I get a lot of questions about the different styles of ribs that are on the market today. The three most
popular ribs are Baby Back, Spare, and St. Louis. The good thing about all of these ribs is that when smoked properly, they all are delicious. They are also found at most of the grocery store meat departments I have been to in Birmingham, AL.
I have smoked all 3 styles while catering and I personally lean a bit more towards the St. Louis style ribs because of the flavor and appearance. I know other BBQ enthusiasts that lean towards the Baby Back. It really just depends on your preference and what you believe showcases your bbq expertise. If you are new to BBQ'ing then buy all three styles and give them all a try. Let your family or friends try them and give you their opinion on which one's they like. I don't think you will have much trouble getting some "samplers" to try out your ribs.
The website www.allbbq.com/index.php does a fabulous job of describing these styles of ribs. They also provide a great illustration of the different pork cuts on the market today. The information below is from their website.
Baby Back Ribs - Baby backs are also called loin back ribs. The grocery stores usually label them as loin backs. Baby backs are usually smaller in size and have a fairly pronounced curve to the bone. The meat is leaner than spareribs so be sure to reduce your cooking time accordingly. Baby backs are most often confused with St Louis cut spareribs because they are similar in size. But St Louis style ribs will be much flatter with more fat and meat.
Spareribs - A full slab of spareribs is hard to confuse with any other type of BBQ rib type. The sparerib comes from the side and belly of the pig and they are larger than baby backs, contain more fat, and are flatter than baby backs. The extra fat provides more flavor. Most slow smoking BBQ rib enthusiasts prefer the taste of the sparerib over the baby backs. It is also a cheaper cut of BBQ rib.
St Louis Cut - This is a sparerib that has been trimmed to remove the tips or brisket end of the spareribs. There is also a flap of meat called the skirt on a full rack of spareribs that is removed. The result is a fairly flat rack of ribs that is easier to handle, looks nicer, and cooks up more evenly. 
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