St. Louis City and Mid-County Restaurant Reviews

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the End of February 2026 with a Great Meal (for a worthy cause)

2026-01-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

Our annual St. Patrick's Day dinner is arriving in 2026 even earlier this time... at the end of February! For a reasonable donation, you can enjoy a delicious Irish corned beef dinner along with our always bountiful dessert bar. Our suggested donation amount did not even increase following a year where the price of everything else seems to have risen considerably. And every cent that you donate goes to Habitat for Humanity St. Louis to build homes for families in our community. Not convinced? Here is a photo from our dessert bar from last year.

Your donation includes everything: premium corned beef, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, bread, beverages and our infamous homemade dessert bar. Donations can be made at the door by cash, check or credit card. You can also call the church office at 314-727-9540 and make a donation via credit card over the phone. You can also donate online at the Samuel UCC website by clicking on the "Donate" button and donate to the Habitat for Humanity Fund (bring a printed copy of your receipt.)

Come enjoy a great dinner and support a worthy cause!

Saturday, February 28, 2026, 4:00 - 7:00 pm

Samuel United Church of Christ

320 N. Forsyth Blvd

Clayton MO 63105

(between Maryland and Delmar near the Clayton/University City border) Enter through the double doors off the parking lot. The dinner is located on the lower level with an elevator available for full accessibility.

2025 Corned Beef Dinner for Habitat for Humanity

2025-01-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

The Samuel UCC Habitat for Humanity Corned Beef dinner is back yet again for 2025! Again we will be serving dinner, this time from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm in our church fellowship hall in the lower level. This year the dinner is on Saturday, March 8, 2025 and the only charge is a suggested donation to Habitat for Humanity of $20 per adult and $6 per child.

Your donation includes everything: corned beef, sides, bread, beverages and our ever popular homemade dessert bar. Donations can be made at the door by cash, check or credit card. You can also call the church office at 314-727-9540 and make a donation via credit card over the phone. Yon can also donate online at the Samuel UCC website by clicking on the "Donate via PayPal" button and donate to Habitat (bring a printed copy of your receipt.) You could technically deduct this off your taxes, but you are supposed to deduct the value of the meal you receive.

Come enjoy a great dinner and support a worthy cause!

Samuel United Church of Christ

320 N. Forsyth Blvd

Clayton MO 63105

Here are some scenes from last year to get you in the mood

2024 Habitat for Humanity Corned Beef Dinner - Saturday, March 9

2024-02-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Samuel UCC Habitat for Humanity Corned Beef dinner returns again for 2024! Again we will be serving dinner, this time from 4:00 pm to 7:30 pm in our church fellowship hall in the lower level. This year the dinner is on Saturday, March 9, and the only charge is a suggested donation to Habitat for Humanity of $20 per adult and $6 per child. This includes everything: corned beef, sides, bread, beverages and our ever popular homemade dessert bar. Donations can be made at the door by cash, check or credit card. You can also call the church office at 314-727-9540 and make a donation via credit card over the phone. Yon can also donate online at the Samuel UCC website by clicking on the "Donate via PayPal" button and donate to Habitat (bring a printed copy of your receipt.) You could technically deduct this off your taxes, but you are supposed to deduct the value of the meal you receive.

Come enjoy a great dinner and support a worthy cause!

Samuel United Church of Christ

320 N. Forsyth Blvd

Clayton MO 63105

Samuel UCC St. Patrick's Corned Beef Dinner is Back, March 4, 2023!

2023-01-21T07:55:00.007-08:00

FINAL UPDATE (March 17, 2023): Our final tally was over $10,000 sent to Habitat and over 200 people served for our dinner. Plus it was a fun time for everyone (even though I ended up being drenched in cabbage juice.)

Initial Post:

After a three years absence, we are happy to announce the Samuel United Church of Christ St. Patrick's Corned Beef dinner is back! And since it has been such a long hiatus, we have decided to hold it early, on Saturday, March 4, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

It will be dinner only this year and the suggested donation has been increased to $20 per adult (ages 13 and older) and $6 per child (age 5 to 12). Once again all the proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity St. Louis with the food donated and prepared by the Kern Meat Company, and additional labor, space, beverages and homemade gourmet desserts donated by the members and friends of Samuel United Church of Christ in Clayton. The Kern Meat Company's general manager is also an accomplished chef. Matt Sherman knows his meat, and knows how to complement it with well prepared sides. In the past it was served with potatoes, carrots, cabbage and Irish soda bread, and I am guessing they will use the same sides again this year. Neither Kern Meat nor Samuel UCC will keep a dime of the proceeds, everything will be donated to Habitat for Humanity to provide affordable homes for families here in St. Louis.

The church is located at 320 North Forsyth (between Maryland and Delmar) with plenty of nearby street parking available. There will be dine in space in our fellowship hall downstairs, and takeout orders will also be available. Payment can be made online in advance, or by cash, check, or credit card at the door. For more information you can visit the event page on our church web site.

Steve's Hot Dogs, Tower Grove - ordered pickup August 2021

2021-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

We decided to get together for lunch so we ordered online and picked up our meal from Steve's Hot Dogs near Tower Grove Park. They have received a lot of good reviews so we were eager to try them. When we arrived our order was already waiting for us, the hot items in one bag and the cold ones in the other. That seemed like a nice item at the time.

However, when we got everything home and opened up the bags, we noticed that the order was wrong. We were missing one hot dog and a bag of chips, and instead they gave us a second serving of chili. Luckily one of our group could not make it, so we still had some extra food, and the four of us were able to try out the food.

Upon opening the foil wrapped hot dogs, they did not look as impressive as online. I first tried the Bacon Bacon Jamaican (pictured) which does have a great rhyming name. The toppings and seasoning were quite flavorful and tasty, with good crunchy bacon and juicy, zesty peppers. Unfortunately the bun was too chewy and hard to bite through (felt like it may have been microwaved). And the sausage itself had a good smokey flavor, but it had a thick, chewy casing and was not as meaty and substantial as I was expecting for a "premium" hot dog. It may have been fine for a backyard barbecue hot dog, but I was expecting a lot more after the hype.

