Courtesy of The Wood Shack
The Wood Shack's Cuban includes house smoked pulled pork and ham, creamy mustard, dill pickles, and comte cheese
Photo by George Mahe
The Wood Shack's current location at 1862 S. Tenth Street in Soulard
After some began to wonder whether The Wood Shack in Soulard might be moving elsewhere, owner-chef Chris Delgado announced, "Don't worry. The Wood Shack Soulard will remain in Soulard."
The nearly five-year-old restaurant isn't moving far, but it is significantly expanding its footprint.
Early next year, the restaurant will move from its current 1,000-square-foot boîte at 1862 S. 10th to a 5,600-square-foot building a few blocks away, at 1730 S. Eighth. The current tenant in the forthcoming space, Twisted Ranch, is moving to a larger location in the Central West End.
The Timeframe
Photo by George Mahe
The Wood Shack's new location at 1730 S. Eighth Street in Soulard
Delgado, who takes over the space February 1, says he “would like to be operational in some fashion for Mardi Gras in mid-February, especially since we’re right on the parade route.” He hopes to fully reopen The Wood Shack in mid-March.
It’s a move that’s long overdue, says Delgado: “My wife, Hope, and I built up a reputation in Soulard over the last several years, but there were many days when we were turning people away, prompting us to say, ‘We need a bigger boat.’ We finally got an opportunity to move into a place with more seats and a bigger kitchen and stay in Soulard."
The Wood Shack is currently open 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sun-Tue and 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Wed-Sat. "Right now, our plan is to keep the seven-days-a-week model," Delgado says, "but ultimately we'll do what makes the most sense."
The Menu
With the new space boasting two bars, the drink menu will see a significant expansion. “We always wanted to implement a full bar program, but to do that, you need a bar,” Delgado quips. “People don’t think of The Wood Shack that way, like they do all the other places in Soulard. Soon, I hope that they will. Right now, we offer a few items—including a spiked lemonade and a hot cider drink with whiskey—but it’s only five percent of sales, which will obviously change. Plus, with more people working from home, they're eating—and drinking—at all times of the day.
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Courtesy of The Wood Shack
A signature sandwich, the Soulard Primer includes hot, hand-cut hickory and mulberry-smoked prime rib, bone-marrow aioli spread, charred onion, arugula, and blue cheese cream on a French roll
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Courtesy of The Wood Shack
Pastrami Reuben - with peppered pastrami, sauerkraut, comte cheese, and 1000 Island sauce on rye bread
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Courtesy of The Wood Shack
Smoked Chicken Wrap - with quinoa, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, arugula, cotija cheese, chimichurri
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Courtesy of The Wood Shack
Photo by The Wood Shack
The Beefy Italian: half-pound smoked butter burger with salami, capocollo, provolone, arugula, red onion, and parmesan sherry mayo on a brioche bun
"We can finally blend what Soulard is known for with what we are known for, which is smoke,” he adds, referring to the restaurant's signature sandwiches made with meats smoked over different combinations of hardwoods. Delgado may also expand the sandwich, burger, party sliders and wraps menu, and perhaps the side dish menu as well, which includes smoked potato salad, house slaw, red beans and rice, mac 'n' cheese, pork rinds, and regular or Cajun fries.
He's also planning to add weekend brunch and what he calls “old-school nightly dinner specials, for people who don’t want a sandwich at night. I’m thinking Meatloaf Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wine Down Wednesday, Fried Fish Friday, a steak on one of the other nights...”
Delgado, the former executive chef at One 19 North, also plans to add items that became ensconced there, such as New Orleans-style BBQ shrimp and a baked goat cheese appetizer with puttanesca and toasted ciabatta. More kitchen space and a flattop grill means the capability to produce more grilled entrées, such as salmon, chicken, and a thick—not a smashed—burger, he adds. “I prefer a burger that can be cooked to the temp you want.”
The Atmosphere
Photo by George Mahe
From a physical standpoint, Delgado says, The Wood Shack and Twisted Ranch share the same “corrugated steel and weathered wood” theme, so retrofitting the two-floor space should be accomplished quickly. The 60-seat main dining area is on the first floor, and Delgado plans to use the 40-seat upstairs room (“with a large picture window that overlooks downtown and the Arch”) for overflow and private events. "Hope will do her artistic thing decorating the interior and exterior like she did on 10th street." Delgado says, "skills that I don't have."
“I miss doing themed dinners,” he adds, “so you might see beer and cocktail dinners, wine dinners, or a summer wine dinner series... A lot of people drink wine in Soulard. There’s just not a lot of places that are serious about offering it.” Delgado has fingers crossed that he’ll be able to transfer his existing liquor license rather than endure the potential months-long wait to secure a new one.
Courtesy of The Wood Shack
The Wood Shack's owner-chef, Chris Delgado
Delgado is also planning to maximize the use of the fenced patio. “Soulard is known for live music and music on its patios,” he says. “We’ll definitely lean into all that. I’d also like to book musicians upstairs.”
One aspect that he’s especially excited about is parking. “I’ve noticed that places in Soulard with parking seem to do better than those that don’t, so we’re happy we finally have that,” he says regarding the two adjacent parking lots. “When people know they don’t have to battle street parking, it makes a difference.”
