You walk in, they tell you to order at the counter, hand you a number, and for a split second you…read morethink "oh, this is gonna be a glorified Chipotle situation." Reader. It is not. It is a Trojan horse for one of the best burgers in St. Louis (my wife says I'm being dramatic for calling it THE best; I say I am not NOT going back for another). We enjoyed everything we order: the pork belly burnt ends and cashew chicken wings, and a coffee & cardamom old fashioned that sounds like a personality disorder but tastes like a vibe, smoky, a touch sweet, and very drinkable year-round. The Sam Elliott burger, BBQ sauce, bacon, crunchy onions, brioche, is named for a man who has never disappointed anyone, and neither does the sandwich. And the meatloaf is NOT your grandma's brick: tender, charred at the edges, laid over silky mashed potatoes with broccolini, perhaps closer to a chop steak than a loaf in the best possible way. Vibe is farm-chic: old church pews, repurposed interior doors, a proper bar up front, plus a patio and rooftop for when the weather cooperates. Fun fact -- it's named after the blue duck Billy Madison paints in elementary school, which is a fantastic piece of trivia and tells you absolutely nothing accurate about the actual restaurant. 4.7 Stars. Picking Nits: the counter-order setup is efficient, but it sets expectations in the wrong direction for the first 90 seconds, you brace for fast-casual and instead get something considerably more ambitious. Food comes out fast once you've ordered, which is great if you're hungry and slightly jarring if you wanted a slow, lingering dinner. And the Billy Madison naming is charming trivia but entirely misleading as a vibe preview, no complaints about the actual restaurant, just the branding expectations it sets. If The Blue Duck were a character: Ron Swanson. Hear me out. If Ron ate here, he'd be suspicious of the entire experience until his first bite of protein -- the counter ordering, the repurposed doors, a burger named after a fellow mustachioed American, all of it registering as potentially too clever. Then the Sam Elliott hits his plate, he takes one bite, and the skepticism dissolves into the quiet respect of a man who has found his people. Looks rustic. Has strong feelings about meat. Secretly sophisticated -- plays saxophone in a jazz club under a fake name, builds his own furniture, would 100% approve of the farm-chic decor once the protein has spoken. Presents as simple. Isn't.

I've been here many times and sadly I can say twice I had decent food and service…read more Saturday, March 14th we had awful food and the service wasn't any better.

It's not a southern meat and three. I lived in the south for over 20 years. Been through a lot of…read morethe south It means a choice of meat and three vegetables/sides. Black and white, no area if gray.

The sauces and seasonings were fire!! The staff was helpful and the chicken was delicious. We will…read morebe coming back.

So I went on a Thursday for my birthday, 6ppl. It was empty I loved that. The waitress was there…read moreand knowledgeable of anything we questioned. The aesthetic was insta worthy, no tacky grass walls so if you're looking for that go somewhere else. Low lights, playlist on point, no twerking by my table and food, it wasn't loud. Surprisingly it wasn't smoked out. But again it was a slow night. The food was amazing. I had Stuffed Salmon, Mac and broccoli with red lemonade. Everything was good even the portion size. 6 ppl not one complaint. The mocktails because there's no liquor at this establishment were good. You can add a lil razzle dazzle to the food and the drinks if you want. It's a lil extra for it. With that being said.... That $25 fee, can we reconsider. It should go towards the razzle. $10 plus for each item it's a money grab to me. It should be either or not both. But hey it's your establishment, I decided to go knowing this information up front and yes I do plan on returning. Maybe the extra $$ deters the drifters and I'll definitely pay for that. Waitress did say Friday Saturday Sunday brings the crowds and recommended reservations. Also be prepared to sign a waiver.