I secondly tried the Chicago Fire hot dog. It was hot alright with some very hot peppers and a spicy sauce, but the bun was again chewy and tough, and the sausage tasted okay but was tough as well. These did not seem like premium, gourmet hot dogs.

The potato salad was quite good and I will try out the spare chili sometime soon. I was hoping for a great hot dog experience and I know Steve's is known for their generosity to first responders and people in need. However, from the botched order to the unimpressive dogs, I find it difficult to recommend Steve's Hot Dogs.

Order accuracy, hot dogs

Sugarwitch Ice Cream Sandwiches - Botanical Heights, Visited July 2021

2021-07-24T11:00:00.001-07:00

It was a hot Saturday afternoon in July so we wanted to get a tasty cool treat and we had heard of a new ice cream sandwich trailer that opened up so it was time for a visit! Located at the Olio patio in the Botanical Heights neighborhood, Sugarwitch has recently relocated from Columbia, Missouri, and is only open on Saturdays from noon until 6:00 pm. Each Saturday they have just a few selections from their menu available so make sure to check their Facebook page to see what is available that day.

We decided to try both the Ursula and the Zelie, so we parked on McRee and walked over and waited in line. The line was fairly long at 12:30pm (~10 people) but moved very quickly since there are only a few selections and they are a very efficient operation. I was going to purchase too Mini's of the Ursula and Zelie, but they ran out of mini Zelies so I purchased the full size version of it instead. Hey, more ice cream for me!

The Zelie was pretty good, but I will have to admit the Ursula was much better with a chewier and more flavorful brownie and a richer tasting ice cream as well. The Zelie is vegan and gluten-free, so for being both it was pretty good, but not as rich as the Ursula. Overall, though it was a fun experience and we will probably be back as I want to try the Tonks and the Elphaba when they are available. We think it is a great idea and we hope they do well in their new endeavor here in St. Louis. It's a little pricey for an ice cream sandwich, but well worth it for a special occasional treat and to support a new eatery in the area.

Food quality, flavor and product delivery efficiency

Balkan Treat Box, Webster Groves - Visited June 2021

2021-06-12T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sausage and Peppers Sandwich Special

Now that we are again going out to eat I was excited to try some new places, and today's suggestion sounded like a fun new place to try, the Balkan Treat Box in Webster Groves which has been receiving a lot of accolades since it first opened. We arrived shortly before they opened where we parked in the back in the ample shared parking lot. We approached from their back door and we were happy to notice a small back deck with two large picnic tables with umbrellas over them. Since it was already starting to get a little warm, we noticed the tables were well shaded by both the building and table umbrellas so with the slight breeze it was quite comfortable sitting at them. Once we went inside to order we realized the dining area was a bit noisy with some canned music, so we decided to dine out on the deck which we would have all to ourselves.

We had looked over the menus and after hearing their specials, two of us (myself included) decided to go with the spicy lamb sausage and peppers sandwich special, one ordered the chicken pide, another one ordered the chicken doner, and the last person selected a sopska salad with some somun bread. We also selected drinks at the counter and they said they would bring our food out to us on the deck when we told them we wanted to eat out there. Since I usually just order a water, I was pleased to see they had a large container of ice water with paper cups available so we picked up some of those as well as we waited for our food.

We sat out on a picnic table on the back deck which was a very private and comfortable location to sit and wait. We admired their herb planters on the deck and the food truck parked next to it as well, which created a nice enclosed area away from the traffic on Big Bend. It did not take too long for the food to arrive and we were able to enjoy our Balkan treats!

Chicken Doner

Chicken Pide

We tried each of the entrees and I was happy to say that they were all good, but I was glad I selected the lamb sausage and pepper sandwich. It was loaded with sausage, peppers, a flavorful sauce and some delicious cheese all in tasty and tender somun bread. It also came with both chips and their kupus cabbage salad which was also very good. I was not sure what to expect with the kupus and it had a strong pickled flavor and made a great side along with my sandwich. I liked the flatbread of the pide and found the chicken there good, but I preferred the more substantial blend of sausage, peppers, cheese and sauce in my own sandwich. The doner was also good with flavorfully cooked chicken inside, but still not as good as the sausage and it was not as saucy and cheesy inside.

We were not sure how much service we would receive sitting on the back deck, but someone did come out periodically to check on us and make sure everything was okay. They did take away our plates after we finished and said they would clean up after us and we could just leave everything on the table.

Overall it was a great experience at the Balkan Treat Box and I could see us eating there again, or picking up from them as well. They definitely deserve the accolades they have received.

Food Flavor and Quality, Service, Outdoor Dining Experience

Five Star Burgers, Clayton - Visited May 2021

2021-05-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

It was a cool but still pleasant Sunday so it was time for a Sunday lunch with one of our adult children. We had already decided to visit one of our old favorites, Five Star Burgers, in Clayton to enjoy our first delicious burger there in over a year. We had ordered takeout from them once in early May 2020 but once we had brought it at home the experience was not as tantalizing as our visits at the restaurant (their food does not travel so well.)

This time we decided to eat outside and it was nice to see they have expanded their outside eating area by partitioning a number of street parking spots with traffic barricades so they had a large number of spaced out tables with umbrellas. We were quite impressed with the area which was about as large as their indoor dining area. There were some customers dining inside, but on such a nice day most of them were outside. We selected a table on their original smaller patio, but I number of groups were out on the street and seemed to be quite comfortable there.

Our server took our drinks orders and my wife was disappointed that they no longer seemed to have the blue sweetener, only the pink carcinogen and sugar. They said they usually had the yellow ones but they were currently out of them. Luckily my wife came prepared with her own sweetener. I checked out their burger of the month and was not impressed that it was some sort of chicken burger (Matchstick chick) so I ordered my usual standby, the Dad's Green Chili Cheeseburger, and my son I and split an order of fries (with extra green chile mayo for dipping.)

The burgers and fries were served fairly quickly to our table and we were poised to attack. It had definitely been a while since we had a freshly cooked Five Star burger but it was worth the wait. The meat was juicy and flavorful and practically melted in my mouth. It was quite a mess (as it usually is) but I was able to eat the whole thing without making too large of a mess. The fries were also crisp and flavorful, enhanced by dipping in either the green chile mayo or the ketchup (we had both). I always like having multiple dipping choices.

