A family tradition of cooking together has grown into a trifecta of Cottleville restaurants for Andrew Brewer. The Plank Road Pizza and Cottleville Cookies and Cream owner will add barbecue to his culinary repertoire with the opening of his third restaurant—1798 BBQ—this spring.
Named for the year Cottleville was founded, the barbecue restaurant will feature homemade family recipes and house-smoked meats. Ribs, pulled pork and brisket will be everyday choices for diners, and longtime family favorite recipes will be featured as sides.
“We will have most of the staples everyone is used to [with barbecue],” says Brewer, who co-owns the three businesses with his parents, Susan and Wade Brewer. “My favorite is the cornbread corn.”
Grandma’s cucumber recipe made the menu as a fresh side, and all of the made-from-scratch rubs and sauces that Andrew grew up with will be available.
And while the unique rubs and sauces enhance the flavor of the house-smoked meats, Andrew says the true test of great barbecue is if the meat tastes good on its own—without sauce.
“I really hope people try it without sauce first because it’s going to hold up to any expectation,” Andrew says. “The juicy, the tender—that’s going to be there. I really think that’s the differentiator from competitors.”
And as a certified barbecue judge, Andrew knows his barbecue. The restaurant owner has been smoking his own meats for family since he purchased his first electric smoker in high school. And he credits his parents for their shared love of cooking, passed along to him since childhood. His fond memories of barbecuing with family and learning new skills and recipes from his parents led him to this latest venture.
“We barbecued a lot for special events and that’s what’s fun about it—it’s all about family and friends,” Andrew says.
Located at 5210 Highway N in a converted house from the 1800s, 1798 BBQ will offer indoor seating in the eclectic dining room for 30 to 40 patrons. A large outdoor patio, which will connect to Plank Road Pizza next door, will allow for seating up to 60. The outdoor space will also include a bar area, stocked with local and national beers—from Budweiser to O’Fallon Gold to Schlafly.
“The silo outside will be a little bar area, so hopefully that will really get popping on Friday and Saturday nights,” Andrew says.
1798 BBQ will also offer a nice Southern treat to accompany the tender, juicy barbecue entrees: homemade sweet tea, which is also a special family recipe.
So whether it's an afternoon lunch with friends, a date night or a family dinner, 1798 BBQ has a mouthwatering menu of time-tested family recipes to tantalize the pickiest of palates.