Sugarfire Smoke House celebrating 10-year anniversary with specials, prizes, and new location in Arnold

Table Of Content

• Pies and Cookies
• HEY, YOU ARE about to order from sugarfire in Olivette, Missouri.
• Kitchen Q&A: Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House
• Ribs
• Sugarfire Smoke House celebrating 10-year anniversary with specials, prizes, and new location in Arnold
• barbecue in Olivette Missouri
• Most Expensive Products People are Buying on Amazon

BARcelona was an immediate success. Frank's now the sole owner and still owns the one in Indianapolis. He'd send me to places to learn; he sent me up the street to Zatarain's for a couple of days to learn all about Creole mustard. Then, I had to report to the staff at line-up—like a hundred of them—everything I had learned.

Pies and Cookies

Check out our apparel page for shirts, hats, and anything else we can stick a logo on. Several years ago, someone came in and asked for change for the parking meter, Johnson recalls. It turned out to be the owner of a major business in the area, and he and Johnson struck up a friendship that lasted for years.

First woman-owned ‘Sugarfire Smokehouse’ opening today in Florissant - KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis

First woman-owned ‘Sugarfire Smokehouse’ opening today in Florissant.

Posted: Wed, 03 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

HEY, YOU ARE about to order from sugarfire in Olivette, Missouri.

The chef there got me a job for five months in France. When I came back, I worked at Vail in the winter and Nantucket in the summer. Before I returned to St. Louis, I spent a year and a half in Napa, working for Joachim Splichal, at a place called Pinot Blanc.

Kitchen Q&A: Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House

In the kitchen, for instance, this might be giving a chef room to experiment with part of the menu's development. The barbecue chain’s first store in North County will also be the first to be women-owned and -operated. Food Huggers is a sustainable food storage company whose silicone sleeves wrap around the unused portions of avocados and other fruits and veggies. It’s located at 1290 North Highway 67, near UHUAL storage. It’s the 14th Sugarfire restaurant and the first one in north county. Frank Schmitz, who had hair down to his butt at the time, wanted to open a coffeeshop in Clayton, but I persuaded him to do a Spanish tapas place instead.

Ribs

While you chow down on some seriously good barbecue, the gods of blues music are pictured in our murals, smiling down on you and enjoying some meat treats themselves. The music is always cranking, and you’ll probably feel like singing after a few of our boozy milkshakes and some pecan, apple, or key lime pie. Tell us about your cause and we’ll get back to you as soon as we pull these ribs off the smoker. Not everyone who reviews a restaurant is an expert. Over the years, Johnson has come to prize people’s choice awards over accolades from critics.

Then there’s BBQ Pitmasters, a reality-TV show he’s appearing on. Apparently, Emeril taught him well. Whether here in St. Louis or in the Caribbean, Johnson believes in giving away free food and donating money to uplift others in need. While some business owners may worry about losing profit, he says there’s nothing like building good will while supporting the community. Locally, Johnson and his team have offered free meals to Ameren workers during ice storms and were quick to make sandwiches and soup to raise money for furloughed restaurant workers during the pandemic.

This allows Johnson to focus on the food, including barbecue and savory items. And this Sunday, September 25, Sugarfire will celebrate the groundbreaking of its newest location, at 2204 Michigan in Arnold. One thousand pulled pork sandwiches will be given away at the event, which will benefit the Arnold Food Pantry. The sandwiches will be distributed in exchange for an in-kind donation of any nonperishable food item or cash. Sugarfire’s food truck, “Brisket 1,” will also be serving food in front of the upcoming location. Sugarfire co-founder and pastry chef Carolyn Downs, Charlie Downs’ wife, also has a small ownership percentage.

barbecue in Olivette Missouri

Another time, Johnson recalls, someone outside the restaurant made fun of Johnson’s hat. Johnson graciously accepted the ribbing before realizing it was comedian Dave Chappelle, who ended up eating at Sugarfire and using their catering services while in town. In addition to indoor dining, our smoke house has an all-season outdoor patio that provides spacious seating year-round. We also offer pickup and delivery. And if you’re in need of catering services, ask about our customizable menu, which features fine dining options and more. Chef Mike Johnson has studied with Myron Mixon, cooked under Emeril Lagasse and Charlie Trotter, and has overseen the creation of six other restaurants.

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And it's a lot harder than people think because every piece of meat cooks differently. Some pieces take hours longer in the smoker, even if they all went in at the same time. Each brisket—and each slab of ribs, for that matter—must be inspected. Barbecue is more challenging than any other type of cooking—and it's not even close.

You have to know when to cut the cord. Although the 2,550-square-foot space was smaller than most of the other Sugarfire locations, Downs weighed the variables, did the math, and bought the building. As an executive chef, Wallace admits that it was difficult juggling being a chef, mother, and wife, but Sugarfire offered her that space and gave her the home life she desperately wanted. Sugarfire Smoke House will kick off the new year by opening a location in Florissant—the barbecue chain’s first in North County, the 11th in the metro area, and the 14th overall.

Eight of my guys could be head chefs anywhere in St. Louis. Three used to work at Emeril's, and one worked at Rubicon in San Francisco. They sensed an expansion, plus they're having fun, which is why they're sticking around. I've never been surrounded by so much talent. They do the basics plus different things every week, like smoked duck,  heritage pork short ribs, lamb ribs, lamb loin, veal brisket...

Together with the rest of our team, we continue to provide award-winning ‘cue and catering to the community. Trust people who work with you. If Johnson hires an outside designer, for example, he gives that person creative freedom to present their vision rather than imposing his own vision on the artist. Empower others to develop and hone new skills. Building on the first lesson, Johnson explains that another important lesson is helping colleagues discover what they do best.

Highway 67, the Florissant location will be the chain's first location to be women-owned and -operated. We'll do maybe one more in the metro area, then I see New Orleans and Chicago, start spreading it around, partnering up with a local chef to maintain a chef-driven focus. That makes Sugarfire unique and much different from the traditional barbecue experience.

He’s also learned to let a lot of negativity roll off his back and not stress over every little thing. The longest-tenured owner, at nine years, Ortiz lived in Mexico, where she attended college on a path to a law degree. Unable to afford to continue school when she immigrated to the United States 22 years ago, she worked multiple jobs in restaurants but always felt something was missing until she came to St. Louis. Regarding further ownership, Wallace hopes to someday open a Sugarfire in Key West, Florida, where she and her husband got married. The longtime restaurant jack-of-all trades knew from the start that Sugarfire would be a career move rather than just a job and quickly became the go-to person for any question that needed answering.

Overseeing it all is a dynamic leadership team that includes General Manager Jeff Hannick, Head Pitmaster Justin Dye, and Owners/Operators Matt Martin and Jim Cook. Together with the rest of our BBQ Family, we’ve established Sugarfire as a haven for local foodies. The team here is led by General Manager Kris Glickert, Executive Chef Doug Sayles, Head Pitmaster Justin Dye, and Owners/Operators Matt Martin and Jim Cook.

Where the Meat Daddy was just a meat baby before it was raised up to its current glory. It all started in a strip mall next to a coffee shop. If you need some Sugarfire on the go, the Olivette location has dine-in, carry-out, and delivery options. If you've got a crowd to feed (or you're just feeling really, really hungry) Sugarfire Olivette can cater your off-site event. Our location boasts one of Sugarfire’s largest dining rooms, including a covered patio that provides plenty of outdoor seating when desired.