{"categories":[{"slug":"sandwiches","name":"Sandwiches","title":"The Sandwich Section.","items":[{"slug":"the-14-hour-brisket","name":"The 14-Hour Brisket","price":"$16","description":"Post-oak smoked. Brioche, pickles, slaw, a stripe of Carolina Gold. The one we'd order.","photoLabel":"14-Hour Brisket Sandwich on brioche","photoAlt":"14-hour post-oak smoked brisket sandwich on a brioche bun with pickles, slaw and Carolina Gold sauce at Stage Stop BBQ Colorado Springs","tag":"Signature","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","brioche","pickle","cabbage"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"pulled-pork","name":"Pulled Pork","price":"$14","description":"12-hour shoulder, pulled to order. Slaw on top, sauce on the side, pickles in the basket. Available as a $18 plate.","photoLabel":"Pulled pork sandwich, slaw on top","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["pulled-pork","pork","brioche","cabbage","pickle"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"smoked-turkey","name":"Smoked Turkey","price":"$14","description":"Whole turkey breast, six hours over apple wood. Avocado, sprouts, dill mayo. The lighter sister to the brisket.","photoLabel":"Smoked turkey sandwich with avocado","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["turkey","avocado","sprouts","brioche"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"hot-link","name":"Hot Link","price":"$12","description":"House-blended jalapeño-cheddar sausage, snap casing, brown mustard, pickled red onion. Spicy by design.","photoLabel":"Hot-link smoked sausage sandwich","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"spicy":true},"ingredients":["hot-link","sausage","pork","beef","cheddar","cheese","jalapeno","mustard","onion","brioche"],"heat_level":3,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"burnt-end-tacos","name":"Burnt-End Tacos · 3 for","price":"$12","description":"Mash Mechanix and Star Ranch only. Brisket burnt ends, smoked tomato salsa, cotija, lime. Saturdays only.","photoLabel":"Burnt-end taco — truck-only special","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Truck only","allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":false,"spicy":true},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","tomato","cotija","cheese","corn"],"heat_level":2,"truck_only":true},{"slug":"smoked-mushroom-halloumi","name":"Smoked Mushroom & Halloumi","price":"$13","description":"Hen-of-the-woods + king oyster, smoked low, grilled halloumi, pickled fennel, hot honey. Not an afterthought.","photoLabel":"Smoked mushroom + halloumi sandwich — veg","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Vegetarian","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["mushroom","halloumi","cheese","fennel","hot-honey","honey","vegetable","brioche"],"heat_level":2,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"mac-bowls","name":"Mac bowls","title":"The mac-and-cheese bowl is a load-bearing menu category.","items":[{"slug":"burnt-end-mac","name":"Burnt-End Mac","price":"$15","description":"Brisket burnt ends, scallion, pickled jalapeño, breadcrumb crust. The default.","photoLabel":"Burnt-end mac bowl","photoAlt":"Burnt-end mac and cheese bowl with brisket burnt ends, scallion, pickled jalapeno and a breadcrumb crust at Stage Stop BBQ Colorado Springs","tag":"Signature","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","macaroni","cheese","cheddar","gruyere","cream-cheese","jalapeno","scallion"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"pulled-pork-mac","name":"Pulled Pork Mac","price":"$14","description":"12-hour pork, crispy fried onion, Alabama White drizzle, chives.","photoLabel":"Pulled pork mac bowl with crispy onion","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false},"ingredients":["pulled-pork","pork","macaroni","cheese","cheddar","gruyere","cream-cheese","onion"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"buffalo-chicken-mac","name":"Buffalo Chicken Mac","price":"$14","description":"Smoked chicken thigh, buffalo sauce, blue cheese, celery confetti. Doesn't read BBQ. Reads delicious.","photoLabel":"Buffalo chicken mac bowl","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"spicy":true},"ingredients":["chicken","macaroni","cheese","blue-cheese","cheddar","gruyere","cream-cheese"],"heat_level":3,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"just-the-mac","name":"Just the Mac","price":"$10","description":"The base bowl. Cheddar, gruyère, cream cheese, pepper, crust. No apologies.","photoLabel":"Three-cheese mac bowl, no protein","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Vegetarian","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["macaroni","cheese","cheddar","gruyere","cream-cheese","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"the-whole-thing","name":"The