If you haven’t visited any of the six Sugarfire restaurants around town yet, what are you waiting for? Popular from day one, when it opened in Olivette nearly four years ago, Sugarfire has steadily grown. The Olivette locale has expanded and beautifully adorned its patio, while the new spot in Valley Park (which is franchised to a different owner) has taken all that’s appealing about this down-home local ’cue chain and made it bigger/better.
The place is rustic inside, with rough-wood decor and tables, serve-yourself sauces and dill slices to your heart’s content. Service is the same as at the other Sugarfires: through a food line, where diners view the goodies and point to what they want. Warning: Your eyes definitely will be bigger than your stomach. About a year and a half ago, pies by Carolyn Downs, of Cyrano’s fame, were added to the Sugarfire lineup, and are available by the slice at the register.
Sugarfire has a good array of offerings, including something for non-meat eaters: smoked salmon. My fave is the brisket, which is meaty and has just the right amount of fat to keep things interesting: a layer between the top and bottom meat sections. Barbecue here is not super-smoky in flavor, which is both good and bad, depending on your tastes. There is not a ton of flavor in the meats themselves, but you can gussy things up with the sauces. The pulled pork had the most smoky flavor and was tender and juicy. The salmon also has some smoke to it and a nice char of spicy rub.
Very appetizing, however, are the sandwiches, which are no-holds-barred pile-ups shameless in their abundance. My Big Muddy ($10) was so sloppy there was no hope of picking it up: a simple bun was bursting with brisket, smoked sausage, horseradish sauce, BBQ sauce, shredded lettuce and pickles. The combo was inspired, the sauces serving as a kind of tangy Russian dressing that slathered the meats. The sausage, fair warning, is dotted with cheddar cheese and not particularly crisped. Still, it was a great plateful of food.
An order of ribs ($15 per half-rack) was meaty, if not full-flavored. It needed those sauces. The ribs were well-trimmed, though, and came with two of the delicious sides this place is renowned for. The baked beans are thick and sweet and made with two varieties, black and pinto. A standout special was the Turkey Chili: thick with chunks of white-meat turkey. Another special one night was Stir-Fried Veggies, a medley of carrots, lima beans and cauliflower—it was fresh and simple, and a well-paired complement to the meats.
The slaw is good, a creamy type with nothing weird in it, and the potato salad also is creamy and traditional. Best of all is the smoked portobello mushroom, a medium-sized cap oozing smoky flavor. The fries also are worthwhile; they’re the super-skinny shoestring type. Try all the sauces to find your fave: St. Louie Sweet, Texas Hot, Carolina Mustard, White Horseradish, Sugarfire 47 and Coffee BBQ. Happy eats!
amuse bouche
The Scene | Lively barbecue joint
The Prices| Sandwiches $10 to $12, Entrees $12 to $15, Ribs $10 to $24
The Owner | Matt Martin
The Favorites | Baked beans, Sweet BBQ Sauce, White BBQ Sauce, Brisket, Portobello Mushroom, Turkey Chili, Deep-dish Pear, Apple & Cranberry Pie
chef chat » matt martin
What interested you in opening a Sugarfire restaurant? | I felt it was an impact brand that creates a lot of excitement. Also, I am good friends with the original owner, Mike Johnson.
Favorite menu item? | Smoked Turkey
How do you decide on the daily specials? | We leave it entirely up to the chefs; they can be as creative as they like.
Hottest seller? | The Big Muddy: it has everything!
932 meramec station road | 636.825.1400
Photos: Bill Barrett
