ST. LOUIS, MO – October 27, 2026 (StLouisRestaurantReview) BEAST Craft BBQ Co., the regional barbecue company David and Meggan Sandusky founded in Belleville, Illinois, in 2014, has expanded its presence in St. Louis with a restaurant inside City Foundry STL, bringing its signature smoked meats and St. Louis-style barbecue specialties to the Midtown dining and entertainment destination.

The restaurant operates in the City Foundry food hall at 3730 Foundry Way and serves pork steaks, brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, spare ribs, snoot, and specialty barbecue dishes.

The expansion marks another chapter for a business that has spent more than a decade building its reputation for smoked meats and a barbecue approach rooted in regional culinary traditions.

It also marks a significant return to a prominent St. Louis dining location after BEAST Butcher & Block closed in The Grove neighborhood in 2023.

The City Foundry expansion stems from a collaboration with Niche Food Group, the St. Louis hospitality company founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft. The companies announced plans in February 2026 for Brickline Brew House, a sports-oriented bar and event venue intended to replace Expat BBQ.

BEAST’s restaurant inside the food hall is confirmed to be operating. Niche Food Group announced the separate Brickline Brew House concept as a planned complement to the barbecue operation, with the Group responsible for the proposed beverage and entertainment components.

For customers, BEAST’s presence offers another chance to experience an established regional barbecue brand in a setting that combines dining, shopping, and entertainment.

BEAST Craft BBQ’s History Begins in Belleville

BEAST Craft BBQ traces its history to late 2014, when David Sandusky and his wife, Meggan, opened their original restaurant in Belleville.

The business was built around a barbecue approach that combines traditional cooking methods with techniques developed through Sandusky’s professional culinary experience.

Rather than focusing exclusively on one nationally recognized barbecue style, BEAST developed its identity around foods associated with the St. Louis region.

Pork steak became one of the company’s signature offerings, reflecting a longstanding local tradition of grilling and preparing the cut with barbecue sauce.

The restaurant also developed a following for brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and snoot.

Its menu emphasizes smoked meats, seasoning, and preparation methods designed to bring out each cut’s characteristics.

Over time, BEAST attracted attention from regional food publications and national culinary media.

According to the company’s official website, Sandusky has appeared on television programs including Guy’s Grocery Games, BBQ Brawl, Beat Bobby Flay, and Project Fire.

Those appearances helped introduce the BEAST name to audiences beyond the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Despite its broader recognition, the company still emphasizes regional barbecue traditions.

Its official website describes an approach centered on fire, patience, caramelization, char, and cooking techniques associated with local barbecue culture.

The original Belleville restaurant remains a key part of the business and serves as the foundation for its later expansion.

City Foundry Adds an Established Barbecue Brand

City Foundry STL announced on September 11, 2026, that BEAST Craft BBQ was operating inside its food hall.

The announcement identified BEAST as the development’s 19th local kitchen at that time.

The restaurant occupies a newly constructed ordering window on the east side of the food hall, adjacent to the area designated for Brickline Brew House.

Customers can order barbecue at the counter and eat in the shared dining area.

The format differs from a conventional full-service restaurant.

City Foundry brings together multiple food businesses, allowing visitors to choose from different cuisines while dining in common seating areas.

For BEAST, that arrangement provides access to customers who may be visiting the development for shopping, entertainment, or other activities.

It also offers a convenient dining option for customers who live or work in St. Louis and may not regularly travel to Belleville.

The City Foundry location follows the company’s earlier operation of BEAST Butcher & Block in The Grove, which closed in 2023.

The expansion gives the brand another prominent St. Louis location while maintaining its connection to the original Belleville restaurant.

City Foundry’s September announcement confirmed that BEAST was operating. The announcement date should not be interpreted as the restaurant’s exact first day of business.

Collaboration With Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group

BEAST’s City Foundry expansion stems from a partnership announced in February 2026 between the barbecue company and Niche Food Group.

The companies outlined plans for Brickline Brew House, a sports-oriented bar and event venue intended to replace Expat BBQ.

According to St. Louis Magazine and Sauce Magazine, the proposed arrangement assigned BEAST responsibility for the barbecue kitchen, while Niche Food Group would oversee beverages and entertainment.

The concept was designed to combine barbecue with sports viewing, live entertainment, trivia, and private gatherings.

The announced plans also included improved audiovisual equipment and greater flexibility for events.

The collaboration brought together two established restaurant operators with different areas of expertise.

BEAST brings experience in preparing smoked meats and running a regional barbecue business.

Niche Food Group contributes experience developing and managing restaurants, bars and other hospitality concepts.

