibilities for lunch or dinner: HotBoxx WoodFire Pizza, based out of Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Springfield mainstay Skully's Ramen and Whatever, which typically serves ramen, wok bowls, wings and more; and another Springfield option, WookieDogs, which serves up Korean-style corn dogs.

Get your caffeine fix from Fretboard

Whatever the weekend's weather, Columbia's Fretboard Coffee makes excellent hot or iced beverages. Coffee especially comes in handy on a festival Sunday, when you need an extra push to endure and enjoy another full day of music.

What's for dessert? Pie, of course.

Another Columbia favorite — Peggy Jean's Pies — supplies delicious desserts to music lovers who need to complete their day with something sweet.

Other food and beverages vendors at this year's festival include:

  • Mais Noodls

  • Kokomo Joe's Tacos

  • J&S Pineapple Express

  • Kindle Concessions

  • Fresh Lemonade Co.

  • The Spot

  • The Big Cheese

  • Cola's Kitchen

  • 12 Baskets Kitchen

  • Not'cho Ordinary Taco

  • Sugaree's: Scoops, Smoothies and Shakes

Roots N Blues is a cashless festival; festival transactions work solely through RFID (radio-frequency identification) wristbands that festivalgoers load and reload like a "digital wallet," as the festival website describes it. Visitors pay for everything from food and beverage to merchandise and more by tapping their wristbands at vendor booths.

More:What to know as Roots N Blues returns to Stephens Lake Park Oct. 7-9

For more on this year's festival, visit https://rootsnbluesfestival.com/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Barbecue, biscuits and more: What to eat at Roots N Blues festival