In The Beginning

The Fattened Caf. was founded by Darren and Charlene Young, a husband-and-wife team passionate about sharing Filipino flavors with their community. Charlene, a Filipino American born in Los Angeles, grew up surrounded by the flavors of her Filipino heritage, while Darren, a budding pitmaster, brought his love for barbecue into the mix. In 2018, Darren and Charlene began selling Filipino BBQ at the Cherokee Street Market—marking the birth of The Fattened Caf.

What began as a small passion project—hosting game nights and serving Filipino food in their home to friends—quickly gained traction. The farmers market and other pop-ups eventually led to a residency at Earthbound Beer, a café partnership at WashU, a packaged longganisa business in regional grocery stores, and now a brick-and-mortar location in St. Louis.

At its core, The Fattened Caf. exists to create a seat at the table for Filipino flavors, stories, and culture. Guided by their mission to “love food but to always love people more,” Darren and Charlene are committed to fostering meaningful connections through their cooking. Through their signature Pork Steak BBQ and a variety of Filipino BBQ dishes, they are dedicated to preserving tradition while embracing innovation. Every meal is a celebration of heritage, community, and the deep connections that food fosters.