The question where to eat is getting harder and harder to answer with restaurants closing in the Metro Area. A few weekends ago Vanna and I decided on a whim to travel over to St. Louis to try something new. We found Bailey’s Range formally located in The Shaw Neighborhood (4175 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO, United States, Missouri). We went to the last Sunday that they were open. It is located on the corner with a huge open outdoor seating area, small dining area located inside the front, and a larger dining area in the back with clear garage doors that can open for more air flow. It feels like a repurposed gas station or garage. In the back dining area was a long set of tables with cafeteria style seating. There was also tables to sit at.
Our Host/waitress placed us at the long table and brought out water for us. We heard the place was closing the following week which is disappointing as Bailey’s Range had a unique set up and decent menu selections. They had boozy drinks, milk shakes, and soda for beverages. They had a good selection of burgers to choose from. You could also build your own burger with a combination of single, double, or thick patty. We built our own burgers and got an order of fries a piece. They had only brisket chili or fries as the available sides at the time, but they had a bunch of different sauces to choose from to go with your fries. Vanna had the Maple Bacon Crush which came with brown sugar crusted patty, white cheddar, lettuce, bacon, bourbon pineapple chutney. She chose to put it on a gluten free bun and skip the cheese. They have a regular bun or you could upgrade to a beer pretzel bun for an extra dollar. I made my own burger with a thick patty that is the size of 2 patties for the same price. I topped it with lettuce, mushrooms, pickles, and brisket chili on a gluten free bun.
I wish I could tell you the service was quick and fast like Shack Breakfast and Lunch, but it was far from that. The waitress was awesome and kept us in the loop with what was going on with our order. We got to Bailey’s a little after opening for the day. It was not busy so it was really surprising when it was taking longer and longer for us to receive our order.
At about the 30 minute mark the waitress brought us out a boat of fries and refreshed our drinks. She informed us that it would be just a little bit longer for our meal. The fries that came out with their house catsup dipping sauce was pretty tasty. The fries had a nice crisp to them while still having a soft center. The fries were nicely seasoned and there was plenty to share. Our food came out about 20 minutes later. The waitress apologized for how long it was taking.
Her next trip out of the back she brought our burgers and fries. You know we had to get a picture of the food. For us the gluten free bun makes the biggest difference. Gluten free buns have gotten a bad wrap in the past few years. A lot of them have been gritty or don’t hold up well to stress. This causes them to fall apart at the first signs of liquid or pressing on it. These buns had sauce and a lot of meat on them. They did break apart in chunks once they had enough liquid on them. They did not fall apart picking up the whole burger. They were warmed up and were soft with a decent crust.
After the pictures we dove into our food. Everything was good! I was kind of expecting a half-assed effort with the food quality since the place was winding down in business. If you don’t know they own two other restaurants called Rooster. The thick patty was the right choice as it had a nice char while the inside was still juicy and well seasoned. The middle of the burger had a slight pink center and cooked to perfection. Complementing the great burgers were the same delicious fries we had earlier. We exchanged bites of each sandwiches. My sandwich was a little messy with the brisket chili on it. It was a lot going on with the sandwich in terms of flavor. The brisket chili had a sweet smokey flavor with the pickles letting you know that they were there. The brisket held up well together, but was not afraid to fall apart when you bite into the brisket chunks. Mushrooms are always a welcomed addition on burgers. The price is not bad for their burgers at $11 for a single patty and $15 for a double or thick patty.
So the final verdict……………..Was it worth the wait?
Yes and no. The food and waitress was excellent. Waitress was great and she did what she could do at the time. I didn’t mind the wait so much as Vanna and I enjoyed talking amongst ourselves or the other patrons. The kitchen did a great job with the food. We don’t know what they had going on in the back of the house. Maybe someone did not want to come to work due to the place closing August 1st? The slow service was not worth it on a Sunday afternoon. We were waiting almost for 45 minutes for our food.
Due to the delay in service that day, our meal was complementary. We did make sure to tip our waitress for her efforts.
As of the publishing of this review, Bailey’s Range has closed their doors. If you were to visit their website you will see that it is listed as closed and they direct you to their other establishments.
What are some of your favorite places to get a good lunch at? Drop the place below
