Chris Armstrong of Navin's BBQ is Ford Hotel Supply's Chef of the Month

Partner Content

Chef of the Month is sponsored by Ford Hotel Supply.

Position: Owner/Pit Boss 

Married? Yes, my wife Courtney’s support helps keep Navin’s going

Kids? Yes, my 3 year old daughter Tess loves “helping” around the restaurant and is a BBQ master in training 

Where are you originally from? I grew up in an Air Force Family and had the pleasure of living in 8 states across the country, but I call San Antonio, TX and Lawrence, KS my hometowns.

Where did you go to school? University of Kansas 

How did you get to where you are? BBQ has always been a passion of mine but it wasn’t until a pandemic-related job loss and the support of my family that allowed me the opportunity to really pursue the concept of Navin’s as a restaurant. Navin’s would also not be what it is without the help and collaboration of the great team I work with everyday – Tyler, Greg, and John.  They each have unique skills and culinary knowledge that help knock out amazing food day in and day out.  

New things going on in your restaurant: We just celebrated our one year anniversary! We run weekly menu specials (ribs, salmon burnt ends, Pit Boss sandwich for example) so follow us on social media for updates. It's never too early to plan ahead - We will be offering precooked smoked turkey breasts for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year! 

Favorite menu item: The entire menu is essentially a collection of all my favorite BBQ items. However, if I was ordering meat by the pound I would go with our brisket burnt ends, or the Hot Brown if I was ordering a sandwich.

Three cool facts about you: 
• The restaurant is named after Steve Martin’s character from The Jerk 
• We use a combination of White Oak to smoke our meats/veggies  
• We brine all our poultry and pork steaks in Busch beer

What is your favorite piece of equipment or kitchen item? My Horizon off-set smoker is the work horse around the restaurant and is my favorite piece of cooking equipment to use – but as my cook John says you should never under-appreciate the versatility of the spoon. 

Navin's BBQ, 3559 Arsenal St, St. Louis, 314.449.1185, navinsbbq.com