It was nice just to be back out again eating at a restaurant, and Five Star Burgers delicious burgers and accomodating outdoor dining area and helpful service made sure it was an excellent experience.

Burgers, outdoor dining, service

Sushi Station, Webster Groves - Visited May 2021

2021-05-23T12:59:00.001-07:00

Today was a beautiful day to eat outside at a restaurant and since it was my pick I wanted to select a restaurant that had some available outside seating. I noticed that Sushi Station in Webster said it had some so I thought it was time for some outside sushi. We arrived shortly before their 11:00 am opening and looked at their patio on the back but it looked like it was under construction. Out in front on Gore they had some tables, but there were no umbrellas and it was too sunny to sit outside without any shade. Since the restaurant was completely devoid of other customers we decided to just go inside and sit at a table -- our first time dining inside a restaurant since March 2020!

We were seated at our usual table and we did have the entire dining area to ourselves for a while. Eventually a few more groups did come to eat, but the tables were well spaced and they required customers to remain masked when not seated at their tables. Since we were all vaccinated we felt pretty safe with the criteria they were using inside the restaurant.

My wife ordered her standard teriyaki salmon bowl, and the other four of us shared 8 different sushi rolls as pictured in my photo. We enjoyed the salmon skin, the spicy girl, the kobe beef, the spicy fried calamari, the caterpillar, sweet potato, eel avocado and the spicy crunchy tuna rolls. They were all served attractively on two plates with plenty of wasabi and pickled ginger.

The service was prompt and efficient and the food was fantastic as always. It was definitely fun to go there and share a variety of delicious sushi while supporting a local eatery.

Food quality, customer safety, service

Gramophone, The Grove - Picked up May 2021

2021-05-22T18:00:00.063-07:00

Upstream Dream

After spending the morning helping our eldest move a large sofa and then the afternoon helping them tile parts of their home, we were treated to a pick up dinner at a local eatery and the group decided to go with The Gramophone in The Grove which has a very extensive list of unique sandwiches. Perusing their menu I noticed a number of sandwiches which looked very promising, but I decided to get "When Pigs Fly" which is a pulled pork sandwich with bacon, pepper jack cheese, cajun ranch, lettuce, tomato and onions on a toasted ciabatta roll.

When Pigs Fly

We ordered online and then one of us drove over to get the sandwiches and were back at the house fairly quickly with the hot sandwiches still quite warm. They were all well wrapped and we were ready to dig in and enjoy. When I lifted my sandwich I could feel its heft and knew this was a loaded sandwich. The toasted bread was a bit of a mess on my hands, and by the end with some Cajun ranch escaping it was a pretty big mess. Luckily I like a messy sandwich since that is what it was! The pork was tender and juicy and with the Cajun ranch and cheese, it was a great flavor combination.

My wife had ordered the Clubhouse and they were able to tweak it to her liking by removing the cheese and replacing the pepper and Cholula mayo with just plain mayo instead. She thought it was delicious but she realized one reason it was so good was the bread was greasy with something probably not so healthy. It also had abundant crisp bacon which added to the flavor but also did not help in healthiness.

Pictured above is the Upstream Dream salmon sandwich which looked very good as well with salmon, bacon, goat cheese and Sriracha aioli. There is definitely a sandwich there that could be modified to satisfy just about anybody. I heartily approve of their menu and await the next time I can try a different sandwich.

Sandwich menu variety, promptness, value

Lona's Lil Eats - Visited May 2021

2021-05-16T09:04:00.001-07:00

Now that our eldest has moved into a house in the Tower Grove South neighborhood, we will be visiting more restaurants in the city. This week we ventured off to Lona's Lil Eats on California near Fox Park. They do not have any dine-in seating but they have several tables outside, and on a cloudy but not too cool day we were more than willing to sit outside and enjoy their "Asian inspired" fares.

During the pandemic you order online and tell them you are outside, and once the food is ready they bring it out and you can enjoy the food right there on one of their tables. You must clean up your own table and dispose of the garbage, but it was not that big of a deal. We all ordered and sat down and enjoyed the day in the not very busy residential city neighborhood. There was plenty of street parking nearby and they have reserved a number of spots for curbside pickup.

We did not have to wait long before our food was delivered from inside. I had ordered a "Create Ur Own" wrap consisting of rice paper, grilled chicken, stir fried glass noodles and Lona-Q sauce. First off, the wrap was enormous and covered in a couple large sheets of Saran Wrap. After opening it up none of us were sure we could fit the things in our mouths. I also ordered a side order of their stir-fried rice which I soon realized was a mistake. It was not bad but lacked much flavor without any sauce. It is better used as a filling within their wraps.

One of our group also ordered some dumplings and luckily they were much easier to eat! I tried both a steak and a mushroom version and they were both fantastic with a doughy fried flavorful skin, and stuffing with a variety of different ingredients. With the hot dumpling sauce they were definitely a good selection.

Once I was able to eat my wrap (I ended up using my fork for much of it) it was very good as well. The rice paper gave a nice texture and the rice noodles in the Lona-Q sauce gave it plenty of flavor along with the grilled chicken which were good cuts of meat with their own flavoring in the grilling sauce. I did end up with a bit of a mess on my hands, but it was worth it. My wife selected a less flavorful wrap with the smoked chicken and vinaigrette sauce and thought hers was pretty bland. I believe it is crucial to pick a good sauce for a good flavorful wrap. You definitely receive a lot of food for your money and they have several vegetarian or gluten-free options for people who prefer those.

Overall we enjoyed our lunch at Lona's and I definitely recommend the dumplings and picking a good flavorful sauce for your selection.

Food quality (esp. dumplings) & value

The Vine Cafe and Market, South Grand - Visited May 2021

2021-05-01T12:00:00.067-07:00

It was a beautiful Saturday and we decided it was time to start going out to lunch again! The only place we have eaten out in the past year has been the patio at Bandana's in Rock Hill (a few times), but we decided to visit a new patio, The Vine Cafe on South Grand. They were not seating people inside, but their patio had a number of tables of four with umbrellas, so we pushed two of them together to make a table large enough for our group of five.