Whole Thing","price":"$22","description":"Brisket + hot link + pulled pork on top of the mac. Bring a friend or don't, your call.","photoLabel":"Loaded mac bowl with brisket + sausage","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Massive","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"spicy":true},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","hot-link","sausage","pulled-pork","pork","macaroni","cheese"],"heat_level":2,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"pitmasters-pick","name":"Pitmaster's Pick","price":"market","description":"Whatever Eve is into this month. Check the chalkboard at your location. May involve smoked lamb.","photoLabel":"Mac bowl rotating special","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Rotating","allergens":null,"ingredients":[],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"plates","name":"Plates","title":"Meat + two sides. Or three.","items":[{"slug":"brisket-plate","name":"Brisket Plate","price":"$22","description":"¼ lb sliced brisket, two sides, cornbread, pickles. Add ½ lb for $8.","photoLabel":"Brisket plate · two sides + cornbread","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","cornbread","corn","pickle"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"pulled-pork-plate","name":"Pulled Pork Plate","price":"$18","description":"Half pound of pork, two sides, cornbread. Most-ordered weekday lunch.","photoLabel":"Pulled pork plate","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false},"ingredients":["pulled-pork","pork","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"smoked-chicken-half","name":"Smoked Chicken · ½","price":"$19","description":"Half a brined-and-smoked chicken, mahogany skin, two sides, cornbread.","photoLabel":"Smoked chicken half plate","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false},"ingredients":["chicken","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"hot-link-plate","name":"Hot Link Plate","price":"$16","description":"Two house hot links, sliced, two sides, brown mustard, pickled onions.","photoLabel":"Hot-link plate with mustard","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"spicy":true},"ingredients":["hot-link","sausage","pork","beef","mustard","onion"],"heat_level":3,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"three-meat-sampler","name":"Three-Meat Sampler","price":"$34","description":"Brisket + pork + your third pick. Three sides + cornbread + two sauces. Splits clean for two people.","photoLabel":"Three-meat sampler plate","photoAlt":null,"tag":"For two","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","pulled-pork","pork","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"smoked-tofu-plate","name":"Smoked Tofu Plate","price":"$15","description":"Local tofu smoked twelve hours, roasted root veg, two sides, cornbread (vegan, ask for it warm).","photoLabel":"Smoked tofu + roasted veg plate","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Vegan","allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["tofu","vegetable","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"ribs","name":"Ribs","title":"Six hours over pecan. Saturdays only.","items":[{"slug":"st-louis-ribs-half","name":"St. Louis Ribs · ½ rack","price":"$19","description":"Six hours over pecan, light glaze, one side, cornbread.","photoLabel":"Half rack St. Louis ribs, sliced","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["pork","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"full-rack","name":"Full Rack · The Spread","price":"$36","description":"Whole St. Louis rack, three sides, cornbread, two sauces.","photoLabel":"Full rack ribs, three sides","photoAlt":null,"tag":"For two","allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["pork","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"baby-backs-half","name":"Baby Backs · ½ rack","price":"$22","description":"When we run them. Honey-bourbon glaze, sweeter finish, one side, cornbread.","photoLabel":"Baby-back ribs glaze close-up","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Saturday only","allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["pork","honey","cornbread","corn"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"sides","name":"Sides","title":"The sides. All scratch.","items":[{"slug":"eves-slaw","name":"Eve's Slaw","price":"$4 / $7","description":"Apple-cider dressed, no mayo. Bright and sharp.","photoLabel":"Eve's Slaw","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["cabbage","carrot","vinegar","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"smoked-beans","name":"Smoked Beans","price":"$4 / $7","description":"Burnt ends + molasses + bourbon + black pepper.","photoLabel":"Smoked beans","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["beans","brisket","beef","molasses","brown-sugar"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"collard-greens","name":"Collard Greens","price":"$5 / $8","description":"Slow-stewed with smoked turkey neck. GF.","photoLabel":"Collard greens","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["vegetable","turkey"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"mac-bowl-side","name":"Mac Bowl Side","price":"$5 / $9","description":"Same recipe as the bowls. Just smaller.","photoLabel":"Mac side","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["macaroni","cheese","cheddar","gruyere","cream-cheese","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"cornbread","name":"Cornbread","price":"$3 / $6","description":"Sweet, dense, honey-butter on the side.","photoLabel":"Cornbread","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["cornbread","corn","honey","butter","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"potato-salad","name":"Potato Salad","price":"$4 / $7","description":"German-style, mustard-forward, no mayo. GF.","photoLabel":"Potato salad","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["potato","mustard","vinegar","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"pickle-plate","name":"Pickle Plate","price":"$5","description":"House pickles · cukes, beets, jalapeños, red onion. Eve's brine.","photoLabel":"Pickle plate","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["pickle","jalapeno","onion","vinegar","vegetable"],"heat_level":1,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"charred-brussels","name":"Charred Brussels","price":"$6 / $10","description":"Sprouts hit hard on the flat-top, hot honey, lemon.","photoLabel":"Charred Brussels sprouts","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["brussels-sprouts","sprouts","hot-honey","honey","vegetable"],"heat_level":1,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"sauces","name":"Sauces","title":"The sauce lineup.","items":[{"slug":"carolina-gold","name":"Carolina Gold","price":"$9 bottle","description":"Yellow mustard, brown sugar, apple cider. Sweet-tart, the brisket sandwich's natural partner.","photoLabel":"Carolina Gold sauce bottle","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["mustard","brown-sugar","vinegar","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"alabama-white","name":"Alabama White","price":"$9 bottle","description":"Mayo, vinegar, black pepper, horseradish. Goes on chicken. Also on everything.","photoLabel":"Alabama White sauce","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["vinegar","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"sweet-heat","name":"Sweet Heat","price":"$9 bottle","description":"Tomato-based, brown sugar, smoked chipotle, lingering capsaicin. The crowd-pleaser.","photoLabel":"Sweet Heat sauce","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true,"spicy":true},"ingredients":["tomato","brown-sugar","chipotle","vegetable"],"heat_level":3,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"eves-vinegar-whip","name":"Eve's Vinegar Whip","price":"$9 bottle","description":"Cider vinegar, chili flake, salt. East Carolina style. Goes on the pork. Don't argue.","photoLabel":"Eve's Vinegar Whip sauce","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["vinegar","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"house","name":"House","price":"$9 bottle","description":"Middle-of-the-road, sweet-tomato base, light smoke, no surprises. Kids like it. So do adults.","photoLabel":"House sauce — the everyday one","photoAlt":null,"tag":"House","allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":true,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["tomato","brown-sugar","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"quarterly-drop","name":"Quarterly Drop","price":"members only","description":"A new sauce every three months, Mug Club members only. Last one was a smoked-coffee bourbon BBQ.","photoLabel":"Quarterly Mug Club sauce drop","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Mug Club","allergens":null,"ingredients":[],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"kids","name":"Kids","title":"For kids who eat. And for kids who don't.","items":[{"slug":"mini-brisket-slider","name":"Mini Brisket Slider","price":"$8","description":"Small bun, small brisket, sauce on the side. One side.","photoLabel":"Mini brisket slider","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["brisket","beef","bun","brioche"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"mac-bowl-kids","name":"Mac Bowl Kids","price":"$7","description":"Just-the-mac, smaller bowl. With