Okay, this may be impossible but I'm going to throw it out there
anyway . . .

About 15 years ago I had a dear friend rooming with me here on the
West Coast who originally hailed from Arkansas. He made occasional
trips back to Arkansas, and returning from one of his trips he brought
with him two large bottles of what remains in my memory the __BEST BBQ
SAUCE I HAVE EVER USED__. I have an email into him but he's
globetrotting right now in Taiwan, so I thought I would attempt this
through the net.

I have of course forgotten the name of this sauce, but never NEVER the
few pieces of information that distinguished it at that time from all
other sauces; here they a

1. THE SAUCE CAME IN LARGE, VERY PLAINLY-LABELED GLASS BOTTLES THAT
YOU COULD ONLY PURCHASE IN ONE OF THEIR RESTAURANTS. I am almost
certain this restaurant was somewhere in MISSOURI, but don't hold me
to that. This restaurant was apparently legendary, and stubbornly
refused to mass-market its sauce: You either were lucky to have
physical access to one of their restaurants where you could purchase
these large bottles of the sauce, or you likely had never (or will
ever) hear about either the restaurant or the sauce. When we had
guests for dinner one night and I grilled some ribs with this sauce,
it was so good that TO THIS DAY (15 years later!) the subject comes up
whenever I speak with these friends. So these are your first clues:
Large plain bottle; on-site sales only (at that time); a non-large-
chain restaurant (possibly only ONE); and localized to one state,
probably MO.

2. THE SAUCE WAS __NEITHER__ SYRUPY, SWEET, or in any way what we
could consider HOT or SPICY -- it was instead SALTY, with a paprika-
like orangish color, and so FLUID that you couldn't pour it on (or it
would simply run off the meat). It was GRITTY with its salt (and
other) content, and resembled in appearance a large bottle of Mexican
Hot Sauce. When I cooked the legendary meal that friends still talk
about, I had the meat marinading in this sauce overnight . . . and
then brushed it on in the final stages of the barbeque, a second
time. So these are your second clues: Fluid, Gritty, Orange/Reddish
collor, Mild and SALTY.

I did a Google search (hoping that a name would spring to mind)
but . . . alas it has been too many years. The most reliable way of
narrowing the field would be to start with the restaurant, which I am
certain had (at that time) not expanded outside the state, and REFUSED
to mass market its sauce.

I know this is a longshot, but let's see if anyone can beat my old
roommate replying to me with the actual name. One way or another,
I'LL POST IT HERE, ONCE FOUND.

Enough years have passed that I hope this restaurant has by now gained
a web presence and a willingness to share its secret sauce beyond the
walls of its restaurant . . . and for heaven's sake, beyond the state
boundary! lol

Thanks everyone!

MC