Sugarfire Smoke House — Restaurant in Olivette

Being from Colorado where we are known for our LOVE of Bar-B-Q (BBQ). I come to St Louis excited to try some new and different BBQ. I tried three BBQ places before going to Sugarfire and was very disappointed. Stealing from the three little bears, one place was serving cold food, Another was confusing seasoning for commercial BBQ sauce. Which was awkward. Lastly, I think one was a wing hut trying to be, and/ or expand into a BBQ joint. Just not there yet. Feeling let down in Missouri for all the weight I gained from bad BBQ. I said yea, sure I will try Sugarfire. I am so glad I did! This is the place i was looking for. I had the two meat platter with two sides. An order that came recommended to me. My friend had the Carolina. The kid carving/serving the meat said if this is my first time here I must try the brisket and beef ribs. WOW! I am so are I did. It was what my taste buds were craving. The brisket was tender and juicy. The burnt ends had a nice crisp but not over whelming flavor. The ribs were juicy and savory, the beef melted of the bones. As ribs should.

Being from the west I really grown accustomed to a bit more spice and or maybe little more pepper. I am also use to Good BBQ is sold out by noon, and then the place is closed for the rest of the day. How Sugar keeps is constantly throughout the day is beyond me. Their food was a welcome new St.louis flavor to my pallet. I am so thankful this recommendation came my way. I would highly recommend Sugarfire.

The only reason I have provided them with 4 out of 5 stars is because one person's within our party has gluten sensitivity. As nice and friendly as the entire Sugarfire staff was. Gluten free food and drinks just seemed like something they knew nothing about. One lady did try hard to answer that question but really did not know what Gluten was, which was odd to me. I am betting next time she will have a answer. With all that being said, oh yea I would be glad to come back and eat here again and I just might have to try a...

Hit up Sugarfire BBQ at 11 AM thinking I would beat the lunch rush and get the freshest meat. Apparently I beat the rush so well that I got yesterday's leftovers instead. Ordered the ribs and immediately knew something was wrong. These ribs had clearly been having a sleepover in the warmer since sometime during the Obama administration. Day-old ribs at 11 AM means they were probably saying goodbye to their friends around closing time yesterday. Nothing says "fresh barbecue" like meat that has been contemplating its life choices overnight. The turkey was drier than my last conversation with my ex. I have eaten jerky with more moisture. This bird was so dehydrated it could have been used as kindling for their smoker. If you are going to serve turkey that dry, at least warn customers to bring their own beverages for the choking hazard. Now let me tell you about their sauce situation - it is like they assigned sauce creation to someone who had only heard barbecue described over the phone. The white barbecue sauce? Pure deception. Tasted exactly like honey mustard trying to sneak into a barbecue joint wearing a fake mustache. The other sauces were so bland they made plain water seem exciting. Half of them tasted identical despite the labels promising different spice levels. It was like a sauce identity crisis. The one thing they got right? When they say "sweet," they mean business. These sauces were sweeter than a Southern grandmother at a church bake sale. Unfortunately, that was their only flavor note. Sweet and nothing else. The brisket was actually decent though - finally something that remembered it was supposed to be barbecue. Sugarfire? More like Sugarcold. They definitely nailed the sugar part with those sickeningly sweet sauces, but apparently forgot about the fire part since everything was served at room temperature. Should probably rebrand to Sugar...

Coming from Texas, this barbecue was fine. Not amazing. Portions were generous but pricey. I ordered the brisket dip, and my wife ordered the smoked portobello sandwich.

The brisket dip sounds great in theory: everything great about a French dip mixed with a sandwich full of smoky brisket, melted Swiss cheese, and lightly caramelized onions. In execution I was a bit disappointed. The sandwich itself was good. Sugarfire's brisket was nice and juicy, with a basic smoke ring and the bark was a generic paprika/garlic/onion powder mixture. The Swiss cheese was Swiss cheese, and I'm never not happy with that. Caramelized onions were sweet like you'd expect. The problem was the dip. It just tasted like some beef broth by itself and was completely overpowered by the taste of the sandwich itself. In a French dip the jus is the drippings of the beef, seasoned to taste and served alongside the sandwich to enhance the flavor. This was more like dipping your sandwich in water because you like your bread wet. So I just ignored the jus after the first couple bites and just ate the sandwich. Good, all things considered, but not what it was supposed to be.

Portobello sandwich was lightly smoky, which was perfect for a mushroom, but the balsamic flavor overpowered nearly everything else. If you're not a fan of balsamic vinegar, I'd go for something else. Juices from the mushroom made the bun pretty soggy. Plus it's messy since the sandwich kinda falls apart if you look at it wrong, but that's barbecue for you. Picture of the portobello sandwich included.

Overall, service was what you'd expect from a cheap barbecue joint. There's a line, you order, you get your food, you eat. For the prices here I'd expect something better. A similar experience in Texas will cost you under $10...