Satchmo's — Restaurant in Flagstaff

My chum and I bypassed a ton of restaurant options by the Grand Canyon in favor of one at our next stop (Flagstaff), which was absolutely the right call. Satchmo's is in a pretty generic strip mall and easily overlooked, but this was an all-timer BBQ place that deserves to be noticed - and blows all the tourist trap places nearby out of the water.

We showed up for lunch here last Sunday during MDW around 2ish. There were a few diners, but it wasn't particularly crowded. Since we'd been wandering around the Grand Canyon for the entire morning and I didn't see any obvious shade in the patio area, we opted for indoor seating. It's a cool spot - with the Cajun emphasis, it's not a surprise that there was a lot of wall art dedicated to jazz legends, etc. There's also a lot of hustle and bustle, in particular a busboy who yelled "door!" every time he went into the kitchen with dishes to alert anyone potentially on the other side (which amused my friend every single time). Definitely showed at least that everyone was working hard and not hanging out on TikTok or anything.

We'd both amassed pretty significant appetites on our South Rim adventures, so quite a bit of food was ordered. I went with the Sliced Beef Brisket (1/2 pound) option, and we got two sides to share - the tater tots and the cornbread. Everything came within about 10 minutes or so. The Brisket was excellent - very tender and flavorful, helped along by the conveniently placed BBQ (both sweet and spicy) options on the table. It's a very decent helping even as the smaller dish, and I loved that it came with toasted slider buns. It's amazing how dramatically bread quality improves with a toaster. I ended up leaving a few bites on the table, but only because I was stuffed to the gills.

Initially we considered getting a mac and cheese side, but were told by the guy at the counter that it would involve a wait time of an additional 10 or 15 minutes (appreciate the disclaimer). The sides we ended up getting were fantastic in its absence. The Tots had a great Cajun seasoning to them and for something that's pretty much unapologetic freezer food, tasted as close to homemade as you can get. Perfectly cooked. The cornbread was amongst the best I've had. There was some jalapeno in there to give it a bit of a nip, and it was crunchier, on the fried side, which I thought really helped the texture. Cornbread for me tends to be super dry and crumbly, but this was anything but that. Absolutely delicious.

I'm used to NYC metro area prices, so perhaps I'm grading on a bit of curve, but for the type of food I thought the cost was super reasonable. Brisket entrees around there could easily be $10 more (this was about $17 or $18). Also, this was understandably more casual/not relying on consistent wait service, but everyone we interacted with was helpful and friendly. The only constructive feedback I have is that Satchmo's should provide wet naps on the tables as well. This type of food can get messy, and I had to use the restroom to rinse off my paws - pretty easy fix, in my opinion.

Very strong recommend. This was the best Flagstaff restaurant I encountered during a two-day stay, and interestingly the only one not located in the Route 66...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ – “Creole in a strip mall? Believe it.”

“Come for the catfish, stay for… well, more catfish.”

Flagstaff at night feels like someone dimmed the world just to see if you’d trip over a curb. Satchmo’s leans right into that vibe—tucked into a small strip mall, low lighting, jazz playing softly in the background, and a Louis Armstrong trumpet poster hanging in the bathroom. Not gonna lie… I don’t think I’ve ever been stared at by a jazz legend mid-pee, but Louis looked like he was about to really blow down the walls.

The only things keeping this from a perfect five stars? The gumbo desperately needed seasoning, and the beignets were a tad overcooked. But other than that—this place is phenomenal.

🍽 Dish Ratings

Fried Catfish – 9.2 Recommended by the genius at the counter—seriously, the kind of cashier who could probably sell sand to a camel. Best fish I’ve ever had—any type, anywhere. Perfectly seasoned, flaky, and borderline spiritual. Smoky, rich, and so good it makes you want to start talking with a Cajun accent you haven’t earned.

Jambalaya – 9.1 Flavor that dances like a trumpet solo—bold, warm, and with just enough kick. Could’ve used more meat, but still an absolute hit.

Macaroni & Cheese – 8.9 Some of the best I’ve ever had. The crumb topping deserves its own Instagram account. Slightly dry, but still miles ahead of most.

Gumbo – 5.2 Sadly, the rhythm section fell apart here. Flat, bland, and missing that deep, soulful note good gumbo should hit. My girlfriend’s first gumbo, and now she thinks it’s all like this. I promise it’s not.

Beignets – 6.8 Still sweet, still satisfying, but slightly overcooked—like a jazz note held just a little too long.

Service was warm, friendly, and thanks to the cashier’s spot-on recommendations, we ordered like pros. Between the moody lighting, the jazz, and the fact that this place turns “strip mall” into “Louisiana night out,” it’s a must-stop in Flagstaff.

Bottom line: 🐟 Best catfish ever. 🎷 Atmosphere as smooth as the soundtrack. 🍲 Gumbo’s a miss, but Satchmo’s still hits all the right notes.

Final Note: If Flagstaff had more places like Satchmo’s, I’d gladly get lost in the dark here every night. Order the catfish, tip the cashier well, and maybe give Louis Armstrong in the bathroom a wink—he’s clearly...

Very disappointing. We ordered the spare ribs, pulled pork, mac and cheese, tots, and cornbread.

I selected this place based on the reviews but we left underwhelmed. They claim this place is a BBQ place, but it is far from it. How can they smoke their meet without a wood pile? The ribs and the pulled pork lacked any smoke flavor, rub, or bark. Ribs were overcooked and lacked any moisture. Both proteins were bland and no different than any Chili's type of restaurant. The online menu which I looked at prior to visiting said they served spareribs, this was not the case as I received St. Louis style ribs, which is very misleading as we were shorted a 1/3 of the slab.

The mac and cheese was actually ok with the crunchy top but they do not serve it in child portions or even as a side. You must order a full 10" pan and it is not good as leftovers.

The tater tots were cooked properly and nice and crunchy. The problem is they were frozen tots and not homemade. The spice dusting on them is an afterthought and would have been better incorporated inside the tots. They also need salt prior to being served.

Another problem is you can't order a side of cornbread. You must order basket of it. 6 pieces is far too much for 3 people. Jalapenos were added to it and the menu doesn't state that which turned out to be a waste of $10. Cornbread was really dry and served with individual wrapped butter slabs like you would get with your breakfast at the Comfort Inn. No homemade honey butter, really?

If you just want a meal and want to spend a lot of money then this place is for you. If you want real BBQ you will be disappointed. We will not return.

The order taker and server were both friendly and the restaurant being dog friendly was a plus in the...