We went inside to order and they said it would only take 10 minutes and we could come back inside and pick it up. They were not offering table side service like The Treehouse just down Grand, and instead they prepared the food in takeout containers which people could then take outside to a table themselves.

We arrived shortly after they opened at 11:00 and we were the first ones there, but after we received our food around 11:20 am a number of other folks started showing up and grabbing tables on the patio as well. By the time we left well after 1:00 pm there were several groups dining and enjoying themselves. The food was as fresh as usual and they even gave us two bags of freshly baked pitas and we only ate one of them. I ordered the chicken shawarma lunch with the lentil soup, so I dipped a few of the pitas in the soup myself and they were as delicious as always. In fact all the food was excellent and plentiful, even if we had to eat it out of takeout containers and make sure nothing blew away with the breezes. Their fries are not the greatest however and nobody finished them, and my wife mentioned the chicken chunks from her kabob were not ideal (she preferred the more thinly sliced shawarma chicken.) Also anything tastes great with their garlic sauce! Their patio was well spaced and very comfortable and we had an excellent lunch on a lovely May Day in St. Louis.

Food quality, value, freshness, patio, safety

Bandana's Rock Hill - Visited June 2020

2020-06-23T11:34:00.002-07:00

Today we took a nice walk around Laumeier Sculpture Park in the morning and decided to go out for lunch for the first time in over three months.On such a nice day we thought we could probably brave the outdoor patio at Bandana's Bar-B-Q in Rock Hill which we knew had a large patio and tended to be pretty empty at lunch. We entered the main restaurant to be seated and noticed the dining area was pretty empty, but as we arrived wearing our face masks, another larger group of older people (perhaps in their 60's or 70's) arrived as well with none of them wearing masks.

We asked to be seated outside and our waiter, wearing a bandana over his face (of course!) escorted us to the patio where he opened up an umbrella over a table for us to use. Nobody else was sitting on the patio so we experienced the ultimate in social distancing! He took our drink orders and returned shortly with our drinks and took our orders. The menus were all on paper, but we already knew what we wanted (smoked pork, fries and garlic bread). We were just so excited to be eating out!

As usual it did not take long for our food to arrive. Unlike the curbside service fries which we have ordered before, the freshly made dine-in french fries are much more crisp and warm since they did not have to sit in the sealed containers and then be transported in a car. It was also nice to have the full bottles of sauce which our waiter brought in a little six-pack caddy which was very convenient. I used my left hand to squeeze out generous portions of sauce and then I could easily sanitize my left hands afterwards. I made a point to eat with my right hand and keep my left hand ready for more sauce, since I just love barbecue sauce!

For our whole meal nobody else joined us on the patio which was a shame since it was a beautiful day. Our waiter popped out a few times to check on us to make sure we did not need anything. As usual the service is pretty good there, and everything tasted fresh and delicious. It was just so nice to be dining out again! Bandana's seems to be following proper guidelines, although it was easy to do with such a small crowd at lunch and with us sitting outside. Our church just sent out a nice graphic that shows comparative risks of doing different activities. Eating outside at a restaurant is equivalent to going to the dentist or an office, so it is not terribly bad. Much safer than eating inside or attending church services!

All in all it was a very nice visit to Bandana's and we were pleased to see they were operating safely. I bet we go back again in the not too distant future!

Social distancing on the empty outside patio

Food, service, and just being there

The Egg Restaurant, Midtown - Visited March 2020

2020-03-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful Sunday after church and my older adult child decided we should visit a new restaurant near their place of employment, so we headed down to midtown near Saint Louis University, where we visited The Egg restaurant on Locust. This location has not been open very long but they obviously have plenty of business. We arrived around noon and the place was almost completely full, but we were lucky enough to grab a table for four not too far from the door.

Shortly after we were seated a guitar player showed up who sat near the door and played and sang a continuous set of mellow songs, primarily tunes by the Beatles. That gave a nice ambience for the dining area, although it was a bit noisy overall. We had already looked over the menu before we arrived and we pretty much all knew what we wanted. My wife ordered the corn bread benedict with mahi mahi, as did our eldest, their younger brother picked the Mexican slinger and I selected the El Cerdo hash.

When our drink orders arrived, my wife was pleased to see they brought her a nice large goblet full of ice along with her can of soda since she likes lots of ice and also the goblet held the ice well without it all spilling out. My son ordered a coffee which was a special brand (I forgot what it was!) but he said it was very good with a nice strong flavor to it.

Corn Bread Benedict with Mahi Mahi

El Cerdo Hash

It did take a little while for the food to arrive since the place was pretty busy, but all four entrees arrived at about the same time. My El Cerdo hash arrived in a boat shaped dish with plenty of hash brown potatoes on the bottom. They were all still very crisp and well seasoned and they went very well with the tender pulled pork, the jalapenos, spinach, corn and the poached eggs on top. All the eggs were poached to perfection, still runny in the middle so we could break them open and have tasty yellow yolks mixed in with rest of it. I will have to say that it was pretty delicious and I ate it all up with gusto. I was also lucky that my wife could not finish her cornbread benedict so I was able to finish hers off as well. The Mahi Mahi was well cooked but not overcooked and did not have much flavor of its own. Luckily it went well with the hollandaise sauce and the runny eggs. And her hash browned potatoes were also nice and crisp and flavorful. I did not even have to add Cholula or pepper to them!

Overall we thought the food was very inventive and flavorful (for those of us who like a lot of flavor) and still very good for those of us who did not. There are still other items on the menu we would like to try so we are likely to come back. The service was okay, but not exceptional, but the quality food and fun ambience made it well worth a repeat visit.

Food menu, flavors and quality

Cyrano's Cafe, Webster Groves - Visited by my wife, February 2020

2020-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a review by my wife of Cyrano's Cafe in Webster Groves which she visited with a group from our church.

Today our church women's group had lunch at Cyrano's Cafe in Webster Groves. It was the first time in several decades that I had eaten there. In fact, the last time I ate there, they were located on Big Bend in Richmond Heights. The parking lot was completely full, but I was able to parallel park on Summit around the corner after dropping off my passenger at the door. The five of us were given a round table at the entrance to the dining area which was comfortable and convenient but a little noisy.

