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    The Drawing Board

    4.8 (59 reviews)
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    THE DRAWING BOARD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Hipster

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    Recommended Reviews - The Drawing Board

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    Caroline E.

    We went here at an awkward time, a bit late after a Cardinals game on a Sunday so the bar was pretty empty except for a band playing and a group of people. Though the bartender was really nice, they had a good selection of beers and ciders and the kitchen was still open even though it was after 9pm which was nice. We both ordered a classic smash burger with everything on it and fries. The reviews had said the burger was delicious and it really was one of the best burgers I've ever had. The pickled and onions were chopped up, and it had a lot of condiments and toppings. It was just a good classic hamburger that I would stop by to order again if I'm ever in the area.

    Chopped salad with falafel( or chicken) and hot honey.
    MaryAnn B.

    This is not exactly a place to go for a meal . It's a place to go for a beer and if you get hungry, they offer some yummy choices to go with your drink. Small with some tables and a bar, pool table, a neighborhood stop with that Smokey bar ambiance. Menus at the table, ordering at the bar. Burgers, hot dogs, and some surprise choices on menu like hummus, falafel, chopped salad. Portions small, prices fairly reasonable, service friendly. I enjoyed a small salad with a requested change of falafel instead of chicken. No problem and tastey with a hot honey squirt on top. If you're in the area , a nice stop for a beer and a nosh.

    Outside area
    Kimberly K.

    Driving home to San Antonio from Michigan my husband says boy I could go for a good burger this evening for dinner. I said a good bar burger? He said yeah that sounds great. I love Yelp for the fact that you can target exactly what you're looking for. We put in a search for dive bar burger and The Drawing Board popped up. It was a little ways off the interstate but I've found that most of the best places are the ones that you have to drive out of the way to get to. Got there around 7 PM and was surprised that the place was pretty much empty. We sat up to the bar, ordered a drink, and chatted with the bartender about the menu. He recommended the Italian beef sandwich. My husband was sold but I had my heart set on a good bar burger. I got the double Medart (smash burger) and oh boy was it huge and delicious. My husband enjoyed his beef sandwich but after taking a bite the burger was the way to go and I made the right choice. The Italian beef was good but was dry and I told him next time order it wet (like a true Chicagoan). We also split an order of onion rings. They were crispy and good but nothing out of the ordinary or spectacular. We finished up with the order of cream filled churros. The cook came out and was chatting with us and he sold us the churros. One of them had an apple filling which was OK but needed more filling as it was a little dry. The other churro had a cream inside and it was excellent. The side of Bavarian cream was a nice extra touch. All in all a great find. As we were leaving it started getting busier and they were setting up for karaoke. They have live entertainment on the weekends and Thursday night is trivia night. We definitely had our bar burger cravings satisfied.

    Bushelhead Cider
    Wanda H.

    I'd been following this place ever since they opened, and finally made it. I may have waited too long, and ended up getting my hopes up to high? It was good, but it was bar food. I had a DELICIOUS Corn Dog, but it cost $9, which just seems craaaazy. The pasta salad was definitely different and I enjoyed it too. I drank a Bushelhead Cider and it suited the meal perfectly. Service was good: Order at the bar and then they bring it out. Didn't take too long. They've done some really great decorating in the place... The floor is nice and the mural behind the pool table is awesome! If I were in the area, I might stop in again. But probably won't make it a point to go to it otherwise.

    Menu
    Deyna J.

    Nice dive bar. Games, pool table, TV with sports and Silence of the Lambs playing. We really liked the atmosphere and the vibes of the bar. It appeared to be a 2 man show, the bartender and the cook. It took about 25 minutes after we ordered to get our food. My boyfriend thought his burger was average, not bad but not great. He also prefers skinnier fries. I love potatoes so I really liked the fries. My falafel wrap was really good, I enjoy tzatziki. We only drank water. Not sure we'll be back for the food but maybe just to enjoy a beer.

    Smash Burger - Single
    Danielle J.

    We came here for book club recently based on food recommendation. I wasn't quite sure what to expect so I was wondering by the outside of the place what had exactly been recommended. Luckily I got parking right in front on the street. They also have a lot next to it. I walked in to a divey atmosphere and a friendly welcome from the bartender. There weren't many tables. I ordered a beer and waited for friends. I noticed trivia is at 7, and by that time, the place was packed! The food was great! I had the burger topped house style and fries. We also shared the gooey butter cakes. Trivia was so much fun! The host was great and we all decided we would be back. Prices are great and j couldn't believe my tab was $22 with a couple beers and the food! Don't be scared by the surrounding area or outside. It's a gem with a good time waiting inside for you!