Came here for a group outing and took advantage of one of their "free days". Otherwise it is a $25…read moreentry fee on top of food and beverages. Whyyyyy I'm confused..... Parking on Delmar on a Friday night is a nightmare. There is a whole process to enter, signing a waiver and uploading a pic. The inside is a chill vibe but nothing warrants an entry fee. They charge for EVERYTHING!!! 1st off what establishment does not have FREE water!!?? We opted to order ALL food NOT infused. We ordered a lamb Chop entree with 2 sides, asked for the cook to be medium. We received well done overcooked chops that did not have any seasoning. The sides were good. We ordered 2 orders of the honey Hot wings extra crispy. They taste exactly like the classic Schnucks wings they use to serve on the salad bar. An order of wings for the price should at least be 6-8 wings not the quantity they serve. Ordered a Ceasars salad and received a salad with store bought dressing, not even homemade Ceasars dressing or a suitable substitute. Ordered a side of truffle fries which were cool and the rasta pasta with shrimp. The pasta was delicious, nice flavor. Also, they had 0 drinks that included alcohol so we also had to pay for sparkling water and a cherry icee that was so frozen it sat on the table all night to unthaw and the ice chunks were so large you still couldn't drink it, to the trash it went. The serve was literally just OK. It wasn't busy and we had to consistently waive down our waitress. The music was on point. In our opinion this place is overpriced and does not deliver on what they say. Very interesting experience, we were so happy we took advantage of going on an free day because to pay a cover charge in addition to everything else would have been upsetting. Nope........very disappointing experience

Great food and service. Fiery eggs were delicious and spicy. Burrito was amazing as always.read more

Small, cozy, hole in the wall diner that evokes a southwestern paradise in a Midwestern city…read more Located on the corner of Southwest Ave and Abbot Pl, Southwest Diner offers a classic breakfast menu with a Santa Fe flair. Servers are quick to take orders and the food comes out at a good pace. They are open to customization on the menu (just be nice about it). I ordered the Posole and Biscuits and Gravy the last time I went. Previously, I've tried their tamales, sopapilla, pancakes, birds in a blanket, and Carne Adovada - all highly recommended. Still want to try their wings. I want Guy Fieri to come here and try their food... Tips: Weekend brunch lines are long, I'd recommend utilizing the Yelp waitlist when able. If you're eating in the winter, try to avoid eating by the door ... unfortunately my biscuits and gravy were a bit cold the last time I ate there because the wind kept blowing in when people were checking in at the hostess stand. But that's okay because the Posole was steaming! Tables larger than 6 are going to have a longer wait time in the winter. In nicer weather, the outdoor patio is great to enjoy a meal in. That's what you get with local diner charm! This place is definitely a special spot in St. Louis

What a great place! Popped in and found seating right away. The had a lot of great food and drink…read moreoptions, including vegetarian and vegan. We got cheese curds for the table and I got the hot honey mac and cheese. The food was delicious. They had a retro movie playing and lots of cute decor. It was super fun to sit there and enjoy the ambiance. The service was also quick and good. Will be coming back.

Crows Nest in Maplewood -- the alleged sister to Eat Crow in Soulard -- feels less like a sibling…read moreand more like a distant cousin who borrowed the family recipes and forgot the seasoning. The only real warmth we encountered came from the female host; the rest of the staff delivered service that hovered somewhere between disinterested and "we're doing you a favor by being here." We kicked things off with the fried deviled eggs, which arrived neither fried nor particularly deviled -- just cold little reminders that hope is fleeting. Cocktails landed squarely in "General Public" territory. My Squatty Potty showed up lukewarm, like it had been loitering at the bar contemplating its life choices instead of making it to the table piping hot. A chicken Caesar salad was perfectly fine... if you enjoy playing hide-and-seek with the chicken. The breakfast burger came on an English muffin with what might be the most emotionally unavailable portion of hash brown casserole I've ever seen -- tiny, distant, and gone too soon. Then there's the Scream Burger. Marketed as ghost-pepper spicy, priced like it's the main event, and delivered with all the heat of a polite Midwestern handshake. Dry, bland, and somehow bold enough to charge me an extra dollar for more mayo -- because nothing says "premium burger experience" like a condiment upcharge to make it edible. My husband's Pork Pountine? Imagine fries sprinkled with a few bacon bits like confetti at a party nobody wanted to attend. We came in excited because Eat Crow in Soulard sets the bar high. Unfortunately, Crows Nest feels like it's cooking for someone driving in from Chesterfield who asked the kitchen to "tone it down." If you're craving the real deal, do yourself a favor: go to Soulard. This nest still needs a lot more feathers. And to the influencers calling this place "amazing" -- do better. Honest, authentic reviews help restaurants grow and help diners know what they're walking into. Stop selling hype and start telling the truth.

