Sauceman’s BBQ is moving to Sugar Creek Brewing in LoSo — expect new menu items and more seating

The restaurant’s last day at 228 West Blvd., where they’ve been for the last eight years, is Aug. 31.

“We’re going to tear this whole thing down,” Manager and Pit Master Ed Simoes told the Agenda. “We looked at doing our own thing, but we’ve been friends with the owners (of Sugar Creek) for a while, and we always carry their beer on tap. Somehow we just connect.”

The new space will give them twice as much seating, a brand new kitchen and more room to grow.

“A bigger operation is what we’re excited about,” Ed said. “It’s a good chance for us to take on a new challenge.”

Menu changes: Because the new space is in a brewery, Ed told the Agenda they’re looking to add some old-school sandwiches to the menu — they’re easy to eat while you’re holding a beer. They’re also bringing back turkey, and some current menu items might be removed or sold as specials. For example, ribs might be a Friday-only thing, Ed said.

Layout: The barbecue joint will be going in Sugar Creek’s current event space, and Ed told us the hope is to “make it look like we picked up the current location and moved it there.” So the reclaimed wood bar toward the back of the West Boulevard location will be moved to Sugar Creek, they’ll keep the same furniture, and you’ll see some of the same signage, awnings and garage doors.

“There’s a ton of windows at the new place,” Ed said, “and from what I hear, we’re trying to make it so you can see the kitchen from the outside.”

And huge bonus: they’ll have roughly double the amount of seating.

Catering: Sauceman’s and Sugar Creek are both already in the catering space, and while Ed didn’t share any definitive plans, he mentioned catering being one area they both could potentially expand in the future. Now that they’re sharing a home base, it’ll be interesting to see how it evolves.

New hours: Hours will most likely be from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with shorter hours on Sunday.

What it means: With the restaurant being a hugely popular lunch spot, the brewery will now be open for lunch too. The move to LoSo is a big one, but Ed feels confident their regulars will be willing to follow along.