FAQs
You’ve got a question? Well, we’ve probably answered it at some point in this long list of FAQs that we’ve constructed over the years. Some are common questions. Some are great trivia questions that you’ll impress all of your friends knowing … one day. Scroll through and if you think there’s a question we should answer, let us know (or don’t, we can’t tell you what to do).
General FAQs
Where is Salt + Smoke located?
We've got eight spots across the St. Louis area. Come find us wherever you're craving BBQ!
- Delmar Loop — 6525 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130
- Hampton — 5625 Hampton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109
- St. Charles — 501 South Main St, St. Charles, MO 63301
- Ballpark Village — 501 Clark Ave, St. Louis, MO 63102
- Ellisville — 1386 Clarkson/Clayton Shopping Center, Ellisville, MO 63011
- South County — 4130 Rusty Rd, St. Louis, MO 63128
- Kirkwood — 110 S Kirkwood Rd, Kirkwood, MO 63122
- Edwardsville — 410 N Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025
What are your hours?
We're open Sunday through Thursday 11am–9pm and Friday + Saturday 11am–10pm across all locations.
Hours may vary on holidays, so give us a follow on Instagram to stay in the loop.
Do you take reservations?
You can reserve a table at our Hampton, Ellisville, South County, and Kirkwood locations. All of our locations allow you to join the waitlist, where you can check if we are in a wait, and virtually join before you reach the restaurant.
Do you have a happy hour?
You betcha! Happy Hour runs Monday through Friday from 3–6pm at all locations.
You'll get $2 off select food items: Hush Puppies, Deviled Eggs, Fried House Pickles, and Cherry Smoked Wings. Plus, $2 off all draft beer and draft cocktails, including the Walnut Old Fashioned. And the Happy Hour exclusive? The Birria BBQ Quesadilla: a quarter pound of your choice of BBQ, Pimento and White Cheddar Cheese, Smoked Paprika Aioli, served with Birria Jus and Alabama Ranch. Only $12.99, only during Happy Hour.
You can find our full Happy Hour menu here.
Are you kid-friendly? Do you have a kids menu?
YES! We love kiddos. The more besties, the better! Our kids menu has the little besties covered with sandwiches, meals, and desserts sized just right. You can view the full kids menu here.
What is the Bestie Loyalty Program and how does it work?
The Bestie Loyalty Program is our way of rewarding you for doing something you were going to do anyway — eating really good BBQ.
Every time you spend with us, you earn points. Your brisket sammie? Points. Your Walnut Old Fashioned? Points. Your Bestie Combo? You already know.
Points rack up and turn into a free app and rewards you can redeem on your next visit. Sign up using your phone number at any location or online here.
When should I order catering vs. online ordering?
Generally ordering online is for groups fewer than 20. If you're looking to order for a small group, click here to place your order with your preferred location.
Catering is for larger parties of 20 or more. If you have a large party and are looking to order catering, click here. Please give us 48 hours to prepare for a large order.
If you are looking for a catering quote for a big event or wedding, please fill out the catering form on this page.
How much meat should I get by the pound for my group?
We suggest 1/2 a pound of BBQ per guest, though that varies on your specific group … so scale up or down accordingly.
How many sides should I order for my group?
We recommend 1-2 cups of sides per person.
Do you offer vegetarian or vegan options?
We do! We want all of our BBQ Besties to be able to enjoy the food at Salt + Smoke!
We have vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and even an allergy menu to break down all the ingredients in our food.
Do you have gift cards?
Absolutely!
In-store dining: If you want to gift someone with a gift card to dine with us at one of our restaurants, buy them this one!
What is Green Dining and the Green Dining Alliance?
Oh, hey. Yeah, we’re a member of Green Dining Alliance (GDA) and pretty proud of it. We know what you’re thinking: What does that even mean? it means we’re saving the planet. Well, doing our part because we think the planet and turtles are neat. To comply with GDA’s core concepts, we got rid of plastic straws (we have paper straws, if you really need one), we don’t auto-fill waters, and we work with local food pantries to share our excess when it occurs. It’s something we’re passionate about and we’re proud to do our part in being green.
Meat FAQs
What is St. Louis BBQ?
St. Louis has a long history of BBQ, firmly rooted in our special types of butchering and utilizing all different types of smoking to offer the best of all worlds.
St. Louis BBQ is distinct from other types of BBQ (yes, KC and Texas are way different!). One of the unique meats from our style of BBQ?
St. Louis-Style Ribs: Pork spare ribs that are trimmed into a rectangular rack. They are a bit meatier and fattier than baby back ribs. And super delicious.
St. Louis BBQ loves a bit of BBQ sauce spread across the meat (we call it trashed here at Salt + Smoke), and a bit sweeter than the vinegar-y sauces.
How does Salt + Smoke make their brisket?
We only use prime beef brisket and smoke whole briskets over post oak for 14-18 hours! Using whole briskets allows us to offer our guests lean, fatty or burnt ends when ordering the plates. Also, love. We make it with love.
What are burnt ends?
When smoking briskets for a long period of time, the ends and deckle get "burnt" creating an intense flavor and char that guests love.
Think of them as BBQ meat candy (we sure do!), where they are smoky on the outside and tender in the inside.
What wood do you use?
