Jacob Tyler Dunn
Audio By Carbonatix
Starlite BBQ, an elevated smokehouse from the team behind the popular central Phoenix restaurant Ocotillo, has closed in Scottsdale.
The restaurant served barbecued meats smoked with pecan and mesquite woods, cornbread pancakes served in cast iron pans and whiskey-based cocktails at its sleek, industrial space located near Miller and Indian School roads for more than six years.
Starlite BBQ was launched by Ocotillo’s team – chef-owner Walter Sterling, chefs Sacha and Alex Levine, beverage director David Johnson and general manager Brad Twigg – in February 2018.
Starlite BBQ served smoked meats, sides, cocktails and beers for more than six years.
Courtesy of Starlite BBQ
The restaurant aimed to create a casual gathering spot that would go beyond traditional smokehouse offerings.
“Arizona doesn’t really have a style of barbecue, so we have to borrow,” Sterling told Phoenix New Times in 2018. “We’re not trying to create our own style but we’re trying to do some things representative of Arizona.”
Starlite’s website and social media accounts have been deactivated and its Google business listing has been updated to reflect that it is permanently closed.
The restaurant’s most recent Yelp review came from a user who noted, “this was probably our favorite place to eat and are SO sad that it’s closed and so abruptly. We loved supporting this place, truly lovely people who worked there, best ribs EVER and hope you will be back.”
The closure comes three months after another restaurant from Sterling, the modern Mexican eatery Chantico, quietly shut its doors and was listed for sale after nearly four years in business. Ocotillo and its Sidecar Social Club remain open.
Starlite BBQ
7620 E. Indian School Road
