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Above the exit door, another Mark Pitliangas-designed sign, this one with air-brushed flames.
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With texture you can see, is it an original oil painting or a really good print? We're not saying.
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Well, thank you, thank you very much.
When we received a press release from Sugarfire Smoke House announcing the opening of their new location in Valley Park (the fourth to date with two more under construction), we must admit we barely glanced at the missive. We were aware of the new location, very aware of Sugarfire’s omnipresence (four off-site events last weekend, including Q in the Lou and Pedal the Cause), and certainly aware of the whimsical, eclectic fare that's often served with a side of pop culture (The Yogi Hoagie was the special on Sept. 23, the day after the famed catcher died).
But when we read “a 15 foot tall menu, the largest BBQ sauce bottles you’ve ever seen, [and] more license plates in a restroom than should be allowed,” we took pause and thought a visit was in order.
Understand that the 'cue's a given at Sugarfire, steps have been taken to ensure speedy service (like different entrances for dine-in and pick-up), so that leaves atmosphere, and Valley Park has nailed that, too. Here’s what we found inside the new digs:
1. The menu board measures 18 X 40 feet and was hand-lettered by Matt Martin, one of the partners. “We put in a smaller one at the St. Charles location, just to fill space, really” he said, “and were surprised at how many people referred to it instead of the menu. So when we first saw the big wall in Valley Park, we knew what we had to do."
2. Below the long order counter and along a prominent back wall are what has become a Sugarfire signature: tile and glass mosaics, depicting flames, in all the colors a flame can be—red, yellow, orange, gold, white. It only makes sense that the mosaics were created by Red Keel, of Red Keel, LLC.
3. Random whimsy: painted pigs, plaster pigs, flying pigs...it's kitschy but not overdone. Even the tip jar (a fixture we normally abhor) made us smile.
4. As did the aforementioned BBQ sauce bottles, seven in number, alerting diners to the different varieties and styles of homemade sauce on hand. And while they appear to have come from the land of Brobdingnag, they were instead crafted by Antique Architectural Décor, owned by Mark Pitliangas, the creative force behind dozens of local and national commercial projects, including half a dozen casinos. As Sugarfire’s co-owner Charlie Downs said, “I wish we could take credit for those bottles but they came straight out of Pitliangas' head.”
5. The license plates in the restrooms (“more than should be allowed,” remember?) are a carryover from the St. Charles location as well, where the mobile smoker is clad with the weathered, stamped steel plates. Another good idea. The surface is entertaining, and even more important in a restroom, durable.
We doubt you’ll miss the place: The Pitliangas-designed sign is visible from Highway 44.
Sugarfire Smoke House
932 Meramec Sta
636-825-1400
Hours:
Daily: 11 a.m. - Sold Out
Facebook: Sugarfire 44
Twitter: @SugarFireSmoke
Follow George on Twitter @stlmag_dining or send him an email at gmahe@stlmag.com. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