or without crust.","photoLabel":"Kids mac bowl","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["macaroni","cheese","cheddar","gruyere","cream-cheese","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"chicken-tenders","name":"Chicken Tenders","price":"$8","description":"Three tenders, breaded in-house, one side, House sauce.","photoLabel":"Chicken tenders","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["chicken"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"hot-dog","name":"Hot Dog","price":"$7","description":"Smoked all-beef, brioche bun, one side. No judgment.","photoLabel":"Smoked hot dog kids","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":true},"ingredients":["beef","sausage","brioche","bun"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false}]},{"slug":"sweets","name":"Sweets","title":"After.","items":[{"slug":"peach-cobbler","name":"Peach Cobbler","price":"$8","description":"Palisade peaches in season, bourbon-vanilla streusel, ice cream on top.","photoLabel":"Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream","photoAlt":null,"tag":"Signature","allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["peach","butter","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"banana-pudding","name":"Banana Pudding","price":"$7","description":"Vanilla custard, fresh banana, vanilla wafers, lightly whipped cream.","photoLabel":"Banana pudding cup","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":false,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["banana","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false},{"slug":"smoked-honey-sundae","name":"Smoked Honey Sundae","price":"$8","description":"Vanilla ice cream, smoked-honey drizzle, candied pecans, flake salt.","photoLabel":"Smoked-honey ice cream sundae","photoAlt":null,"tag":null,"allergens":{"glutenFree":true,"dairyFree":false,"vegetarian":true},"ingredients":["honey","vegetable"],"heat_level":null,"truck_only":false}]}],"dishes_detailed":[{"slug":"brisket","name":"The 14-Hour Brisket","shortName":"Brisket","price":"$16 sandwich · $22 plate","priceSandwich":16,"pricePlate":22,"cookTimeHours":14,"wood":"Post oak with a pecan finish","rub":"Salt and 16-mesh black pepper. No sugar.","servedAt":["the-cantina","mash-mechanix","old-colorado-city","urban-animal-star-ranch"],"availability":"Daily at every location, until it sells out.","description":"Post-oak smoked 14 hours. Salt-and-pepper rub. Brioche, pickles, slaw, a stripe of Carolina Gold on the side.","longDescription":["Fourteen hours. Post oak. Sauce on the side. If we had to print the brisket philosophy on a single line, that would be it.","We start with prime-grade brisket from Colorado ranchers we've used since the ranch days. Each packer comes in at twelve to fourteen pounds, full point and flat. Eve trims to a quarter-inch fat cap — enough to render, not so much that the bark goes greasy. The deckle gets pulled, the silverskin scraped, and the hard fat between point and flat is opened up so smoke can find every surface."],"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/brisket"},{"slug":"burnt-end-mac","name":"The Burnt-End Mac Bowl","shortName":"Burnt-End Mac","price":"$15 bowl","priceSandwich":null,"pricePlate":15,"cookTimeHours":14,"wood":"Post oak (from the brisket cook) + a touch of pecan","rub":"Brisket salt-and-pepper bark, rendered into the bechamel.","servedAt":["the-cantina","mash-mechanix","old-colorado-city","urban-animal-star-ranch"],"availability":"Daily at every location, until the brisket sells out.","description":"Cavatappi, three cheeses, brisket burnt ends, scallion. Crisped on the flat-top. Sauce on the side.","longDescription":["The Burnt-End Mac Bowl is brand IP. We invented it the week we opened The Cantina, and it is the single most photographed item on the menu. The build is simple — cavatappi, a three-cheese bechamel, fourteen-hour brisket burnt ends folded in at the end, a flat-top crisp, scallion, Carolina Gold sauce on the side. The execution is where it gets real.","Start with the burnt ends. Burnt ends are the point — the fatty cap that sits on top of the whole-packer brisket and renders the hardest under fourteen hours of post-oak smoke. After we pull the brisket, the point gets a second pass: cubed an inch square, tossed in a little of its own rendered fat plus more 16-mesh pepper, and back in the smoker uncovered for ninety minutes. The bark crisps. The fat carries."],"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/burnt-end-mac"},{"slug":"smoked-turkey-sandwich","name":"The Smoked Turkey Sandwich","shortName":"Smoked Turkey","price":"$14 sandwich · $18 plate","priceSandwich":14,"pricePlate":18,"cookTimeHours":8,"wood":"Hickory with a pecan finish","rub":"24-hour