Charlie Staples Original Famous Bar-B-Que The secret is the SAUCE

by: Rebecca Nieminen

YOUNGSTOWN - You don’t need to travel to the bayou to enjoy authentic Louisiana barbeque. The sweet yet spicy flavor of Southern cuisine is just a short drive away at Charlie Staples in downtown Youngstown.

“People come here to eat,” said restaurant owner, Charlie Staples, with a hint of a Southern drawl. “They love the atmosphere. They love the food. We have a loyal following.”

One taste of the “Signature Bar-B-Que” sauce, and it’s easy to understand why. This sauce is pure perfection. Sweet yet spicy, wholesome, homemade and delicious.

Staples has been creating dishes with his signature sauce since 1974.

“I bought the recipe from a man named Bill Robinson,” Staples explained. “He had gotten it from an elderly Southern woman back in 1939. She and her husband had been using the recipe down South for many years. The recipe is over 100 years old, and that is what makes it so special. No additives or food colorings. We have not changed the recipe.”

Patrons can choose a mild version, a spicy version, or a mixed version of the signature sauce.

The ribs and chicken I sampled were prepared with the mixed sauce. It has just enough kick to lend some zing to your palate, while not being overwhelming.

The chicken is tender and moist, and the perfectly prepared ribs boast a smoky flavor thanks to the flames of a charcoal and cherry wood grill.

A four-piece barbecue chicken dinner is $9.35; an all-white chicken dinner, with two breasts and two wings is $11.05.

A Bar-B-Q rib dinner, º slab, is $8.95; a Ω slab dinner is $14.95; and a full slab dinner is $27.95. Dinners include French fries, coleslaw and Charlie’s famous Saucey Bread.

A pulled pork sandwich is $4.99, and a beef brisket sandwich is $5.95.

Of course, Charlie Staples offers more than just barbecue.

Seafood, including shrimp and Alaskan pollock, and infamous side dishes, such as the Big Bertha loaded baked potato, baked beans and the signature coleslaw, round out the menu.

“Lots of people who don’t like coleslaw tell me they like our coleslaw,” Staple said.

After tasting the light, mildly spicy slaw, I could see why. It is the best I have ever sampled.

The Big Bertha ($5.75), a gigantic baked potato laden with sour cream, butter, bacon, cheese and chives, is a meal in itself. Patrons can also order the Big Bertha with pork ($9.95) or beef ($10.95).

Every February, in honor of Mardi Gras, Charlie Staples offers genuine creole cuisine such as seafood gumbo ($6.95 per cup, $8.95 per bowl), boudin ($5.99), jambalaya ($4.95 per cup, $6.95 per bowl), and beignets ($3.50), which are a French pastry known as the Louisiana doughnut.

“There is a restaurant in New Orleans called Cafe Du Monde. It is a very well-known restaurant, and we use the same batter to prepare our beignets as they use at Cafe Du Monde,” Staples explained.

The delicious beignets have a light, airy texture and are dusted in powdered sugar.

The seafood gumbo is spicy and hearty, filled with generous chunks of shrimp and a rice ball to create a pleasing blend of textures.

Don’t leave Charlie Staples without trying a slice of his amazing carrot cake. Perhaps “slice” is the wrong word for this four-layer slab of decadence. You may initially raise a brow at the $8.99 price tag, but once you see the size of the serving and once you sink your fork into the moist layers of shredded carrot, chopped walnut and cream cheese frosting, you will agree you got your money’s worth.

The atmosphere at Charlie Staples is as enjoyable as the food. Decorated to resemble Bourbon Street, faux balconies and building fronts evoke the French quarter, and a mural of a lively New Orleans street scene adds color and charm.

Festive Cajun music plays on the sound system, making it easy to forget for a moment that you are in Ohio.

The dining room opened in 2009 and can seat about 175 people.

Prior to opening the dining room, the restaurant operated primarily as a carry-out establishment.

“We still do about 70 percent of our business from carry out,” Staples said, “but we also enjoy a lot of business from people dining in.”

Staples was born in West Virginia, raised in Youngstown, and spent many years in Houston before returning to Youngstown and establishing his restaurant, which he owns along with his wife, Marge Staples, and his daughter, Chandra Staples.

About two years ago Staples began selling his Signature Bar-B-Que sauce in grocery stores such as Giant Eagle, Rulli Brothers and Sparkle.

“It is sold in about 300 stores and is doing well,” he said. “It’s $4.29 per 20-ounce bottle.”

Staples said he always dreamed of being in business and shared a simple formula for success.

“We don’t skimp,” he said. “People will pay for quality and delicious food, and they’ll keep coming back for more of it.”

If you adore barbecue and you’ve never eaten at Charlie Staples, plan a visit immediately. You will fall in love with this taste of New Orleans right in downtown Youngstown.