Macis’ Prime BBQ is coming to Wash Ave Food Hall
Photo Credit: St. Louis Magazine
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Originally published by St. Louis Magazine. By George Mahe, dining editor. August 17, 2026.
George Mahe reported for St. Louis Magazine that another kitchen has signed on at Wash Ave Food Hall, 1122 Washington Avenue. The hall is the dining and social destination planned for the old Reign nightclub and Copia Restaurant and Wine Garden space, slated to open in October.
Macis’ Prime BBQ will join Little BAO, a concept specializing in bao, rice bowls, and udon noodle bowls; Steve’s Smash, Steve Ewing’s burger-and-fries kitchen; and the PourMyBeer wall, a self-pour beverage experience from 4 Hands Brewing Co.
St. Louis native Shawn Mueller established the Macis’ brand nearly eight years ago. Mahe wrote that Mueller was inspired in part by his father and a shared passion for barbecue. Like a lot of pitmasters, he started by smoking meats for friends and family, then turned the hobby into a catering business and later a mobile food trailer. The Wash Ave Food Hall will mark Macis’ first permanent location.
From the beginning, Mueller has said his goal is to “make the best food we possibly can and never sacrifice quality just to grow.” That commitment, Mahe reported, extends to the proteins: Macis’ uses Wagyu beef along with Duroc and Berkshire pork, and Mueller personally visits the farms that supply them.
The Food Hall stall will serve Mueller’s barbecue mainstays, including smoked brisket, pulled pork, and turkey. Periodic specials include beef ribs, pork steak, pork belly “candy,” and beef shoulder “clod.” Mueller and chef Marvion Dean are also developing dishes specifically for the new location, including a smoked beef shepherd’s pie that will be exclusive to Wash Ave Food Hall.
Never short on confidence, Mueller bills Macis’ as “STL’s Premier BBQ Company,” describing its food as “mouthwatering and cooked to perfection.” He backs the claim with a promise printed on every menu: “If our barbecue needs sauce, I’ll give you a refund.”
The Macis’ name comes from “Maddie and CiCi’s Prime Barbecue,” a nod to Mueller’s nieces, Madeline and Cecilia, whose images are incorporated into the company’s logo.
“Macis’ is a great example of the local operators we are excited to have join the Wash Ave Food Hall — a distinctive St. Louis business with a great story, a passionate following, and exceptional food offering that people will come to Wash Ave to experience,” said developer Alex Oliver, CEO of Oliver Properties, in a release quoted by Mahe. “Every founding vendor brings something different to the Food Hall, and Macis’ adds an elevated approach to one of the foods St. Louis loves most: BBQ.”
Additional vendors and details surrounding the opening will be announced in the coming weeks.
For the neighborhood listing (address, named vendors, coming-soon hours), see Wash Ave Food Hall. Macis’ is at macisprimebbq.com.
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