Building the Valley: Springdale restaurant owner aims to put an end to 'food desert'

Springdale is a food desert no longer.

At least that’s the goal for Jamar Sheffey, owner of Tastefully Blessed Kitchen & Smokehouse. With Springdale residents typically being left with nothing but chain restaurants, Sheffey expanded his catering company and opened a brick-and-mortar location in late November to combat the issue.

“I appreciate Springdale and Cheswick so much,” said Sheffey, who has more than two decades of experience cooking professionally. “Even so much I named a burger after Springdale just to show the community that, you know, we’re here. We appreciate your business.”

While signs outside the restaurant might lead some to believe the restaurant focuses on barbecue — paired with a smoker built from a propane tank in the back cooking brisket, sausages and more — the menu is much more eclectic.

Hence the name “Tastefully Blessed,” Sheffey said, adding the name was thought of by his wife so its cuisine would not be placed in a box.

“I said I needed a name that transcends to different genres of food,” he said. “So it worked out because we’ve done African food, we’ve done Ghana food and even Asian food to attract all nationalities from all over to do their weddings.”

Dishes on the menu range from brisket tacos to pot roast and seasonal salads.

Tastefully Blessed initially was a catering company that opened in 2018 specifically to cook food for weddings, Sheffey said. The company still caters and already is booked for 2024 and 2025.

“So, we’re never able to never be out of season, because barbecue can be out of season,” Sheffey said. “It slows down at least. Some people say barbecue never goes out of season, but it still does slow down. So I don’t want our business to have a slow period.”

Sheffey might be humble about his cooking prowess but when asked of his roots, he said, “My grandma’s going to kill me.”

“As a kid, I used to go behind my grandmother, and I would just make things taste better,” he said. “Not that our food was nasty. I would literally go and make it the way I like it. So that’s really how I got in as a kid.”

Sheffey said his first job was at an Olive Garden just to make some money.

Later, he worked for UPMC as a chef. He began to climb the corporate ladder there before coming to the realization that starting a company and cooking food for a living was his passion.

His key business plan: customer service.

“Good food, generous portions,” Sheffey said. “Most of all, customer service. If you read our reviews, the customer service is always put in. And that’s very, very important to us. That’s the priority for Tastefully Blessed.”

More information about Tastefully Blessed can be found at tastefullyblessed smokehouse.com.

The company also raises money for Speed Family Blessing Box & Pantry, a nonprofit organization.

“Soaring food prices are really putting a serious strain on our neighbors right now,” a letter from the donation box reads. “With costs increasing, some families are facing some pretty tough decisions.

“Wondering if they should buy food or pay for rent and other needed essentials like toiletries or medication. Higher prices are not only affecting our neighbors, but it’s affecting also our ability as a food pantry to meet the needs in our communities. Donations have once again slowed down. Our funds are dwindling just as demand is on the rise.”

Information about the organization can be found at speedfamilyblessings.org.