As a devoted unsweetened iced tea drinker, I was delighted that the table was supplied with adequate packets of both "yellow" and "blue" artificial sweeteners. I get so tired of having to ask for these elsewhere, and also tired of being supplied the "pink" suspected carcinogen packets and those disgusting "green" packets. We were also all given goblets of cold water, a practice which has become uncommon.

One of our guests ordered the special of the day which was a lobster salad slider, a salad with Ranch dressing, and a cup of lentil soup. She found the salad to be absent the dressing and she took the sandwich home so I cannot say much about that meal. Another of us had a huge spinach salad and she ate it all, so it must have been good. Another of us, one who cannot eat gluten, requested a gluten free menu and was told basically that they could have any of the sandwiches without bread. She ended up ordering a shrimp dish in sauce. It looked kind of small but she ate it and said that she had had something similar in New Orleans. The remaining two of us had the turkey club. I had mine with limp fries while the other friend had hers with dry cole slaw. I love fries, but I ate less than 8 of these limp, skinny fries. In my extensive survey of turkey clubs in St. Louis, this one was certainly no better than average. The toast was very greasy and not in a good way. The bacon must have been thick cut bacon and was hard to chew. My joy in a turkey club is the mayo and I'm not sure if this sandwich even had any mayo on it. Cyrano's is somewhat known for its desserts and therefore I should have skipped the meal and had dessert instead.

Our server didn't smile much but we were adequately taken care of. Drinks were replenished and another employee tended us occasionally and took our dishes in a timely manner.

I'm not sure where all of the drivers of those cars in the parking lot were unless each person in the restaurant drove separately. The restaurant was maybe 2/3 full.

Overall, it was a nice place to meet and the prices were quite reasonable but the food was only mediocre.

Food Quality

Service

Parking

Pastaria, Clayton - Visited February 2020

2020-02-03T17:35:00.001-08:00

We had always wanted to visit Pastaria since we heard it opened in Clayton, and when friends from church suggested that we meet there for dinner, we knew it was time to try it out. The first part is figuring out the parking. Pastaria patrons can use the Centene Plaza parking lot which has an entrance on the south side of Forsyth just west of the restaurant. We arrived at about 5:20 pm on a weekday, and there was a steady stream of Centene employees leaving at that time at a rapid velocity, so be careful! The lot is also rather tight with rather small spaces. From a distance you might think there is a bunch of street parking on the south side of Forsyth, but it is actually all valet parking spots so just use the lot.

From the lot there is an entrance that takes you down to the sidewalk where you can enter the restaurant. The space has an open raised ceiling with a lot of pictures on the walls. Interesting looking space but it was a bit noisy. We met our one friend from church who had our table for four and we waited for the last person to arrive as we looked over the menu. As we were seated the waiter brought us over a single piece of bread, and it was some very flavorful bread. It had a very hearty, tasty crust, and the inside was slightly denser than typical bread. They did not provide butter or margarine, only olive oil for dipping, but it was an excellent start to the meal.

For entrees the four of us selected the Pistachio Ravioli, the Margherita Pizza, the Lamb Ragu, and I selected the Pappardelle. They were fairly busy on a Monday evening, but it did not take more than 15 minutes or so before our entrees arrived. The pastas were all served in reasonable but not giant portions, but the Margherita pizza was fairly large and thick. My wife was expecting it to be thinner and crisper but she still thought it was pretty good, but not exceptional. She actually reheated the leftovers for lunch today (Tuesday) and thought it was better today with a crisper crust. I thought the Pappardelle was excellent. The pasta was definitely freshly prepared and cooked that day and the smoked pork, mascarpone and apples blended very nicely with the pasta, not too overcooked and not overly flavored. Our two friends are regulars at Pastaria (one works at Centene) and they both thought their entrees were excellent as well.

The service was also very attentive with different members of the wait staff coming by and asking us if we needed anything. My wife appreciated that they brought her an extra glass of just ice since she likes lots of ice in her drinks. They let us sit and talk for a while after dinner and took away our plates as we finished up and also boxed up what was left for us to take home. One interesting thing we noticed on the bill was that the Margherita Pizza was only charged at $10 when we thought it would be more. Was it a Monday night special? Anyway, we thought it was a nice place to eat on a weekday evening. Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated before you leave!

Food Quality, Flavor and Service

Seoul Taco, Delmar - Visited January 2020

2020-01-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Gogi & Waffles (with beef)

It was another Saturday lunch with my wife in the hospital with her mother (she had fallen again on another Friday) but this time both my adult children were available for lunch. So the three of us headed off to a place I had not visited in a few years, Seoul Taco on the Delmar Loop. As we approached Kingsland to park in the lot north of the restaurant I realized this was the first time I had been to the Loop since the official closing of the Loop Trolley. We would not have to worry about being stuck behind one of the trolleys or laugh at how few people were riding it.

As we waited for our son to arrive, his older sibling told me about a newer option at Seoul Taco that I decided to try, the Gogi & Waffles which sounded pretty interesting so I decided to get it. It is a pile of sweet potato waffle fries covered in queso, kimchi, and Korean sauces along with your choice of protein (I selected beef). They had mentioned it was a generous portion, and it was which I did not mind since I was pretty hungry. The waffle fries were very crisp and delicious on their own or just with the cheese and sauces, but the kimchi and beef added a lot of flavor as well, and I was definitely a fan! My two offspring selected a burrito and a gogi bowl (the weekly vegetables for my son!), and whereas both of them looked good, I was quite pleased to have selected the Gogi & Waffles.

There was a pretty good crowd there for a Saturday lunch and we received our food pretty quickly. We discussed how Seoul Taco had been there for a while now and expanded into the Seoul Q that was previously next door. A lot of other eateries have come and gone within that time frame, but Seoul Taco has endured and prospered and we hope they remain there, I know both my millennial children really enjoy it and frequent it often, so they are likely to endure for a while.