The relationship between Sandusky and Craft predates the Brickline announcement.

Sandusky previously advised on Expat BBQ’s menu development, according to independent restaurant reporting.

The Brickline proposal represented an opportunity to expand that relationship through a new hospitality concept.

At the time of the February announcement, City Foundry officials described demand for smaller and midsize private event spaces.

The development reported receiving nearly 400 inquiries for events that its existing facilities could not accommodate.

The proposed Brickline venue was intended to offer greater flexibility for those gatherings while letting event organizers incorporate food from multiple restaurants inside the food hall.

The partnership and announced operating arrangement are documented. However, available reporting does not confirm an opening date or completed operating status for the separate Brickline Brew House concept as of October 27, 2026.

BEAST’s food hall restaurant, by contrast, is confirmed through City Foundry’s announcement, its business directory, and the restaurant’s online ordering platform.

Pork Steak Remains a Signature Offering

BEAST Craft BBQ’s menu reflects its connection to St. Louis barbecue traditions.

One of its most recognizable offerings is pork steak, a cut long associated with backyard grilling, family gatherings, and barbecue restaurants across the region.

Pork steak occupies a distinctive place in St. Louis food culture.

Unlike brisket, closely associated with Texas barbecue, pork steak has long been a familiar choice for local cookouts and restaurants.

BEAST’s online ordering menu describes its pork steak as seasoned with a barbecue rub, then grilled and basted with the company’s sauce, The Standard.

The restaurant also offers pulled pork, brisket, turkey breast, and spare ribs.

According to its ordering menu, the company seasons pulled pork with salt, pepper, and garlic before smoking it over hickory.

The restaurant prepares brisket with seasoning salt and smokes it over oak.

Turkey breast is seasoned with barbecue rub and smoked over hickory.

These preparations reflect the company’s emphasis on using different woods and seasonings to complement individual meats.

Snoot is another menu specialty.

The dish has long been associated with St. Louis barbecue culture and remains a distinctive regional offering.

BEAST’s ordering menu describes its snoot as a crunchy preparation served with The Standard sauce.

By offering pork steak and snoot alongside brisket, ribs, and pulled pork, BEAST blends regional barbecue traditions with dishes familiar to customers nationwide.

Specialty Dishes Expand the Barbecue Menu

Beyond traditional smoked meats, BEAST’s City Foundry menu includes specialty dishes that offer different ways to enjoy barbecue.

City Foundry’s September announcement highlighted Smokehouse Nachos, Pork Belly Burnt Ends Skewers and the PB&J Brisket Sandwich.

The restaurant’s ordering platform also lists these selections.

Smokehouse Nachos combine sauced pork with queso, jalapeños, tomatoes, barbecue sauce, and other toppings.

The Pork Belly Burnt Ends Skewer is listed with smoked-salted caramel.

The PB&J Brisket Sandwich combines brisket with peanut butter and grape jelly on a potato bun.

These dishes expand the menu beyond conventional barbecue plates and sandwiches.

The restaurant also offers individual meat selections and combination meals.

Customers can select plates featuring pulled pork, brisket, turkey, pork steak, ribs, or snoot.

Two-meat and three-meat combinations let customers sample multiple barbecue offerings in one meal.

Side dishes include potato salad, pit beans, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, fries, and sweet potato waffle fries.

The ordering platform also lists candied bacon, banana pudding, and smoked wings.

The variety offers options ranging from traditional barbecue plates to specialty dishes meant for sharing.

Because barbecue preparation takes substantial time, availability may vary throughout the day.

Customers interested in specific items should consult the restaurant’s current ordering menu before visiting.

City Foundry Reports Strong Visitor Activity

BEAST’s expansion places the restaurant inside a development that has reported substantial visitor traffic and business activity.

In a May 5, 2026, announcement, City Foundry reported about 2.34 million visitors in 2025, up from about 2.19 million in 2024.

The development described that change as a 6.9% increase in annual visitation.

City Foundry also reported $60,282,858 in taxable sales in 2025, up from $56,226,971 in 2024.

The figures represent activity across the broader City Foundry district and should not be interpreted as revenue or sales generated by BEAST Craft BBQ.

The development also reported 559,800 visitors in the first quarter of 2026, up from 539,500 in the same period in 2025.

These figures indicate continued activity at the property as the development introduces additional businesses and entertainment concepts.

For restaurants operating within the food hall, the development’s visitor base creates opportunities to reach customers who may be visiting for reasons unrelated to dining.

Customers attending entertainment activities or shopping at City Foundry may choose to purchase food during their visits.

