Andrew Cisneros will open Brasas in the Delmar Loop in spring 2024

Andrew Cisneros, a former Sauce Ones to Watch honoree, will open a brick-and-mortar location for his Brasas concept in the Delmar Loop in spring 2024. The restaurant will open at 6138 Delmar Blvd., the former home of 12oh7 Herban Eatery. Brasas, which translates to “embers” in Spanish, will focus on pollo a la brasa, or chicken cooked over embers. Cisneros’ other restaurants include Jalea and Sanguchitos at Perennial Artisan Ales.

Cisneros made his mark on the St. Louis culinary scene at a variety of spots, including the now-closed Publico and Original J’s Tex-Mex BBQ, along with the soon-to-close Cinder House, but it was his time at Original J’s that allowed him to perfect his wood-fired rotisserie chicken recipe. “The recipe is almost four years old,” he said. “It hasn’t changed since we first launched it in 2020. I was working under chef Mike Randolph, one of my mentors, who gave me the freedom to do my own pop-up at the space, and I was able to finalize the recipe in a few weeks. I love wood-fire cooking – it’s very South American and adds another layer of flavor to the chicken.”

Beer and lime juice are the marinade base for the chicken, along with a proprietary blend of 14 additional ingredients. The chicken will be available at Brasas in whole, half or quarter portions, to be served alongside Cisneros’ delectable sauces, including the aji verde, a rocoto fry sauce, a cheesy huancaina sauce, and polleria, a black mint salsa. The pollo a la brasa dish is served with steak fries and a simple house salad. The mostrito dish will include the rotisserie chicken, along with Peruvian-style fried rice. There will also be a dish of arroz con pollo, which will feature the chicken along with cilantro rice. 

The menu also will feature an anticuchos section, offering marinated meats like beef heart, rib-eye and chicken skewered and cooked on a Japanese yakitori grill. Other offerings will include lomo saltado, a Peruvian staple, and several variations on fried rice. Friday and Saturday nights will see specials such as quail and duck.

On the drinks side, Brasas will offer some Perennial Artisan Ale beers, including their collaboration on Waska, a Peruvian-style lager with quinoa, plus some natural wines and a few pisco-based cocktails like the pisco sour.

The space is about 1,000 square feet and will have room for approximately 28 guests between mainly two-top tables and eight seats at the bar. “We’re in the first stages of getting all the cosmetic stuff done, but we’re going for a contemporary European gastropub feel,” Cisneros said. “At nighttime, it will be candlelit, but daytime will still be sort of upscale with everything nicely plated.”

Cisneros has also done some consulting work for local spots like Casa de Tres Reyes and The Tavern Kitchen & Bar; however, he’s put his consulting work on hold for the time being to focus on his own concepts. 

Brasas is slated to open by April for lunch and dinner daily, except for Monday. It will offer table service with QR codes at each table for customers to place their orders on their phones. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, aside from Friday and Saturday evenings, when reservations will be available by phone. If you want a glimpse into what Brasas will offer, stop by Jalea on Tuesday evenings for their chicken and beer night.