Duke’s BBQ brings burnt ends and more to Wentzville
“People are driving in from all over the city,” says owner Peter Venezia, who also owns Thaxton Speakeasy in downtown St. Louis.
The metro region's barbecue scene continues to expand with the addition of Duke’s BBQ Shack in downtown Wentzville, where barbecue lovers are already beginning to take notice. “People are driving in from all over the city,” says owner Peter Venezia.
The inspiration for the restaurant came to him after chatting with other successful friends in the barbecue community–namely Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House and Tom Schmidt of Salt + Smoke. “We would just sit around and talk about restaurant ideas,” Venezia recalls. “I know Tom and Mike are killing it, and everybody just gave me a good feeling about this.”
Duke's isn’t his first dining establishment, though. Venezia was one of the original owners of Atomic Cowboy, and he's the current owner of Thaxton Speakeasy. Venezia and head chef Eric Pierre (a.k.a. Pitmaster P, as the crew refers to him) met through mutual friends and began barbecuing on the roof of the Thaxton. When the tight space proved challenging, Pierre procured a used smoker and started barbecuing in his garage. “We would smoke every weekend and just try different things,” Pierre says. “It’s been a learning curve, but it’s been fun. I’m pretty excited about what we’re offering.”
Named for Venezia’s father who recently passed away, Duke’s BBQ Shack opened in late December. The menu features high-quality smoked meats, delectable sides, and craft beer cans. Popular items include meaty, dry-rubbed ribs, burnt ends, and smoked brisket with a dark crust that’s simultaneously crispy and chewy.
Smoked pastrami with beer cheese sauce and "cowboy fries" (handcut fries tossed in house made Duke's Rub)
The spicy Cowboy Beans feature a mix of borracho and pinto beans, made with a special rub seasoning and put in the smoker to acquire all of the meat's the flavors. But the Cowboy Coleslaw is the real winner. Handmade using an antique, razor-sharp mandolin, this side features crispy cabbage with shredded rainbow carrots, pickled red onions, jalapeños and bits of sweet corn. “This is a recipe that evolved over time as we got input from everybody here who had old family recipes. I think what we’ve come up with is pretty special,” says Venezia.
A small collection of signature sauces will soon be available for purchase by the bottle. The Put Up Your Dukes is sweet and spicy, the perfect accessory for pulled pork. The horseradish-based Alabama White sauce complements the tender brisket.
Most of the food is locally sourced. The burgers are made with American Kobe beef from a nearby supplier. The Doobler, one of the newest items, is an ode to the double cheeseburger. Stacked high with toppings, special sauce, and a branded bun, it's topped with a toothpick displaying a burger with angel wings—suggesting diners have gone to burger heaven.
But beyond the food, the space is another major draw. “There was nothing here before," says Venezia. "This was just literally a pile of dirt.”
The restaurant's design speaks to Venezia’s knack for creating engaging, memorable places. The interior might be classified as barbecue contemporary, with up-cycled hardwood, a collection of chairs from a South City library, and a public hand-rinsing station decorated with the tailgate from an old Ford pick-up. The back wall is fashioned with reclaimed wood from a 100-year-old barn that features an advertisement for a 1930s brand of cigarettes. There's also a carryout counter and ample patio space.
With warmer days ahead, Venezia and Pierre expect the restaurant will be slammed. “We love being a part of the community here,” Venezia says. “We want to be a go-to barbecue spot for people here for a long time.” (In fact, he already has ideas to open an ice-cream and arcade parlor in the adjacent building.)
