The Fattened Caf Gears Up to Open a Cherokee Street Storefront

It’s the first standalone brick-and-mortar for the popular Filipino/BBQ fusion pop-up

By Jessica Rogen

May 6, 2024 at 4:14 pm

Image: Charlene Lopez Young and Darren Young first launched the Fattened Caf in 2018.

Charlene Lopez Young and Darren Young first launched the Fattened Caf in 2018. SARAH LOVETT

St. Louis’ favorite Filipino barbecue fusion restaurant is set to become even more of a permanent fixture in town. The concept, run by husband and wife Charlene Lopez-Young and Darren Young, is working on opening a brick-and-mortar storefront at 3405 South Jefferson.

“It feels really good but really scary at the same time,” Lopez-Young says. “The brick-and-mortar was always the goal.”

The couple started the Fattened Caf as a series of increasingly popular pop-ups in 2018. Then they expanded into consumer goods with their packaged longganisa and sauces (now available for purchase at Schnucks), began providing food at Earthbound Brewing and a location on the campus of Washington University.

Lopez-Young says they have been slowly working on the new location for months and hope to open some time this summer. But that’s all still up in the air.

“We've been taking our time,” she says. “We didn't want to feel rushed.”

Mabel Suen

A selection of dishes from the Fattened Caf.

The duo lives on Cherokee Street so they prioritized the nearby area when they were looking at potential spots. They ultimately didn’t have to go far: Their new storefront is at the corner of Cherokee and Jefferson next to the Hop Shop.

Though there’s still a lot to do — construction is underway inside the space right now — Lopez-Young has a good idea of what the concept will look like. It will be open for breakfast and lunch (unlike their spot inside Earthbound, which follows the brewery’s evening-only, Thursday through Saturday hours), host events, and expand the Fattened Caf’s offerings a bit.

One thing she knows they’ll offer is a variety of silogs, which are dishes of cured meat with garlic rice, as well as pork belly tocino (“Filipino-style bacon”) alongside classic Fattened Caf offerings such as chicken wings, pork steak and more.

“People can really just enjoy a fuller Fattened Caf menu than what they have before,” Lopez-Young says.

She also says that they are planning on staying at Earthbound Brewery, though they may switch up the menu there. So it’s more Fattened Caf growth in all directions.

“The new location allows us to really set up a footprint that is ours and that we have full control over,” she says.

Recipe: Mama’s Oxtail Caldereta: by Charlene Lopez Young of The Fattened Caf

The Fattened Caf Launches Filipino Sauce Line Nationwide

A basket holds a selection of foods from the Fattened Caf.

The Fattened Caf Fosters Collaborations for Filipino American History Month: The popular brand hopes to increase Filipino visibility in the area's food scene

Email the author at jrogen@riverfronttimes.com

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Jessica Rogen

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