This 'Chopped' winner is back in Oakland with some of the Bay's best smoked brisket and ribs

"Armstead is not new to barbecue - he started as a vendor at the Ashby Flea Market in Berkeley in 2015 and opened Crave BBQ in Richmond's Hilltop Mall as well as Grammie's Down-Home Chicken & Seafood in Oakland. He later competed on , winning his episode in 2019."

"In November, Armstead quietly opened Saints Smokehouse to the public as a weekend pop-up. He is currently operating Wednesdays through Saturdays. Soon, he hopes to officially open his restaurant, a project that has been in the works for four and a half years."

"Armstead is also running things mostly solo - self-financing the restaurant, planning inventory, shopping for ingredients several times a week, and using the two custom-built Southern Pride smokers. Doing a lot of the work himself helps keep costs down - his plates cost$18-$25 ($18 for pork ribs that come with a chunk of blue corn bread and a side dish, and $25 for half a smoked chicken). In addition to his mom, he has the help of three staff members."

"When he started in November, some people close to him advised him to invite social media influencers to attract business. Armstead refused, instead opting for a slow and steady build-up. He also noted that he started as a restaurateur before social media was a thing. Pay-for-play was a no-no. "I'm not concerned about the grandiose or going viral"

Rashad Armstead prepares barbecue for his new downtown Oakland restaurant with smoked brisket, marinated chicken and ribs, and made-from-scratch side dishes including mac and cheese, collard greens with smoked turkey, purple cornbread, and honey-buttered yams. He sources ingredients from multiple local restaurant supply stores and works with his mother, Cecilia Armstead, to prep food and manage cooking. He has barbecue experience dating to vending at the Ashby Flea Market in 2015 and operating earlier restaurants in Richmond and Oakland. In November, he opened Saints Smokehouse as a weekend pop-up and now runs Wednesdays through Saturdays while working toward an official opening. He self-finances, plans inventory, shops frequently, and uses two custom Southern Pride smokers to keep costs controlled, with plates priced between $18 and $25.

Read at The Oaklandside