Chef & Pit Master David Sandusky was raised in fine-dining, but found obsession in fire & smoke. His pursuit of excellence is relentless, and is experienced in his mastering of textures, caramelization & char. David opened his first restaurant, BEAST Craft BBQ Co. in 2014, raising the bar for the ultra-competitive St. Louis BBQ scene with a vision to put his city back on the map as a world-class BBQ destination.

BEAST has raked in a “truck-load” of awards, including “#11 Best BBQ in America” by Big7 Travel, named a “Top-33 BBQ Joint in America” by Thrillist.com, and “Best BBQ in Illinois” by Food & Wine Magazine.

David is FEAST Magazine’s 2021 “Chef of the Year”, and an Iron Fork Champion. You’ll find him on Guy’s Grocery Games, BBQ Brawl, Project Fire, and Beat Bobby Flay.