One night after he made her an evening meal, Kristen Beard turned to her husband, Joshua Beard, and said, “we should start a food truck,” sparking the birth of Squacho’s. After years of running a food truck, the truck has evolved into Squacho’s Bar and Grill, a new brick and mortar location in Springfield that has taken over the longtime location of what was once the Chow Gastropub.
As the sasquatch in the name indicates, Squacho’s is PNW comfort food classics combined with a unique fantasy adventure theme inspired by Dungeons & Dragons.
“We didn’t want to do something everyone else was doing,” Joshua says.
Walking into Squacho’s, you’re immediately greeted by Kristen’s art and Joshua’s 3D printed models. It’s an ambiance that makes it easy to fall into the roleplaying mood as you order some fantasy-themed drinks and pub food classics.
And that’s the intent. Joshua says he hopes to draw a crowd of fantasy adventure fans as well as locals who enjoy homestyle, feel-good food. Squacho’s hosts a Dungeons & Dragons Arena League, where patrons can sign up to participate in a fantasy quest all while enjoying Squacho’s unique menu items.
“Come for the food; stay for the games,” Joshua says. Squacho’s has an entire upstairs section dedicated just to fantasy gameplay. The section has its own unique map setup, as well as a plethora of characters for patrons to choose from.
Squacho’s menu is actively expanding. Kirsten and Joshua say they are working to introduce creative, new foods into the menu as the operation grows. Squacho’s has hearty dishes that satisfy cravings for savory, rich and fiery pub food classics.
Squacho’s has a knack for making foods normally considered snack foods into full blown homestyle meals. Squacho’s pulled pork nachos are a fan favorite. The smokey flavor of the pork combined with housemade cilantro lime sour cream makes for a dish that distinguishes Squacho’s nachos from your regular old nacho. Their unique Frito Pie puts a new spin on a classic chip, topping Fritos with house chili, barbecue sauce, bacon bits, green onions and more of the cilantro lime sour cream.
Squacho’s doesn’t just host Dungeons & Dragons. It’s also a home for Warhammer, for board games, for trivia and for karaoke. Joshua says a big part of Squacho’s karaoke nights is cosplay, the art of dressing up as fictional characters from various movies, TV shows and animations. “We’re really trying to get the cosplayers to break out of their shell and come Friday nights to sing dressed up,” Joshua says. Squacho’s hosts karaoke nights every Friday from 8 pm to midnight.
Kristen and Joshua aren’t just learning to run a restaurant, but a bar, too. “We always said, ‘If we’re gonna do a restaurant, it’s gotta have a bar,’” Joshua says.
Squacho’s operates a full-service bar, with unique fantasy-inspired drinks. Joshua says they hope to expand the drink menu to contain 20 cocktails within the near future to reflect the 20-sided die used in Dungeons & Dragons. The 20-sided die determines the success or failure of player actions such as an attack, where a one represents the weakest hit and a 20 is a critical hit. “We want to label the drinks one through 20, and then you can roll for your drink,” Joshua says.
Moving away from a food truck and into a restaurant has its challenges and its rewards. “It’s so nice coming in when the kitchen is set and done,” Kristen says, “it’s not like you have to lock it down and move.” But learning to run a restaurant and a bar is new for the couple.
Despite the challenges associated with opening a restaurant, Kristen and Joshua have both put in a successful effort to foster an environment that keeps patrons coming back for more.
As Squacho’s keeps developing its unique style, the Beards hope they are making a home for the community to gather while enjoying delicious food and embracing their love for fantasy-adventure in a warm, inclusive family style environment.
Squacho’s is more than just nachos. “Now we’re not just the nacho place, we’re the nacho-burger place too,” Joshua says. From savory pulled pork quesadillas to homestyle chili burgers, Squacho’s is the place to go and fill that desire for smokey, flavorful PNW favorites.