Grab-and-go barbecue is coming to a Kirkwood grocery store—again.
On September 23, Tender Love BBQ (a.k.a. TLBBQ) will debut its first to-go and counter service restaurant inside Schnucks Kirkwood (10233 Manchester).
Soft-opening hours may roll out prior to that time, according to Brian Randels, who has run TLBBQ as a catering company with his wife, Samada, since 2023. The couple has been wanting to extend the catering business into a full-fledged brick-and-mortar, and they hope that expanding into Schnucks’ food hall (which offers dine-in seating and takeout) is a step in that direction.
TLBBQ joins Seoul Taco and One Two Three Sushi as food hall tenants. Previous barbecue occupants included The Shaved Duck and Oh Hey! Barbecue (an offshoot of Salt + Smoke), the latter of which closed in October 2023.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept and Menu
The restaurant will offer a small menu of barbecue favorites. Guests will also be able to order pulled pork and brisket (on sandwiches in two sizes or by the pound), smoked beef sausage (regular or spicy), and dry-rubbed smoked chicken, which is flash-fried in beef tallow to finish. A smoked, half-pound, hand-pattied burger, with or without sauce, will also be available.
Brian favors spare ribs over baby backs for their fat content and rib tips, “plus they’re very St. Louis,” he says. On occasion, the menu will feature “Dino Ribs”—oversized smoked short ribs that are large enough for two.
The sides are all house-made, including baked beans, spaghetti, potato salad, and coleslaw, “and that’s the extent of the menu,” Brian says. Proteins are smoked off-site, though some prep and finishing will happen inside Schnucks.
Looking ahead, TLBBQ plans to expand catering and add delivery through DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and EZ Cater. “Once we get comfortable serving Kirkwood, we’ll push those buttons,” Brian says.
The Backstory
A former mortgage broker, Brian traces his love of barbecue back to his grandfather’s smoker. “I loved the aroma but didn’t realize it came from burning real wood, not charcoal,” he recalls. After a layoff pushed him toward a career change, he toured barbecue joints across the South, including Texas, learning as he went. In 2023, he and Samada launched TLBBQ as full-time caterers.
Now, with their first restaurant venture in Kirkwood, Brian remains dedicated to smoking with real wood. “The blend is a secret,” he says, “but I will tell you that hickory is one of them.”
Tender Love BBQ
📍 10233 Manchester (food hall at Schnucks Kirkwood)
📞 314-287-6097 (Schnucks’ store number)
⏰ 11 a.m.–7 p.m. Tue–Sat, or until sold out
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