From the First Flame: The Story Behind Asado Life’s Handcrafted Grills
Long before Asado Life became a restaurant, it began with a simple idea: Experience Grilling.
In 2014, founders Nick and Christie Carrera launched Urban Asado, a grill fabrication studio built around a passion for live-fire cooking, quality craftsmanship, and bringing people together around the fire. What started as a small project grew into something much bigger, laying the foundation for the live-fire dining experience that defines Asado Life today.
Where It All Started
Located along the San Sebastian River on Riberia Street in St. Augustine, where the shrimp boats dock, Urban Asado remains home to the original grill fabrication studio. It is where the craftsmanship behind our handcrafted parrilla grills continues to connect tradition with the art of live-fire cooking.
From the beginning, Nick and Christie envisioned more than a grill. They wanted to create an experience that brought people together through the sights, sounds, and aromas of cooking over an open flame.
They began hosting pop-ups and live-fire demonstrations, using their handmade grills to support local charities. From parking lots to overgrown fields, each gathering shared the same purpose: to celebrate great food, thoughtful craftsmanship, and the connections formed around the fire.
The Fire That Started It All
In 2017, a rainy, windswept asado sparked an idea that would change the course of Urban Asado. What began as a passion for handcrafted grills and live-fire cooking grew into the vision for a restaurant built around the same traditions of food, fire, and gathering.
Today, Asado Life carries that same spirit forward, bringing live-fire cooking, hospitality, and craftsmanship together in a dining experience rooted in the traditions of asado. Fire is not simply a cooking method at Asado Life. It is central to how we prepare our food, shape our dining experience, and bring people together.
The Craft Behind Every Grill
Cooking over live fire requires attention, patience, and an understanding of the relationship between flame, heat, and ingredients. That philosophy carries from our fabrication studio to our restaurant kitchens, where the fire remains at the heart of what we do.
Today, Urban Asado and Asado Life share the same roots: a belief that fire has a unique way of bringing people together.
Creative Contributors: Daybreak Photo Co. and the Asado Team