Perry County: A great place to find home away from home

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct that the Mudburger is a 1/2-pound burger.

Maria Bartoe, cook and owner of the Mississippi Mud Saloon, learned to cook in her dad's kitchen.

"I pretty much come from a family that taught me. My dad was an amazing cook," she says. "I was born to a family of 11 kids, and I think we all have that."

For the past eight years, she's been using those skills to make the Mississippi Mud a touchstone in Altenburg, Missouri, where Bartoe is a native.

The Mississippi Mud Saloon in Altenburg, Missouri.AARON EISENHAUER

"It's a very calm atmosphere," she says. "Very family friendly."

The Mississippi Mud Saloon in Altenburg, Missouri.AARON EISENHAUER

Even though she also has plenty of experience cooking in kitchens in the South, making jambalaya and cornbread and such, she also has begun offering more health-conscious menu items, cooking fresh, homemade food with locally-sourced meats.

The Mississippi Mud Saloon in Altenburg, Missouri.AARON EISENHAUER

"[The shift] is for the people now who are getting more concerned with the calories and fats and that type of thing," she says. "Although we do also still have the big, juicy burgers, too, so those sort of go out with that."

The colossal Mudburger remains something of a local icon. The 1/2-pound burger is served between two grilled cheese sandwiches and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, bacon, fried cheese sticks, onion rings, fried mushrooms, pizza rolls and jalapeno poppers.

"We're actually turning more into a restaurant that serves alcohol instead of a bar that serves food," Bartoe says. "I was just getting a little tired of the late nights, I guess. ... We just recently went nonsmoking and we got some great reviews."

The restaurant was temporarily closed last year for renovations, but is now back up and operational. Visitors are always welcome, Bartoe says, to come in, shoot a game of pool and settle in for a home-cooked meal away from home.

The Mississippi Mud Saloon in Altenburg, Missouri.AARON EISENHAUER