    Keegan E.

    Great burger, great bar, great staff. Can't ask for much more. This burger easily contends with some of the better burgers in STL.

    Chicken burrito
    Danielle K.

    Tiny but nice local bar with fantastic karaoke and shockingly good food!! Ryan is always such a friendly bartender and he takes good care of us every time. Perfect place for a fun night of singing with friends!

    Unisex bathrooms.
    Katy P.

    Fantastic! Music was all 80s from my record collection. Bartender immediately greeted us. Several domestic and craft beers on tap, and great selection of cans and bottles. Crispy cringle fries were delish! Smoked chicken salad was divine- smoky chunks of chicken, Mayo, celery, and arugula on a toasted soft bun. Yum!!!! Decor is grandma's basement chic. Chalkboard and coloring books for patrons. Bob Ross on TV. Brick River cider. Free darts and ring game, and pool table. Unisex bathrooms. Live music at night. Parking lot on east side. Outdoor tables in back. Fantastic!

    Dainielle F.

    Checked this place out due to yelp and so glad we did! Stopped by on a friday night and it had a nice crowd and some live music. We ordered at the bar and the food came out in five freaking minutes. When I say this is the BEST bar food i've ever had !!!!!! holy moly. The nachos were perfect with white queso.. smash burger medart style.. YUMMY. To top it off, local beers and top top notch service! I'll be back!

    Penny J.

    Best bar food I've had in the tower grove park area. Wonderful and amazing service too. Place looks amazing on the inside, with pool table and darts too. The exact kind of bar we need in our community. Get the burger. It's amazing.

    Back patio
    Linda P.

    Used to come here when this place was Ryder's. It has had a facelift, and reopened a little over a month ago. The food its ON POINT! The grilled cheese made my taste buds sing. The crinkle cut fries have a wonderful seasoning on them. The burger, is so close to how Ryder's was it is amazing. The patio is more colorful then ever. Had a wonderful chat with one of the owners & had to give my compliments to the chef. Wonderful selection of spirits & beer. Such a great neighborhood feel here.

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Drawing board is top notch! Professional in all assets, conveniently located if you're in South city. Highly recommend

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Bar/pub vibes, they play live music sometimes which is nice! The Philly burger and the Italian beef are delicious, definitely recommend!

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Delicious BLT and Medart smash burgers. On point fries and onions rings. We will be back for more.

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    2 years ago

    Best burger in St. Louis and free pool and great karaoke!!! Bartenders are always so nice :)

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    Page 1 of 2

    The Drawing Board Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Drawing Board

    Is this place good for kids?

    We are accommodating to children with high chairs and plenty of room to play games, however we do caution that once we hit peak hours we cannot promise that we don't bring a more adult crowd. With younger guests we caution earlier dining.

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    Retreat Gastropub - Seared Salmon on our Seasonal Beet Salad

    Retreat Gastropub

    4.4(885 reviews)
    3.3 miCentral West End
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Outdoor seating

    We ordered 3 small plates, wings were the highlight. Great wings. Good drinks. Place seems to be…read morekeeping a high standard. I had not been there in a few years. Just a nice place.

    We went in for a late lunch on Saturday. The place was nearly empty -- only two other tables were…read moreoccupied, and we were the third. Despite that, the other tables seemed to receive constant attention while our waitress disappeared for long stretches of time. We were initially seated in the side room with a large industrial fan blowing so hard that it was moving the menus off the table. We waited for the waitress to return so we could request a different table, but she never came back, so we moved ourselves to another empty table away from the fan. She seemed unhappy about the move and told us we might have to relocate again because they were expecting a busy day. Honestly, the restaurant was empty, and we would have been finished long before any rush started -- which we were. I asked for ketchup with my burger, and it didn't arrive until after I had already finished eating. Overall, the service was very poor. Unfortunately, the food was also extremely salty -- and we're people who normally enjoy salt. I had the Farmhouse Burger with Brussels sprouts and mac and cheese, while my wife ordered the steak and fries cooked medium well. The steak came out medium rare, and both her fries and my burger and Brussels sprouts were overly salted. The one bright spot was the mac and cheese, which we took to go. My daughter tried some and said it was the best she'd ever had. To top it off, our bill came to an even $100 with tip, and all we had were waters and the items mentioned above. We had been wanting to try Retreat for quite a while, so this experience was very disappointing. Between the poor service and underwhelming food, we probably won't be coming back.

