Bars & NightLife

American Custard Co. In a town famous for French colonial history, American Custard Co. represents something equally important—what happens when a family-owned establishment decides that consistency and quality matter more than convenience. Located near the water park, this local flagship for American fare delivers proof that chain restaurants didn’t create modern fast food because it’s inevitable but rather because it’s profitable. Every detail receives attention that corporate standardization abandoned decades ago. The burgers—whether standard classics or featuring culinary twists—are cooked properly with actual technique. Hot chicken sandwiches can be grilled for those seeking healthier options without sacrificing flavor. The fries swim in beef tallow like they’re supposed to be, not vegetable oil. Salads feature fresh lettuce and homemade vinaigrette rather than mass-produced dressing. The coffee rivals St. Louis Starbucks, eliminating the need to miss city amenities while visiting. And the frozen custard that gives the establishment its name? It fills the role Ted Drewe’s plays in the city—genuine frozen custard excellence capturing what dessert should be. This is Ste. Genevieve’s testament to community commitment: a family working their tale off serving fresh-cooked food reflecting care that can’t be systematized or franchised. Family Ownership: Work Ethic Visible in Every Detail American Read more...

The Anvil Saloon & Restaurant At 46 South Third Street on Ste. Genevieve’s historic downtown square, The Anvil doesn’t chase trends or Michelin stars—it does something far more enduring. For nearly 170 years, this building has delivered honest, home-cooked comfort food in atmosphere so authentically old-time that you half expect steamboat captains and frontier merchants to walk through the door. The centerpiece isn’t just the food, though those world-famous onion rings are genuinely legendary. It’s the bar itself: a massive, ornate back bar that arrived via steamboat in the 1850s, reportedly salvaged from a vessel that sank or ran aground in the Mississippi River, then hauled by oxcart to this building where it’s anchored conversations, celebrations, and community gatherings for nearly 170 years. The combination of uncompromised comfort food, authentic historical character, and genuine small-town hospitality creates dining experience that keeps locals returning weekly and tourists traveling from Europe, Asia, and across America specifically to experience what The Anvil delivers. Building History: From Hardware Store to Beloved Institution The building began as a hardware store (1850-1855), hence the “Anvil” name referencing the blacksmith’s tool. In 1855, the Vaeth family purchased it and transformed it into a gentlemen’s saloon, installing that Read more...

Brix Urban Winery & Market with Star Lite River Restaurant In the heart of Ste. Genevieve’s historic district, beneath a grape arbor that whispers of vineyards older than memory, Brix Urban Winery invites you into an un-traditional embrace with mead—that ancient honey wine experiencing its own romantic resurrection. Within these historic walls, Star Lite River Restaurant awakens at dawn with pastries and coffee, its kitchen breathing life into mornings with the kind of food that transforms breakfast into ritual. By afternoon, Brix unfolds: small-batch meads, craft beers, wine slushies frozen into summertime indulgence, and flights that guide you through flavor like constellations mapped across your palate. This is where the Schaaf family—stewards of beloved establishments across the region—honors the marriage between handcrafted beverages and the intimate charm of small-town gathering. Whether wandering downtown’s galleries between tastings, or settling beneath the grape arbor as evening descends, you discover what Ste. Genevieve offers best: moments lingering with good company, unhurried time, and the particular magic that emerges when ancient tradition meets contemporary craft. The Spirit of Mead: Ancient Honey Wine Reimagined Mead dwells in mythology. Beowulf drank from mead halls. Medieval monks crafted it within monastery walls. It carries the weight of Read more...

Charleville Brewery & Winery  Uncork and Unplug at this Regional Tourism Icon Perched high above Saline Creek Valley in western Ste. Genevieve County, Charleville Brewery & Winery delivers what one guest called “one of the best views in all of Missouri” alongside distinctive handcrafted wines and beers. Since opening in June 2003 as a retirement project, then expanding with a $5 million renovation under new ownership in 2023, Charleville has evolved into a 10,000-square-foot destination featuring an innovative 24-tap iPourIt self-serve wall, elevated food menu, fire pit patios, and an 1860s log cabin lodge for overnight stays. The wristband-activated pour system lets you sample as much or as little as you want while the Saline Creek Valley panorama unfolds below. As one visitor raved: “Upon entering, you are given a magic bracelet that you can swipe on their ‘ipourit’ wall. You just swipe and drink. It bills you based upon how much you pour. Aaron walked us through the process perfectly. Absolutely amazing…This is probably the best food I’ve ever had at a winery. This is not a basic cheeseboard. This is coconut shrimp, fantastic pizza, & ahi tuna nachos.” iPourIt Wall: Beer, Wine, and Charle-Ritas on Tap The 24-tap Read more...

Dew Drop Inn At 710 Highway 61 in Bloomsdale, the Dew Drop Inn serves traditional Americana cuisine daily from lunch through dinner, offering fun twists on American classics alongside craft beers and wines. While its sister restaurant, The Kozy, focuses on breakfast excellence, the Dew Drop Inn takes over when appetites shift toward heartier fare and afternoon drinks. The menu allows customization toward health-conscious preferences or indulgent satisfaction—whatever your mood demands. As part of an integrated complex including The Mill Room event space and outdoor game area, the Dew Drop Inn works perfectly for solo diners wanting quality meals or groups gathering for casual celebrations. The casual bar atmosphere, daily service, and flexible menu pricing make it accessible destination whether you’re stopping between Baetje Farms tours and wine tastings or seeking Bloomsdale’s primary evening dinner option. Traditional Americana: Lunch and Dinner Daily The Dew Drop Inn’s focus on traditional Americana means familiar cooking executed with care—the kind of cuisine that satisfies without pretension. The “fun twists” on American classics indicate the kitchen respects tradition while adding contemporary creativity. Unlike The Kozy’s breakfast specialization, this is where you find lunch sandwiches, dinner entrées, and the kind of casual fare that works Read more...