Food Quality, Flavor, Variety and Value

Himalayan Hut, Rock Hill - Revisited January 2020

2020-01-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today my wife was with her mother in the hospital so Saturday lunch was up to myself and my two adult children. The younger of the two could not seem to be able to wake himself up, so it ended up being a lunch for two at the Himalayan Hut in Rock Hill! I had not been there since Father's Day 2018 so it seemed fitting to again show up with one of my children, but this time the older one.

We were able to park at the sidewalk next to the building and when we entered it seemed much like it did 1 1/2 years ago. We were seated at a comfortable window booth overlooking the parking lot and we went to visit the buffet line to see what to get. Once again there were three sections, with the first one being sauces, salad and fruit selections which we both quickly bypassed to check on the main entrees. I selected pretty much a little of every meat entree including the goat curry this time.

The goat curry was pretty good, and it was not hot at all. In fact, none of the food was overly hot but it was all very tasty. The veggie samosa and pakora were very fresh and crisp appetizers and I picked some more of those on my second round. The chicken chilli and fish curry were also outstanding and I picked up some of those on round two as well. I actually skipped all the rices since I knew we were having rice with dinner, so I could just eat everything with naan which is always fresh and delicious there.

The service was very good with someone checking on us regularly to see if we needed more water or to clear empty plates. By the time we left there were several other people there enjoying the buffet, so hopefully they are doing well enough to keep themselves in business. The last time we visited, I was wondering when I could make it back, and I was quite glad to come back again!

Food Variety, Quality, Service and Value

BrickTops Frontenac - Visited November 2019

2019-11-20T12:21:00.000-08:00

This review of BrickTops in Frotenac was written by my wife who visited this week:

A group of 9 women and myself went to lunch on a weekday at BrickTops in Frontenac. The food was ok, the ambiance was attractive but noisy, and the prices were a tad high.

It didn't help that all of us thought that BrickTops sounded like an upscale artisan pizza place but there wasn't a single pizza on the menu. Not even a flatbread. In fact, after reading the menu, the person beside me agreed when I said that nothing on the menu especially appealed to me. They had sandwiches, salads, and entrees. I selected a cobb salad which came with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The salad contained lettuce, chicken, tomato, avocado, egg, blue cheese, and a lot of bacon. The bacon was crisp and was the major flavor in the salad, which would have been bland without it. The usual grilled chicken that would have been in the salad was coated in black pepper, however, and they had to give me a plain one due to my food allergy to black pepper. The salad was served in an attractive manner. It had been molded into a cylinder and the dressing was served on the side in a mini gravy server type pourer. People around me ordered a tuna poke bowl, a Greek salad & twice baked potato, a battered fish platter. We were given 2 lobed rolls with butter for the table of 10, but no bread plate and these were not served until after the meal arrived. My cobb salad, iced tea, and one lobe of roll cost $24.50, including tip, and I thought that was a little high for what I received.

The decor in the restaurant was attractive. At lunchtime it was pretty dark in there, with candles on the small tables and large interesting lights in the middle where we were seated. Our group of 10 was seated at a long narrow table and the restaurant was very noisy, so it was difficult to talk to people across the table and impossible to talk to those further down the length of the table, leaving conversation mainly to those on either side of one's chair.

Service was good. We had two waitresses for our table of 10 and they were efficient in taking orders, serving food, and refilling drinks. The only negative, as mentioned before, was that bread was served after the entrees arrived rather than before, and without bread plates.

Thai Table Maplewood - Visited November 2019

2019-11-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

It was my lunch pick this week, and since we had not been to any place new recently, it seemed like time to torment everyone with a new restaurant. The Thai Table opened up in Maplewood just a year ago and we had never been there so it seemed like time to visit. They have their own parking lot behind them which looks convenient on a map, but the problem is you cannot enter from the back so you must walk all the way to the front door on Manchester. At least the Blue Duck entrance is close to the lot so it is convenient for their patrons.

When we entered the front door of the Thai Table we were greeted by a hostess who seated us up front by Manchester. The dining area is pretty roomy but we noticed they were playing odd acoustic versions of pop music in the background. Their menu is pretty extensive and has a lot of Thai standards along with some unique specialties. We started off with some pot stickers which were very tasty but my wife noticed either the dumplings or the sauce had a little hotness to it which she did not like. We also ordered some crab rangoon rolls for my mother-in-law which she enjoyed dipping and eating. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao with beef, my wife ordered the Pad Woon Sen, and our kids ordered the Pad Kra Pow and the milder yellow curry (I cannot figure out which is was from the menu!)

After the appetizers arrived (and my son's Thai coffee which he liked very much) it did not take long for my Pad Kee Mao to appear. It was a large portion of food so I actually took home about half of it.

I ordered mine medium and it did have a little heat to it, but not too much so medium was definitely the correct choice for me. My Pad Kee Mao had lots of vegetables and meat to go with the thick noodles and spicy sauce. I thought it was pretty good but not exceptional. Both the kids thought their entrees were pretty good, but we still prefer the menus and recipes of the Delmar Thai restaurants (Thai Country Cafe and Thai Gai Yang Cafe) with which we are more familiar. My wife thought her noodle dish was a bit boring and I tried it and had to agree. I will have to get out the Sriracha bottle to eat her leftovers for lunch. We did appreciate that they had real sodas and ice tea, but we were split on the metal water cups which some of us liked and some of us did not. Oh well, you cannot please everyone!

Overall we thought it was not too bad and it was nice to have a new Thai restaurant in the Maplewood area, but we still prefer the Thai restaurants on Delmar. If only they\ Loop had better parking and that crazy trolley did not disrupt Delmar so much. Hey, from the sound of things, that trolley may not be running on Delmar too much longer...

Food, Service, Ambience

Wittmond's Hotel Restaurant, Brussels, Illinois - Visited September 2019

2019-09-22T11:30:00.000-07:00

My reviews are typically of restaurants relatively close to where we live, but today I am adding one that is a distant drive to Brussels, Illinois to a very different kind of restaurant, the Wittmond Hotel Restaurant. First we had to get there, which was a long but scenic drive along the Mississippi River and then across the Illinois River (via the Brussels Ferry) to make it to the restaurant located in an old Hotel. The menu is fixed so you receive what everybody else receives, which is a large quantity of a whole lot of different types of home made country style food.