We smoke our pork shoulder and brisket over post oak. This is the most intense smoking wood we can find and creates a deep and long finish on our smoked meats. For ribs, chicken, and salmon we use cherry wood, which provides a little more nuance and sweetness to these more delicate meats.
What are burnt end t-ravs?
We make ravioli from scratch and then stuff them with burnt ends and cheddar, bread them and deep fry them. A STL specialty married with BBQ magic.
What's a popover?
It's an eggy, airy, cheddar and bacon muffin that we serve with our platters. It's pretty delicious!
Some people say they are similar to a Yorkshire Pudding, but, you know, American.
What does BBQ is for Besties mean?
BBQ is love and friendship, we hope you can taste the difference this love makes and will become our bestie forever.
Describe Salt + Smoke's sauces
- My Sweet Bestie: classic (sweet heat) and smoky
- Hotangy - medium spicy vinegar wash
- Mustarolina - tangy scratch made mustard bbq sauce
- I Can't Even - De Arbol chili and apricot sauce (it won't kill you though)
- Alabama Ranch - an Alabama white sauce that is egg based with horseradish and black pepper (by request only, when in store)
- BuffaLoveMe - our house buffalo-style sauce that is bold, tangy, and just the right amount of heat
Do you ship your BBQ nationwide?
Heck yeah, we do! If you're missing us anywhere in the USA, you can have our meats, sauces, and merch delivered right to your doorstep!
You can order a whole meat treat for yourself here.
Whiskey FAQs
Well, what is whiskey?
What’s the difference between Rye, Bourbon, Malt Whiskey or Corn Whiskey?
The answer lies within each Liquor’s Grain Bill (mash recipe), since each liquor has it’s own recipe:
- Rye Whiskey: Has a Mash of at least 51% Rye.
- Bourbon: Has a Mash of at least 51% Corn.
- Malt Whiskey: Has a Mash of at least 51% Malted grain usually.
- Corn Whiskey: Has a Mash of at least 80% Corn.
So what’s the difference between each kind?
- Rye Whiskey: Has a spicier sometimes fruitier flavor.
- Bourbon: Has a fuller more savory flavor.
- Malt Whiskey: Neutral and powerful flavor.
Are there other designations for differing between Whiskeys?
The other important factor for whiskeys are their respective origins:
- Scotch Whisky: besides being spelled without the “e” originates from Scotland.
- Canadian/Irish Whiskey: originates from Canada and Ireland respectively.
- Bourbon: the product of American ingenuity.
What does the proof on the bottle mean?
Simply put, by cutting liquor’s proof in half you get the percent of alcohol in the bottle.
Where do we get proof from?
Suspicious buyers used to mix gunpowder with whiskey and lit it; if nothing happened it was watered down if it exploded it was “proof” that it was 100% whiskey.
Is there a proof limit to Bourbon?
It can be no more than 180 proof.
Should I drink whiskey straight or on the rocks? Does it make a difference?
It's your drink, drink it how you like it. Most distillers consider that a whiskey’s flavor is enhanced by having a small addition of water: either with one cube on the rocks or adding a drop of water straight up.
So tell me more about the Bourbon
- It’s a whiskey that is distilled from 51% corn mash.
- It can only be called bourbon if it originates in the United States of America.
- By law, bourbon must be aged in NEW charred oak barrels.
- Unlike other whiskeys, the only thing that can be added to bourbon during its production is water.
Does the aging process vary between the style of whiskeys?
- Whiskeys: are all aged in some form of oak cask: for most international whiskeys a minimum of 3 years, American whiskeys can be less than this as long as the ages is listed.
- Bourbons: A brand-new white oak cask is charred on the interior with a blowtorch before the liquor is poured in to be aged.
- Scotches: Is aged initially in a second-hand cask, usually a bourbon cask. Then it is transferred to another cask to give it its finish.
Why are whiskey’s aged for so long?
The short answer is the climate. Unlike Tequila and Rum which come from the Caribbean and Mexico, whiskey’s originate in countries of colder climates; Canada, Scotland, and the United States.
Is there an age range I should order?
There is no hard and fast number for a good age and many whiskeys are blends of different ages. Although we are always trying a whiskey that's old enough to order its own whiskey.
What’s the difference between Single Cask, Single Malt, or Blended Whiskeys?
- Single Malt: The bottle came from a single distillery and a single malted grain. It consists of whiskeys from differing barrels and ages, put together in a specific combination to keep the flavor consistent over time.
- Single Cask/Barrel:This style of whiskey comes from only one individual cask, meaning the taste of these whiskies changes distinctly from cask to cask.
- Blended Whiskey: the most common variety is made of a mixture of different types of grain whisky usually from a multitude of distilleries.
Where does whiskey come from?
The first confirmed existence of whiskey is in Ireland in 1405.
What does the word “Whiskey” mean?
Whiskey comes from the Gaelic term Uisege Beatha which means the “water of life."
Can whiskey save my life?
We are glad you asked, single malt whisky has been found to contain significant amounts of ellagic acid – an antioxidant known to help prevent cancer.
Why do distillers say angel’s love whiskey?
Going back hundreds of years, distillers found that from every barrel about 4% of whiskey was “stolen” by angels so they could check to see if it was okay - an amount we now know is due to evaporation.
Why do the Scottish spell whisky without an “e”?
The Scot’s spell it without the “e” because they believe more vowels waste time which could be spent drinking.
