Kirkwood Station Brewing Company
105 E. Jefferson AvenueOur first full day in St. Louis got off to a little bit of a late start. Just as we were getting ready to leave our hotel, the manager called. The previous night, the front desk screwed up at check-in. They gave my room away to someone with the same last name. They put us in to a two bedroom suite for the night, but that room was booked (and cost a helluva lot more than what I paid for two King beds) so we needed to move to a different room. The manager came up with a cart himself and helped us move, but it still set us back on our limited time for the day.
Our plan was initially to go to the St. Louis Zoo, but weather was a factor so we decided to stay indoors. We chose to go to The Magic House in Kirkwood instead.
We missed breakfast and J was getting hungry. We decided to head out to Kirkwood and eat in the area. Turns out, there was a brewery less than half a mile from the museum.
Kirkwood Station Brewing Company is in downtown Kirkwood on Jefferson Avenue right off of Historic Route 66. The building is pretty large and has it’s own parking lot to the east of the building, but there’s also a public lot right next to that and street parking nearby.
We had to walk through a small patio area to get inside and L really wanted to eat outside. It was still a little overcast, but it stayed cool enough that it was actually quite pleasant out. We asked the waiter if we could eat outside and he kind of shrugged his shoulders and said, “Sure. Why not?” So, he showed us outside and L picked the table right next to the door.
I didn’t even ask about flights because it was still pretty early in the day and I had a long day ahead of me. I had asked for a double IPA they had listed on the tap list, but the waiter said they ran out of that at the end of the previous night and hadn’t updated the tap list yet. I ordered the IPA which didn’t have a unique name. It was just called IPA…and it was actually quite delicious. It has really citrus-y aroma with a mild bitterness. Very delicious.
J actually ordered a beer too at this stop. I recommended the Blackberry Wheat thinking it would be fruity enough for her and it was. It was a really crisp, refreshing fruit beer with a little bit of sweetness. J really enjoyed it and drank the whole glass with lunch.
Lunch was more of the same for us. I ordered a burger called The Engineer. The burger is a half pound of house ground fresh Angus beef. This particular burger is topped with bleu cheese and smoked bacon. The concept is a simple sandwich, but the ingredients make all the difference. The burger was juicy and tender and the bleu cheese added just enough tanginess without overpowering the flavor of the meat. I chose the seasoned steak fries as my side and they paired well with the sandwich. There was no chance of me living without a full belly.
J went with a sandwich at this stop and ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork. The pork is smoked and covered in a chipotle BBQ sauce then topped with bacon and cheddar cheese. This sandwich was really good. The spicy sauce and the smoky meat made for a delicious combination. The bacon and cheese isn’t something you typically see on a pulled pork sandwich, but it really worked on this one. Again, as we were walking out of a brewery, J told me how much she liked her meal. In lieu of fries, she chose the homemade pub chips. They were delicious. If I had to do it again, I would probably do the same. Home made chips are always amazing.
After the previous night’s catastrophe with L’s dinner, we made her get a grilled cheese. They didn’t have a mac ‘n cheese on the menu, but we really didn’t want to start the day with a meltdown. The kid’s grilled cheese is Texas toast with American cheese. She ate 3/4 of the sandwich without us having to argue with her which is really good for her recently. She got applesauce with her meal and ate all of that as well.
Our bill for lunch was just under $40. Kirkwood Station Brewing is not a place I have heard of before I found it online and wasn’t even on my short list of places to stop in St. Louis, but I’m glad we found it. The beer was good and the food was delicious. We had a really enjoyable lunch on the patio before heading to the madness that is the Magic House.
IPA
Blackberry Wheat
The Engineer Burger w/Steak Fries
BBQ Pulled Pork w/Pub Chips
Kids Grilled Cheese
SW Michigan Dining 