    Photos
    Retreat Gastropub - Farmhouse Burger - with candied bacon, fried egg, and cheese sauce

    Farmhouse Burger - with candied bacon, fried egg, and cheese sauce

    Retreat Gastropub - A variety of our Happy Hour snacks - Parmesan French Fries (fries made in house), Risotto Balls, Chicken Wings

    A variety of our Happy Hour snacks - Parmesan French Fries (fries made in house), Risotto Balls, Chicken Wings

    Retreat Gastropub - Interior

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    Interior

    Marconi Mercato - Lobster Roll

    Marconi Mercato

    4.4(90 reviews)
    2.0 miThe Hill

    One of the most welcoming experiences, we stopped by The Hill on a Monday after the Zoo with our…read more1yr old to have a snack and drinks at the high top tables. The high chair for our baby accomodationed these tables and the staff welcomed us in nicely. We really appreciated a nice restaurant welcoming in A: kids B: us after a Zoo day. We loved how they had the garage door open for the air to come in on the nice day. The bar / high top are had plenty of space and was very comfortable. They had a great happy hour around 3pm, both our appetizers were on the happy hour menu, as well as our Pinot Grigio drinks. The food was excellent, we had focaccia bread, and fried calamaris. We didn't have them but the wagu sliders and chicken lollipops both were popular at the other table. We also got a white chocolate tiramisu to go that was fantastic. Great bread = Great dessert Really appreciated our waitress / bartender that day, she said she had four grown kids of her own, as well as appreciated the rest of the staff. Thank you for a great meal and service! See you again soon

    I am so glad to have had this spot recommended to me. I have walked by this spot a few times and…read morejust assumed it was a grocery store, I had no idea there was a restaurant as well and now that I know it's there, I cannot wait to visit again! I made a reservation ahead of time and when we arrived, our table was ready and our server was quick to bring over water and make some recommendations on apps. None of us were drinking cocktails that night, but we did order some tea and sodas along with an order of arancini and an order of the chicken lollipops! Once our apps were brought over, we talked with our server a bit about entree recommendations and with his help, we all were quite happy with the decisions we made and we knew that we could share with one another so that we could all try multiple dishes! The apps were so good, I loved the arancini so much and enjoyed the sauces for dipping. And the chicken lollipops were so unique. Crunchy on the outside and juicy inside. Basically, chicken wings, but the presentation was so unique. When our meals arrived, everything looked so good and fresh. The pasta was perfect and the greens were fresh. The salmon was cooked just right. Everything was just lovely and the flavors were top notch! While we did not finish everything, it was nice to be able to pack some leftovers and reheating them did not mess up any of the flavors. All in all, this was a great spot for dinner and I am going to visit again soon.

    Photos
    Marconi Mercato - Bar/restaurant

    Bar/restaurant

    Marconi Mercato - Wagyu Sliders

    Wagyu Sliders

    Marconi Mercato - Chicken Lollipops

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    Chicken Lollipops

    Topgolf

    Topgolf

    4.3(55 reviews)
    2.8 miMidtown

    TopGolf is always fun with fun people or even alone. There's a standard American menu but the food…read moredoesn't taste bland or not cared for. I actually go just to each their burgers and sandwiches sometimes. I enjoy the atmosphere of watching the games, playing golf, being closely located to home while feeling touristy. My husband and I watched the NCAAA Championship and enjoyed the chicken caesar wrap and their classic burger. Both very good. Fried and tots were crispy and hot! For drink I ordered the coconut watermelon cocktail which is a tequila based cocktail. I loved those flavors together. I do want the company to note that the bartenders need customer service training! I hear things that a customer shouldn't hear and sometimes their service is horrendous! With that being said, I wouldn't recommend sitting at the bar but everything else is great.

    Overall, a mixed experience. I arrived at 12:00 and wasn't able to golf until 1:00. We were…read moreinitially told the wait for a bay would be about an hour and a half, but when I mentioned we were fine with a bottom floor, it suddenly dropped to around 30 minutes--which was confusing and a bit frustrating. I also expected to pay the before-2:00 PM rate of $20/hour, but that wasn't the case and wasn't clearly communicated. The highlight of our visit was Myla, our bay host. She mentioned she doesn't usually work Saturdays, but she was fantastic--super attentive, friendly, and great at making small talk. She really made the experience much better. The boneless buffalo chicken wings were fantastic. The drink prices were a little high having mix drinks around $13. Good vibes and fun patio too! Myla was still the highlight of our visit.

    Photos
    Topgolf
    Topgolf
    Topgolf

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    The Drawing Board - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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