wet brine: kosher salt, brown sugar, bay, black peppercorn, garlic, fresh thyme. Dry rub: salt + 16-mesh pepper + smoked paprika.","servedAt":["the-cantina","mash-mechanix","old-colorado-city","urban-animal-star-ranch"],"availability":"Daily at every location. Sliced to order.","description":"Hickory-smoked turkey breast, brined 24 hours, sliced thin, on sourdough with house pickle and Alabama White on the side.","longDescription":["The Smoked Turkey Sandwich is the menu sleeper — the order regulars circle back to after they've tried everything else. Brined twenty-four hours, smoked eight hours over hickory with a pecan finish, sliced thin to order, on sourdough with a house dill pickle and Alabama White sauce on the side. The thinking: turkey breast is one of the easiest meats to ruin and one of the hardest to make compelling. We worked the brine and the slice angle until it stopped being an afterthought.","The brine is the half of the work. Whole bone-in turkey breasts go into a 6% salt brine with brown sugar, bay, black peppercorn, fresh garlic, and a generous bunch of fresh thyme for twenty-four hours. The sugar tempers the salt; the bay and thyme carry into the meat without us having to chase them with a glaze. After the brine the breasts get rinsed, patted dry, rested uncovered overnight in the walk-in so the skin tightens (pellicle formation — same principle as cold-smoked salmon)."],"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/smoked-turkey-sandwich"},{"slug":"pulled-pork","name":"The Pulled Pork Sandwich","shortName":"Pulled Pork","price":"$14 sandwich · $18 plate","priceSandwich":14,"pricePlate":18,"cookTimeHours":12,"wood":"Apple and cherry","rub":"Coffee-chile rub: salt, 16-mesh pepper, ancho, ground coffee, brown sugar (yes, in pork — pork takes it).","servedAt":["the-cantina","mash-mechanix","old-colorado-city","urban-animal-star-ranch"],"availability":"Daily at every location, until it sells out.","description":"Apple-and-cherry-smoked bone-in shoulder, twelve hours, hand-pulled (never chopped), house slaw, vinegar mop, Carolina Gold on the side.","longDescription":["Twelve hours. Apple and cherry. Bone-in shoulder. Hand-pulled, never chopped. If pulled pork has a creed, that is ours.","We use whole bone-in pork shoulder — pork butt, in the trade, even though it is the front quarter — eight to ten pounds each, sourced from the same Colorado ranchers we have used since the ranch days. The bone matters: it conducts heat into the middle of the muscle, holds the cushion together through the cook, and tells you when the pork is done by sliding clean when you pull on it. Boneless shoulders are faster to prep and easier to portion, which is exactly why every BBQ-chain shortcut starts there. We don't."],"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/pulled-pork"},{"slug":"six-hour-ribs","name":"The Six-Hour Ribs","shortName":"Six-Hour Ribs","price":"$19 half rack · $32 full rack","priceSandwich":null,"pricePlate":19,"cookTimeHours":6,"wood":"Hickory with a pecan finish","rub":"Salt, 16-mesh black pepper, smoked paprika, a touch of brown sugar (ribs can take it).","servedAt":["the-cantina","mash-mechanix","old-colorado-city","urban-animal-star-ranch"],"availability":"Daily at every location, until they sell out.","description":"St. Louis-cut spare ribs, six hours over hickory, finished with pecan. Sauce on the side — Alabama White or Carolina Gold, your call.","longDescription":["Six hours. Hickory base, pecan finish. No foil, no spritz, no shortcuts. If you ask a competition cook how to do ribs, you get the 3-2-1 method — three hours of smoke, two hours wrapped in foil with butter and brown sugar, one hour unwrapped with sauce. It is a fine technique. It is not what we do.","The 3-2-1 method exists because it is forgiving. Wrap a rack in foil with sugar and liquid and you can hit fall-off-the-bone tender in a backyard pit with a thermometer that lies. The trade-off: the bark steams off in the wrap, the smoke flavor stalls at the foil boundary, and the texture goes from rib to braised pork shoulder. That is not what a rib is supposed to be."],"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/six-hour-ribs"},{"slug":"burnt-ends","name":"The Burnt Ends","shortName":"Burnt Ends","price":"$14 cup · $22 plate","priceSandwich":null,"pricePlate":22,"cookTimeHours":14,"wood":"Post oak with a pecan finish","rub":"Brisket bark plus a second-pass coat of 16-mesh pepper. No sugar.","servedAt":["the-cantina","mash-mechanix","old-colorado-city","urban-animal-star-ranch"],"availability":"Daily at every location, while the brisket point lasts. Sells out faster than brisket.","description":"Brisket point, cubed, re-smoked 90 minutes with bark and sauce. Kansas City