VEGAN EATS AT ORIGINAL FAMILY SMOKEHOUSE

Alocal chef who specializes in plantbased fare is now offering a comfort food-inspired menu for curbside pickup three days a week on Cherokee Street. Original Family Smokehouse set up shop inside The Fortune Teller Bar in October with the goal of offering casual vegan cuisine from the grill that appeals to people from all walks of life.

The concept comes from chef-owner Brandon Gilliam, better known as “BG” – a St. Louis native who got his start in professional kitchens while living in Fairbanks, Alaska, for a period before returning to his hometown to attend culinary school at the now-shuttered L’Ecole Culinaire. BG established his brand, Original Family Smokehouse, in 2017 and has since popped up with his food at local cultural events including Conscious Fest, Paint Louis and Frizz Fest. When the kitchen space inside The Fortune Teller Bar opened up, BG knew it’d be a perfect fit for the next evolution of his business.

“I have lived in this neighborhood since 2015 and have been a patron of the bar ever since. I’ve always loved this space and kept an eye on the kitchen,” BG says, who hopes to someday open his own full-fledged brick-and-mortar restaurant in the neighborhood. “I knew it’d be a great way to serve our food out of a home location.”

The Fortune Teller Bar is currently transitioning ownership and completing renovations to the space, with plans to reopen the bar to the public later this year. During this period, BG will continue to offer his menu for curbside pick-up and delivery, all based on his slogan: “EAT MORE PLANT MEAT.”

“The mission of Original Family Smokehouse is to change the perspective of vegan eating for our community and beyond with top quality, plant-based food,” BG says. “Our target market is for those we’ve dubbed as ‘plant-based curious.’ We gear our food towards people on the ‘SAD diet’– the Standard American Diet. We want to show people that you can eat plant-based alternatives and be just as satisfied.”

Specialties include the Chris Burger, named after BG’s burger-loving brother. It features a smoked Beyond Burger patty, barbecue sauce, provolone Xeese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion, served with a side of smoky baked beans. He uses a pellet smoker with a hickory and applewood-based blend to flavor his dishes, such as the BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich, which mimics the texture of a pulled chicken sandwich, topped with coleslaw, onions, butter pickles and tomatoes.

“We have a great focus on people with allergy sensitivities. I have a gluten intolerance myself. The only thing on the menu that has gluten in it are the buns, but we also offer gluten-free buns,” BG says.

Soul food-inspired side options include sweet yams, collard greens and Mac & Xeese bowls to pair with his signatures such as jackfruit tamales with guajillo barbecue sauce. Another one of BG’s favorite rotating specials is his C Food Gumbo.

“The ‘C’ is for compassion. I’ve gotten a lot of food inspiration from my entire family. When I was a kid, I watched my grandmother make gumbo. I took what I remembered from what she would do with that and used plant-based ingredients,” BG says. “I think she would love what I’m doing with it nowadays.” ln

Original Family Smokehouse is open Thursday through Saturday from noon to 8 p.m.

Original Family Smokehouse, 2635 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314-325-2332, originalfamilysmokehouse.com