When we first arrived we were seated up front near the front porch at a table for two. The table was covered with an old fashioned lace tablecloth and the antique wall paintings and furniture made you feel like you were sitting in a dining room from ages past. They definitely set the proper atmosphere for the meal.

Our table already had a small bowl of apple sauce and cole slaw on it (as did all the other unoccupied tables), and the attendant who seated us brought out a large relish platter for our table which included carrots, celery, beets, cinnamon apples, corn relish and some sweet syrupy peach relish. A minute later she brought out a cinnamon roll and some giant homemade pork sausages. That already looked like a complete meal.

As we sampled the many items she also took drink orders and asked if we wanted roast beef with our entrees. We declined since we thought the chicken would be enough. I tried most of the relish items, and I liked the cinnamon apples, but the peach stuff really stood out as being unique and flavorful. The cinnamon roll was also pretty good, but the sausage was even better. It was juicy and had a very meaty flavor without very much extra spices added. The flavor of the pork was good enough to stand on its own,

Our waitress returned and asked if we were ready for our entree, and although we were almost full we agreed and she came back with rolls, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, gravy and a chicken noodle dish, The chicken was very well cooked although there was a bit of pepper in the crisp coating which may be too much for some people. The best side was probably the thick chicken noodle dish which was very hearty and flavorful.

I was originally going to try one of their homemade desserts, but since I was so stuffed, I decided instead to eat the last sausage and the rest of my roll as my dessert. Throughout the whole meal the staff at the restaurant was very attentive, asking us if we needed anything. When we asked for our bill they reminded us they only take cash or check, so we made sure to pay with cash before leaving.

There is nothing fancy, creative or new with any of their food, but what they made was very well prepared from scratch and served in quantity. If you are looking for some good old fashioned down home cooking you have found the place. Plus with the ambience of an old country hotel, and with polite, attentive service, it feels like stepping back into time to 1950 in the rural midwestern United States. You almost expect the Ingalls or the Waltons to show up and sit down at the next table and start eating.

High Quality and Quantity Country cooking

Stepping back in time to 1950's USA

Guerilla Street Food, South Grand - Visited August 2019

2019-08-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Our son was not able to have lunch with us during our regular Saturday lunchtime, so we invited him to lunch after church and let him select the locale. Being a recent SLU graduate, he longed to go some place on South Grand near his old stomping grounds, and after deciding the wait would be too long at Rooster, we decided to go to Guerilla Street Food on the corner of South Grand and Arsenal. I had never been there and was not so familiar with Filipino food so that sounded like a fun adventure to me.

The South Grand location is nice since it has a roomy parking lot behind it off Arsenal We had considered the Delmar location but was unsure on the parking there. Upon investigation it appears they also have a small nearby lot where you can park. We will have to remember that next time. There is also supposed to be a new location in Webster Groves in the Old Orchard area, so we may have to try that location as well in the future.

After we parked in the lot off Arsenal, we tried to enter via the door off the lot that leads to the restaurant, but unfortunately it was locked. We had to walk a little bit down Arsenal to come to their front door. The dining area is fairly small, only seating about 20 people. Luckily there were not too many people there at the time. We ordered at the counter off their short menu, and both my son and my wife selected the Flying Pig and I ordered the Chicken Adobo. My son ordered his Flying Pig using the standard sauces, but my wife did not want anything hot like Sriracha.

We sat at one of the few tables and did not have to wait long before an employee brought out our food in large bowls. The servings were quite generous and had a fragrant aroma. They all had a substantial amount of meat (both the pork and chicken), and the meats were very tender and were easily shredded to mix in the rice. I tried the chicken first and it was excellent, meaty, flavorful and tender. I tried my son's regular Flying Pig next, and it was even better, with a stronger, more flavorful sauce with a little more heat. My son brought over a bottle of Sriracha and I added some of that to my Chicken Adobo as well and that made it even better. Even my rather particular wife moaned with pleasure as she took her first bite of her Flying Pig.

Flying Pig

Chicken Adobo

One downside was the beverage selection, which was limited to the unusual bottled collection in their refrigerated cooler. My wife selected a Lucky diet cola which was just okay. She would have preferred a real brand of carbonated beverage.

Once served the food there is not much table side service, but that is not what you expect in an establishment like Guerilla Street. You go there for high quality entrees served quickly and efficiently (like the food truck service where they started out) and then you enjoy it either there or to go. We all enjoyed the food there a lot and cannot wait to have it again (okay, I will be having my wife's leftovers for lunch very soon, so I will not be waiting long.) We will be trying the Webster location for sure once it opens.

Food Flavor/Quality, Portion Size, Speed

Mi Ranchito, University City - Visited July 2019

2019-07-30T11:05:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Seth's birthday which meant it was another day we could go out to lunch and celebrate. I was pleased to hear that Seth had decided to go to Mi Ranchito north of Delmar in University City since we had not been there in a while (last reviewed in early 2016) and they always served a good meal at an excellent price.

We departed from our shiny new garage on campus and arrived there quickly by bypassing Delmar and taking Skinker up to Vernon to avoid the trolley and Delmar traffic. There is always plenty of parking in the shopping plaza where they are located, and Robert actually grabbed a spot right along the sidewalk. We showed up shortly after 11:00 am and we were seated in the usual spot for groups of eight, against the wall in the eastern room. Once we were seated they brought three baskets of fresh homemade tortilla chips and two bottles of salsa along with little bowls so we could all individually dip. I was glad to be seated near two separate baskets of chips since I ate from both, being the always hungry person in the group. Their chips are always warm and tasty and their mild salsa is flavorful but not too hot. As I perused their menu I noticed despite it being three years since we had been there, the lunch prices were still very reasonable with most of the lunches costing under $6. I decided to go with the lunch #4 (one beef, one cheese, one chicken enchilada, with lettuce, tomato, sour cream and cheese).