I'm not a big "leave a review" type of person, in fact this is probably the first and last review I…read morewill will ever leave. But after having the Mississippi Nights Club while out with my family (they're from here, I'm from the south), it's astonishing just how compelled I was to install the app and leave a review because that club + soup was UNANIMOUSLY amongst our party of 3, the best sub I have ever been blessed enough to try in my life!!! Whatever yall are doing, keep it up!!! Can't wait to bring my friends from down here over to try it when we make our way back north!!

Huge selection of yummy sandos. Did I say yummy? Enjoyed it immensely! I had takeout first, and it…read morewas friendly and accurate. The second time, I went in-person, and the service was great again. I had the Alcatraz and the Havana and the mac n' cheese. I ordered a whole sandwich so I could take half home. Reasonable prices. I hear that the meatball sub is huge, and all the sandwiches are generous portions. The table tent said there's live music at night, but we went at lunchtime. We sat inside as it was a bit chilly, but I was curious to see the patio. I'm getting hungry now -- I might have to eat at The Gramophone tomorrow! Definitely recommend!

One of the best, if not the best, margaritas I've ever had. It was crisp, clean, & simple. Cannot…read morerecommend the Mita Margarita enough. We Ubered to Dressel's around noon on a Saturday. We were quickly seated at the bar. Rachael was our bartender & she was incredibly helpful & kind. She helped us narrow down our drink order as well as our food order. Everything we ate was delicious. The drinks were even better. The whole place felt so warm & inviting. Lots of cool paintings on the wall. And the clean bathrooms were also a plus! Definitely will be back!

Dressels public house is a pub that has been around the CWE for over 40 years. It closed but then…read morere-opened recently and expanded to add a microbrewery inside, called Rock & Horse. I came in for drinks last night and went to the bar area. Sadly I did not capture any photos of the interior but the overall vibes were pretty cozy. Lots of dark wood tones and they even have a fireplace. The serve food, cocktails, beers, wine, and a few NA options. I opted for the Spanish G & T and it came out very quickly. Overall I enjoyed the experience and would love to come back. Some considerations are that given that the pub is in the CWE, parking is street parking. Additionally the hours of this pub are regularly 12-10pm!

Great service and excellent food from a wonderful family restaurant. Brunch shrimp and grits was…read moredelicious!

This is their second brick-and-mortar location, and it's a major upgrade from the smaller first…read moreversion. The space is spectacular big, open, and full of great energy. Amber, the food is absolutely amazing! The staff is friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. You've got to get over here and try their soft opening menu--it's on point from start to finish. Everything feels elevated but still warm and inviting.

This chicken sandwich has a lot of potential to be great. Fried chicken thigh, thick cut, creative…read moretoppings (red hot riplets). But the biggest problem was that the bun was soggy and almost falling apart.. Hopefully that was a one-off experience, because otherwise it would be a solid sandwich. Fries were killer too!

Been trying to write this review for ages…read more In any case, thank you. Thank you. Oh, and thank you. Because ST LOUIS HAS A GOSH DANG FIRE NASHVILLE CHICKEN SANDWICH. This thing was absolutely beautiful. Perfect blend of spice, smoky, and complex. A masterclass. Dont even get me started on the tacos. Imagine going to jack in the box sober and the tacos are made with love, not frozen for 6 months. Bursting with beef, crispy shells, and a tangy ranch sauce to make em about as addicting as something can be before getting listed as illegal. Vibes are great inside tamm ave. Folks bringing dogs, patio soaking the sun. Come get you some chicken and a beer!