A conversation with Jamie Thousand, owner of Satchmo’s barbecue restaurant.

What is Satchmo’s all about and how did it come to be in Flagstaff?

The concept of Satchmo’s goes as far back as my wife and I can remember. Family, friends and great food are ideals that we were both raised with. Hailing from the Midwest, fresh foods and quality BBQ were mainstays. With the bayou just to the south, Cajun & Creole foods commonly found their way into family gatherings & backyard get-togethers. After moving to Flagstaff, we quickly realized we found a place to call home permanently. The next step was making a dream a reality. After a short stint catering out of a rent-by-the hour commercial kitchen, Satchmo’s landed in an old 300-square-foot block building, offering only drive-thru and carry-out service. Another year passed and a second and final move has put us where we now have a dining room, outdoor patio and liquor license.

What has made Satchmo’s so successful in Flagstaff?

Quality vs. Quantity! We don’t just want our customers to like our food; we want them to LOVE it! We’ve always felt that if we can just get people to try our food they will come back for more. Flagstaff’s definitely a “word of mouth” town and with our “homemade” and “good for your soul” approach to food, we just had a good feeling that word would travel well. We live, work and eat in Flagstaff, appreciate this community, and we think that shows in everything we do.

What are a few of your signature dishes and how are they prepared

I have to say, if you’re in the mood for some BBQ, give the pulled pork and pit smoked beans a try. Looking for Cajun? Don’t even think about passing up the jambalaya. Stocks, soups, gumbo, jambalaya, veggie burgers and many other items are created from scratch in house. The BBQ is slow smoked requiring anywhere from 6-16 hours of cooking and preparation. Meats are smoked over carefully selected blends of both fruit and nut woods, with spice and Cajun seasoning blends made in house and carefully paired with the perfect food.

What is your personal background and how did you get into the BBQ business?

We are a husband and wife team from Missouri with legal and IT backgrounds and no previous commercial kitchen experience. During college, we grew tired of the standard giant corporate eateries and began to get truly serious about creating good food on a budget. Shortly after, dinner parties started to become larger and larger, ultimately manifesting into what Satchmo’s is today… Good food, good times and good people.

What are your favorite things to do in Flagstaff when you’re not at the restaurant?

Everything! Flagstaff’s one of the greatest places that we’ve ever been. Much of our spare time when not working revolves around music, food and nature – sort of Flagstaff’s trinity of goodness. There’s just not much better than live music outdoors in Flagstaff, or the First Friday Artwalks. Not to mention the great indoor music venues. Sunday Farmer’s markets are a pivotal point during the week, followed by a visit to one of our great dog parks. Hikes in the summer and playing in the snow during the winter.  And I can’t even begin to touch on all the great places to eat all over town.