As we sat and chatted I continued snacking on the chips and it did not take too long for the food to arrive. My plate with my three enchiladas was quite warm and its appearance was actually not too special, but it smelled great and tasted delicious as well. It was difficult to tell which enchilada was placed where on the plate since they were buried under the lettuce and sour cream, but it did not really matter. I found the chicken one and the beef one and then assumed the remaining one was just cheese! I also ate up all the extra sauce and cheese with some more tortilla chips since nobody else seemed to be eating them anymore.

Since I ordered water to drink the whole meal only cost me $9 including the tip and I was pleasantly full since I ate so many tortilla chips. The wait staff were also very responsive and friendly. Now that we are again able to drive from campus and go out to lunch, I am ready to visit Mi Ranchito more regularly again!

Food, Service, Value

Raising Cane's - Maplewood, Visited July 2019

2019-07-27T12:18:00.001-07:00

It was my pick for lunch and I thought I would pick someplace we had heard that our recently employed son visited quite often, the Raising Cane's location at Big Bend and Manchester in Maplewood. We wanted to see why it was he spent so much of his generous salary on this one establishment.

When we arrived we did not realize we had, in fact, arrived on National Chicken Finger Day, which meant little to us since we were arriving after 11 a.m. when they stopped giving our free chicken fingers. So instead we would have to order and pay for our own chicken fingers. I decided to order the Box Combo so I could try a little of everything.

We were able to grab a corner booth where the five of us could comfortably sit. The dining area seemed clean and well kept, and it did not take long for our food to be prepared so we could go pick it up. My box combination contained a generous helping of fries along with my chicken fingers, texas toast, cole slaw and sauce. The chicken tasted fresh and was tender with a crisp coating without too much flavor to it. The sauce added a lot to the chicken, being a tart, pickle heavy thousand island type sauce. It was a good sauce similar to the Freddy's fry sauce, but the Freddy's Jalapeno sauce definitely tops it. The fries were also pretty good, staying firm and crisp and also went well with the dipping sauce. The toast was not very flavorful so, that's right, I dipped that into the sauce too. The cole slaw was not too bad, with a crisp, tartness that my non-vegetable eating son actually ate. My mother-in-law also ate much of her cole slaw, and when both my son and mother-in-law eat the same thing, it must be pretty good! My wife noticed they only have fountain soft drinks and lemonade for beverage items, and would have preferred iced tea. She was also not impressed with the texas toast.

One of the employees actually came around to ask how everything was, and I had to admit it was not too bad. I am still not sure why my son goes there as often as he does, but for a place specializing in chicken fingers, the food is well prepared and flavorful. They do give you a good variety and volume of food in the Box combo for not too much money. I probably would not go out of my way to go there, but the food is good enough to eat on occasion. I personally would prefer to go just a little further down Big Bend and hit Yummi Tummi instead for sushi, ramen or a sandwich. But Raising Cane's is still a reasonable place to go for a consistent, generously portioned, well prepared and moderately priced meal.

Food Quality, Value, Service, Cleanliness

Boathouse Restaurant, Forest Park - Visited July 2019

2019-07-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

It was time for a departmental birthday lunch and the birthday girl decided we should visit the Boathouse Restaurant in Forest Park now that the parking garage at the east end is open and we can easily drive and park on campus again. The Boathouse was close by and since the parking is so much more available again on campus, we had to go visit somewhere where good parking was again at a premium!

New East End Garage at Washington University in St. Louis

After we all departed the cavernous parking garage located under our new concrete "Tisch Park" in front of Brookings, it was a short drive over to the Boathouse where we could then begin the search for parking. I rode with Robert who was gracious enough to drop us off at the restaurant while he searched for a spot, and somehow he nabbed a prime spot on the street very close to the restaurant whereas Marcia had to park her car far away down the street.

Since I had only been there several weeks ago to go boating, I knew where the restaurant was, but I had not eaten there before. I had remembered the great smells coming from it when we rented our canoe and seeing it was advertising Sugarfire meats. The lunch menu was primarily sandwiches and flatbreads, and I decided to order the BBQ Salmon on a Croissant with house chips. I was seated next to Robert who ordered the fish tacos with fries and Margo who ordered the same salmon croissant as I did. Shawn was sitting across from me and ordered the butternut squash bisque and Bob sitting next to her ordered fish which I do not see on their current online menu. I also know Stacey ordered the BLT since she orders a BLT everywhere she goes. Marcia ordered the burger and Seth ordered the fish tacos like Robert did.

The dining area was pretty full and since we were a party of eight we were seated in the middle where it was pretty noisy. The windows on the side overlook the lake which gives a nice view where we could see the boaters and the birds flying over the lake. We had plenty of time to gaze since it took quite a while for our food to arrive. It was a beautiful day to go out to eat (they had estimated a 30 minute wait if we had wanted to sit outside), but I am guessing it is always pretty busy there from all the zoo and museum crowds as well.

Once our food arrived we were all quite eager to eat. My salmon sandwich was a bit of a mess to eat, but it was very good with a tangy creamy cheese sauce and the onion strings added a nice extra texture and flavor. The salmon itself was very well prepared, not over cooked, tender and fresh tasting. Their house chips were crispy and very satisfying. Since Robert ordered the fries I glanced over at them and they looked okay, but I was glad I selected the chips. (Robert did not eat all of his fries.) Some other folks ordered the "vegetable of the day" as their side, but, nope, I do not think I will ever be doing that!

Everyone else seemed quite satisified with their meals. Margo was quite pleased with her salmon, Stacey considered her BLT to be pretty decent and Shawn was very happy were her bisque. Marcia may have picked the best selection in the burger which she said was excellent. Seth thought the insides of his fish tacos were okay, but the torillas were too tough and leathery and difficult to bite through.

All in all, though, it seemed like a good meal, even if the room was a bit noisy and the parking is quite difficult. Now that we can more easily drive places at lunch, perhaps we should return when the weather is worse so the park crowd is smaller and the restaurant is not so busy. The service was also a bit slow due to the crowd, so I could see them being more responsive on not so busy days. It still beats the service and ambiance at a standard Sugarfire location (like the one in Olivette) where you feel like cattle being led through the serving line and then crowded into their big tables.

Food quality (except for Seth's tortillas)

Service & Ambiance (on a busy day)

Parking (on a day with great weather)