origin. The candy of brisket.","longDescription":["Burnt ends are the candy of brisket. The phrase is old, from Kansas City — Arthur Bryant's gave them away free at the counter in the 1950s because the point of the brisket cooked harder than the flat and the trimmed cubes piled up next to the slicer. Joe's KC built a whole sandwich around them. Two generations later, the burnt-end cube is one of the most-ordered single items in American BBQ. Ours hold to the original idea: brisket point, cubed, re-smoked with a second pass of pepper and a glaze of red sauce. Hot, sticky, sweet, smoke-forward. We serve them in a paper cup or piled on a plate. There is no third option.","Brisket comes in two muscles. The flat — the long, lean, classic sliceable side — is what most brisket sandwiches are built from. The point sits on top of the flat: thicker, fattier, marbled all the way through. The point is where the burnt ends come from. We pull a whole rested fourteen-hour brisket off the cutting board, separate the point from the flat at the natural fat seam, and cube the point one inch square. Then it goes back in. That is the move that turns brisket into burnt ends. Cube. Re-smoke. Glaze. Eat hot."],"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/burnt-ends"}],"sides":[{"slug":"house-cornbread","name":"House Cornbread","shortName":"Cornbread","price":"$4 small · $7 large","priceSmall":4,"priceLarge":7,"description":"Cast-iron skillet cornbread, stone-ground yellow cornmeal, finished with a honey-butter glaze.","keyIngredients":["Stone-ground yellow cornmeal","Buttermilk","Cast-iron skillet","Local Black Forest honey","Salted butter"],"ingredients":["cornbread","corn","honey","butter","vegetable"],"pairsWith":["brisket","pulled-pork","six-hour-ribs"],"heat_level":null,"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/sides"},{"slug":"mac-and-cheese","name":"Mac & Cheese","shortName":"Mac & Cheese","price":"$5 small · $9 large","priceSmall":5,"priceLarge":9,"description":"Cavatappi in a sharp cheddar and smoked gouda bechamel. The side version — distinct from the Burnt-End Mac Bowl entree.","keyIngredients":["Cavatappi","Sharp cheddar","Smoked gouda","Whole milk + cream bechamel","Kosher salt + 16-mesh pepper"],"ingredients":["macaroni","cheese","cheddar","smoked-gouda","vegetable"],"pairsWith":["brisket","six-hour-ribs","smoked-turkey-sandwich"],"heat_level":null,"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/sides"},{"slug":"collards","name":"Smoked Collards","shortName":"Collards","price":"$5 small · $9 large","priceSmall":5,"priceLarge":9,"description":"Collard greens simmered with smoked turkey neck and finished with apple cider vinegar.","keyIngredients":["Collard greens","House-smoked turkey neck","Apple cider vinegar","Crushed red pepper","Pot liquor"],"ingredients":["vegetable","turkey","vinegar"],"pairsWith":["pulled-pork","smoked-turkey-sandwich","brisket"],"heat_level":null,"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/sides"},{"slug":"smoked-beans","name":"Smoked Beans","shortName":"Smoked Beans","price":"$5 small · $9 large","priceSmall":5,"priceLarge":9,"description":"Pinto and navy beans simmered with brisket trimmings and a brown-sugar molasses base.","keyIngredients":["Pinto + navy beans","Brisket trimmings","Brown sugar + molasses","Apple cider vinegar","Rendered brisket fat"],"ingredients":["beans","brisket","beef","brown-sugar","molasses","vinegar"],"pairsWith":["brisket","burnt-ends","six-hour-ribs"],"heat_level":null,"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/sides"},{"slug":"no-mayo-slaw","name":"Apple-Cider Slaw","shortName":"Slaw","price":"$4 small · $7 large","priceSmall":4,"priceLarge":7,"description":"Green and red cabbage, carrot, apple-cider vinegar dressing. No mayo. Built for the sandwich line.","keyIngredients":["Green + red cabbage","Carrot","Apple cider vinegar","Dijon","No mayo"],"ingredients":["cabbage","carrot","vinegar","mustard","vegetable"],"pairsWith":["pulled-pork","burnt-ends","smoked-turkey-sandwich"],"heat_level":null,"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/sides"},{"slug":"charred-brussels","name":"Charred Brussels","shortName":"Brussels","price":"$6 small · $10 large","priceSmall":6,"priceLarge":10,"description":"Brussels sprouts charred hard on the flat-top, finished with a hot-honey glaze.","keyIngredients":["Brussels sprouts","Rendered brisket fat","Local hot honey","Crystal hot sauce","Flake salt"],"ingredients":["brussels-sprouts","sprouts","hot-honey","honey","beef","vegetable"],"pairsWith":["smoked-turkey-sandwich","brisket","six-hour-ribs"],"heat_level":1,"url":"https://stagestopbbq.com/menu/sides"}],"seasonal":[],"generated_at":"2026-07-29T02:27:59.012Z","base_url":"https://stagestopbbq.com"}