The shared dining environment also allows groups with different food preferences to eat together.

For BEAST, that arrangement exposes it to customers who might not otherwise travel to Belleville or another location specifically for barbecue.

However, overall visitor traffic does not establish the financial performance of any individual restaurant.

Sales, operating costs, customer demand, and repeat business remain important factors in determining long-term commercial success.

No independently verified revenue or profitability figures for BEAST’s City Foundry operation were available for this report.

Catering Extends BEAST’s Business Beyond the Food Hall

BEAST Craft BBQ also offers catering services, allowing customers to arrange barbecue for gatherings outside ordinary restaurant dining.

The company’s official website describes several catering formats, including Bulk BBQ, Party Packs, Lunch Boxes and Full Service.

Bulk orders let customers buy smoked meats and sides for groups.

Party packages provide predetermined combinations designed for gatherings of different sizes.

Lunch boxes offer workplaces, organizations, and other customers a way to arrange individual meals for larger groups.

Full-service catering includes staffed buffet arrangements for events requiring additional coordination.

These services extend BEAST’s business beyond customers ordering meals at its restaurant counters.

Catering can also support corporate functions, family celebrations, private parties, and other gatherings.

The City Foundry ordering platform includes full-service catering options, including buffet arrangements with different combinations of meats and sides.

The Brickline Brew House plans also emphasized the potential for additional private events within the development.

The proposed venue was designed to let organizers incorporate food from different restaurants in the food hall.

That arrangement could give participating businesses opportunities to serve customers through events and group dining.

Customers interested in BEAST’s catering services should contact the company directly to confirm current packages, prices, minimum orders, and scheduling requirements.

BEAST Maintains Its Regional Identity

BEAST’s expansion shows how a locally founded restaurant business can add locations while maintaining the food traditions that built its reputation.

The company began in Belleville with a menu centered on smoked meats and regional barbecue specialties.

Its City Foundry operation introduces that menu to a different dining environment.

The food hall format emphasizes convenient ordering and lets customers choose from numerous restaurants in the same development.

That creates a competitive setting in which each business must distinguish itself through its food, service, and customer experience.

For BEAST, its established reputation and emphasis on St. Louis barbecue traditions provide recognizable points of distinction.

Pork steak and snoot remain particularly important because they are strongly tied to local food culture.

The company also benefits from a history that extends beyond its newest location.

Its Belleville restaurant established the brand, while previous St. Louis operations introduced BEAST to additional customers throughout the region.

The City Foundry location continues that development.

The collaboration with Niche Food Group also shows how established restaurant operators can combine different areas of expertise to develop new hospitality concepts.

For BEAST, the opportunity centers on bringing its barbecue to a prominent location while participating in a broader dining and entertainment environment.

BEAST Craft BBQ City Foundry Location and Hours

BEAST Craft BBQ operates inside City Foundry STL at 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, MO 63110.

The restaurant’s current online ordering platform lists the following operating hours:

• Sunday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
• Monday through Thursday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

City Foundry’s general food hall hours begin at 10 a.m., but individual restaurant hours may differ.

Customers should check BEAST’s direct ordering information before visiting, especially during holidays, special events, or when certain meats may sell out.

The company’s original Belleville restaurant is located at 20 South Belt West, Belleville, Illinois.

BEAST’s official website also lists locations associated with Washington University’s Schnuck Pavilion and Energizer Park in St. Louis.

Operating schedules and menus vary by location.

Additional information about BEAST Craft BBQ, its restaurant locations, menus, and catering services is available at https://beastcraftbbq.com/.

BEAST Craft BBQ Continues Its St. Louis Expansion

More than a decade after opening its original restaurant, BEAST Craft BBQ continues developing its presence in the St. Louis metropolitan area’s restaurant industry.

The City Foundry location gives customers another chance to experience the company’s take on regional barbecue.

The expansion builds on the business David and Meggan Sandusky established in Belleville in 2014 and reflects the company’s continued emphasis on smoked meats and St. Louis culinary traditions.

The collaboration with Niche Food Group also connects BEAST with another established local hospitality operator.

Although the long-term financial performance of the City Foundry restaurant remains unknown, its presence inside the food hall is confirmed.

For City Foundry, BEAST adds an established regional barbecue business to its collection of local food vendors.

For customers, the restaurant provides another destination for pork steak, brisket, ribs, pulled pork, snoot and other barbecue favorites.

For BEAST Craft BBQ, the City Foundry location marks another chapter in a restaurant business that began in Belleville more than a decade ago and continues to bring its St. Louis-style barbecue to new audiences.