Yo Dumplings, a new restaurant that blends Southern smokehouse flavors with Far East cuisine, has opened inside Brick West Brewing Co. on the west end of downtown Spokane.

Yo Dumplings, a trade name for Yo Dumplings Spokane LLC, marks executive chef and owner Jocelyn Dupree’s first brick-and-mortar establishment.

Dupree, 31, says the response from the public has been overwhelming. A grand opening was held Friday, Jan. 16, at 11 a.m., and by 1 p.m, the eatery had sold out of food and had to close to prepare for the dinner rush, she says.

“It’s been amazing,” Dupree says. “I can’t fathom how much people have loved it.” 

Operating inside Brick West Brewing, at 1318 W. First, Dupree has crafted a menu specially tailored to pair with the brewery’s selection of craft beers. The offerings fuse American comfort food with modern Asian influences, Dupree says, and include items like a Wagyu “Yo” Burger Bao, chorizo and potato pot stickers, and Thai peanut butter sticky ribs.

Among the menu’s items, Dupree says she’s also excited to offer something she contends is new to Spokane: Smokey Ka-Ya-Mein. The dish, inspired by a trip to New Orleans, features a beef-based broth seasoned with Creole seasoning and soy sauce, served with noodles, brisket, a soft-boiled egg, and various other accoutrements.

The family-friendly eatery is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 a.m. Yo Dumplings operates with four full-time employees and four part-time employees. Dupree says she anticipates adding more menu items in the coming months, as well as offering online and delivery services.

Dupree also is the co-owner of 509 Entertainment LLC, which does business as 509 Dine, a food truck specializing in American barbecue offerings that can be found parked outside breweries, wineries, and other community events in the Spokane area.

Dupree, who runs 509 Dine and Yo Dumplings with her parents, Ken and Marjorie Dupree, says that over the last few years, 509 Dine has been parked outside of Brick West every Thursday. On occasion, the brewery would ask her to create a pop-up brunch series that she says was always a hit and would sell out.

Previously, Ox LLC, doing business as Outlaw BBQ, occupied the restaurant space inside the brewery. Given Dupree’s past success putting together pop-up brunches, when Outlaw BBQ decided to move out, Bill Powers, marketing director for Brick West, asked her if she would be interested in moving in.

“There’s nothing quite like the combination of hot, handcrafted dumplings and a cold local brew,” Dupree says. “We designed this menu to be fun, flavorful, and approachable, and we can’t wait to welcome the Spokane community to our table.”

The Dupree family has always worked in the service industry in some form, she contends. Her parents have owned banquet halls, delis, and other establishments in and around the Spokane area her entire life. In 2019, the trio purchased a food truck with the intent of combining their years of experience into one moveable feast. In 2020, amid the onset of the pandemic, the family went on a 17-state road trip focused on eating and learning as much barbecue as possible. That experience was then folded into 509 Dine, which debuted in late 2020.

Aside from helping run the family’s various businesses growing up, Dupree got her start in the service industry working as a busser before being promoted to manager at the now-defunct Wandering Table. She also served as manager of the Gilded Unicorn restaurant in downtown Spokane before embarking on her own restaurateur pursuits.