Two more metro area restaurants closed their doors within the last week.
Hunan Wok (2428 S,. Brentwood) closed on July 4 and PM BBQ (15622 Manchester) announced its July 10 closure yesterday on Facebook.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
For decades, the Hunan and Szechuan-themed Hunan Wok was a cornerstone of the Brentwood restaurant scape, and especially popular for take-out and delivery. After a grease fire in 2012 (and a long idle period), the word on the street was that it might never reopen, but it eventually did, many months later. Menu favorites included Sizzling Three Musketeers (scallops, prawns, and beef), crispy chicken infused with garlic and ginger, and the classic Lake Tung Ting Shrimp, a dish that was as much fun to say as it is to eat. As to the reason for the closure, 40 South News reports that “the owner decided she wanted to spend more time with her family.”
At PM BBQ, owners Paul Lamers and Mark Ruck (the namesake P and M) began their journey at the Wildwood Farmer’s Market in 2009 before opening a brick and mortar in the Chesterfield Valley. PM moved to a larger space within Chesterfield, closing that location in 2017, then reopening in Ellisville a few years later.
It was hard to say what item PM did best: a loaded, smoked burger (aka Brisket Burger Bomb) and the smoked, fried, and sauced baby back ribs (Crispy Ribs) were at the top of the list, as was PM’s Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf. Devotees will remember specials like the smoked chicken pot pie and meat-laden Kitchen Sink Club.
The universal favorite side dish was never disputed, however: PM’s Sweet Corn Spoonbread was unusual and memorable, a popular addition to family packs (dubbed the “Button Popper” and “Belt Buster”). It was Paul’s wife, Candy, who made all the desserts from scratch…Southern staples like buttermilk pie, chocolate pie, banana pudding, and a three-layer marble cake.
Regarding the closure, PM’s Facebook page, said in part, “The last year and a half have been especially tough for many small businesses and we have been overwhelmed at times by the support we’ve received…we’re leaving with our bills paid and our heads held high, happy as we move on to our next adventure.”
Lamers tells SLM that in a protein-based business like barbecue, substantial increases in meat prices, –coupled with increased labor costs, a decreased labor supply, and a downtick in business–were the main factors contributing to the closure. “It’s a shame, because pre-Covid, we were heading in the right direction,” he says. “We got hurt when corporate catering took a hit, because the last few years that’s where the growth had been for us.”