21454 Highway 32 Ste. Geneviève, MO 63670 Call us at 573-883-2015 Hours Daily 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. El San Felipe serves lunch and dinner daily from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. You can order delicious meals to go, for curbside pickup, or for seating inside or on the patio. Menus are available at this link. Cuisine: Mexican Alcohol: Beer and Wine Read more...

Midway Bar and Grill At 13551 Highway 32 between Farmington and downtown Ste. Genevieve, Midway Bar and Grill delivers roadside Americana with hunting lodge atmosphere since September 9, 2003. The rustic interior—complete with taxidermy, nature motif, and uniquely shaped bar containing local history artifacts—creates cozy retreat for families, motorcyclists, hikers, and locals seeking country cooking and cold beer. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily with menu highlights including elk burgers, buffalo burgers, half-pound Midway Burger, meatloaf lunch specials, and fried chicken dinners, Midway pairs hearty portions with reasonable prices. Saturday night live bands, outdoor patio with horseshoe pits, covered pavilion, sand volleyball courts, pool tables, jukebox, and full bar create entertainment destination beyond the dining room. As one hiking family testified: “After a long day of hiking in the nearby state park, we enjoyed a delicious meal at Midway! I had the 1/2lb Midway Burger and my wife had the fried chicken dinner. Delicious!” Classic Roadside Spot: Hunting Lodge Meets Family Restaurant Opened in 2003, Midway Bar and Grill occupies that distinctive niche between sports bar and family restaurant—a place equally welcoming to Goldwing Road Riders Association members (“Tuesday Old-Man Riding Group”), parents with kids, state park hikers needing post-trail Read more...

Sirros – Nearly Three Decades of Familiar Faces, Good Service, and Homemade Onion Rings in Downtown Ste. Genevieve At 261 Merchant Street in the heart of historic downtown Ste. Genevieve, Sirros delivers what a family restaurant should: consistently good food, friendly service, comfortable atmosphere, and the sense that you’re eating somewhere deeply embedded in the community. Since opening in 1989, this casual ninety-seat restaurant has built devoted following among locals and wine country tourists by specializing in what they call “samiches” (yes, deliberately spelled that way), hand-tossed pizzas, hearty pasta dishes, and those legendary homemade made-to-order onion rings that customers describe as “munching crunchy mouthfuls of heaven.” Open daily (Monday-Thursday 11 AM-8 PM, Friday-Saturday 11 AM-9 PM, Sunday 11 AM-8 PM) with dine-in and carryout options, Sirros occupies a building with remarkable history—the 1930s soda fountain here once served as the lone bus stop between St. Louis and Cape Girardeau. Now, under longtime manager Lauren Smothers’ leadership, Sirros continues three-decade tradition of making visitors “feel at home, feel comfortable, and leave with a smile on your face.” The Name: Orris Spelled Backward (Plus an “S”) Sirros “began life backward”—literally. The restaurant’s unusual name comes from spelling “Orris” backward with an Read more...

The Terrace at French Village Located at 6188 Highway Y on the northern tip of the Ozark Highland Triangle, The Terrace at French Village occupies an 1890s home with winemaking heritage woven into its foundation. The Harold Werner family built this house during Missouri’s early pioneering vintner era, leaving a legacy that persists literally—a single row of their original vines still produces grapes to this day. The Terrace honors that heritage by offering an expansive wine selection spanning sweet reds, moscato, riesling, chardonel, Norton, French wines, and beer, transforming the historic space into gathering place where wine country tradition meets contemporary hospitality. Live music performances create Friday and weekend entertainment, shifting the venue from daytime wine tasting into evening social destination. Operating Friday through Sunday, The Terrace delivers what wine country establishments should offer—authentic connection to regional winemaking history, quality beverage selection reflecting that heritage, and atmosphere encouraging lingering over conversation and entertainment. Whether you’re exploring Route du Vin wine trail, seeking afternoon wine tasting with historical context, or settling in for evening live music paired with wine, The Terrace at French Village grounds you in the actual landscape and legacy that shaped Missouri wine country. 1890s Werner Legacy: Living Read more...

Uncle Dannie’s Sports Bar & Grill At the corner of Merchant and Third Streets in downtown Ste. Genevieve, Uncle Dannie’s Sports Tavern occupies a meticulously restored 1890s brick building, transforming what was once The Sandbar into a family-friendly gathering place where sports bar energy meets small-town hospitality. Owner Brock Gibson—who alongside his wife Megan operates Audubon’s Hotel & Restaurant, the Midnight Slip, and Meg’s Soda Shoppe—undertook comprehensive restoration of this historic corner building, making it genuinely new while respecting its substantial age. With draft beer service extending later than most downtown options, a game room full of entertainment, and a menu featuring classic American fare, Uncle Dannie’s delivers what sports bars should be: casual atmosphere where locals and tourists alike feel welcomed to settle in for good food, cold drinks, and unhurried time with friends. Whether you’re looking for a place to hang out while your spouse shops downtown, seeking game room entertainment, or wanting draft beer and burgers after 9 PM when other establishments close, Uncle Dannie’s provides the kind of accessible, unpretentious gathering space that characterizes Ste. Genevieve’s hospitality approach. The Building: Historic Restoration Done Right The 1890s brick corner structure represents significant downtown real estate. When Gibson Read more...