Your Guide to Where to Celebrate Before and After a St. Louis Cardinals Game
St. Louis baseball and good times are synonymously linked to food and beer – starting, naturally, with peanuts, Crack Jack and Budweiser. But the edible experience of today’s fans extends far beyond the cracked shells and prized treats hidden within those boxes of sweetened corn pops.
While today’s ballparks are hawking everything from sushi to poke, local eateries and bars have dramatically upped their game as well. Beer aficionados – in addition to the world’s largest brewery on renowned Pestalozzi Street – now have access to nearly 65 different area brewpubs and microbreweries. Take advantage of the St. Louis fan experience inside and outside Busch Stadium – drive, walk, metro or scooter your way to America’s national pastime. Ample primo parking offers tremendous accessibility for gameday rallying, tailgating and bar hopping. Shuttle service is available from many of the fun eateries as well (Big Daddy’s, Social House, Llywelyn’s Pub, 1860’s Saloon, Molly’s in Soulard, the Casino Queen, to name a few).
Better yet, pack your red swag and leather baseball gloves, load up the car, road trip downtown and check into your favorite hotel, many of which offer special fan appreciation deals for Cards fans: stunning skyline, Arch and stadium views; themed team décor and yes, sports bars. Fan favorites include everything from Live! By Loews at Ballpark Village, Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, Horseshoe St. Louis Casino & hotels and St. Louis Union Station Hotel. Unpack, chill and begin your baseball sports odyssey.
The majority of St. Louis bars and restaurants in and around downtown and surrounding neighborhoods offer special pre-and post-game drink and food specials. Belly up to the bar, grab a table, and peruse the menus at hotspots everywhere from downtown, Laclede’s Landing and Soulard to the Central West End, the Grove and beyond.
Ballpark Village, located just 25 feet from the stadium, covers the bases with entertainment – including a 40-foot screen, game-day bands and DJs, a media wall, and more. From quick bites to full meals, fans can celebrate indoors, outdoors, from a heated patio or on a rooftop deck overlooking the field.
Other celebratory hotspots a stone’s throw from home plate include the Hilton’s sky-high Three Sixty rooftop with its open brick pizza oven, baha fish tacos, mixologist-inspired drinks, fire pits, a two-story waterfall and old-fashioned viewfinders (think, Empire State Building); Paddy O’s on the south side of the stadium, where fans can enjoy the autographed Cardinals memorabilia on display while noshing on super nachos and other pub food delicacies; and Broadway Oyster Bar, St. Louis’ version of Beale Street on steroids. Here, one can listen to daily blues, funk and reggae while downing some traditional Louisiana favorites like the Naked Gator Tacos, Oysters NOLA, fried alligator and creole jambalaya — just a block from the stadium.
Score a seat on the sunny south patio at The Midwestern, a family-friendly restaurant in the Spruce Street Bar District, that offers up the best BBQ nachos (seriously) and some great rhythm and blues bands. Oh, and the 85-foot bar with every drink you can think of – plus, buckets of beer — makes it the ultimate spot to pre-game and/or celebrate a win. Arcade-style Start Bar, Tin Roof also provide options on Spruce.
At downtown’s western edge, fans can take in the sights at St. Louis Union Station, an entertainment mecca that includes a 200-foot-high observation wheel (with views of the stadium), mini-golf, two aquariums with more than 10,000 aquatic animals, and a multitude of restaurants to satiate any pre- or post-game palette: the Train Shed, Soda Fountain, Landrey’s Seafood House, and more.
Other downtown favorites include Sugarfire Smokehouse on Washington Avenue; Form Skybar at Hotel Saint Louis; the Cinder House, perched on the 8th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel on the riverfront and featuring breathtaking views of the iconic Arch, along with Peruvian specials created by James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft; Bailey’s Range, where 100 percent grass fed, grain-finished American range beef burgers are served on homemade buns with boozey shakes, lemonades and more.
Fans heading to and from the game and wanting to avoid the Cardinal crowd crush can catch some fun at one of Mission Taco’s three locations (Soulard, Delmar Loop, Central West End); Urban Chestnut Brewing Company’s bier hall, a craft beer drinker’s dream-come-true in The Grove; The Gramophone, the coolest sandwich pub around (try the All Up in Your Grill end-all grilled cheese); or, Grace Meat + Three, a counter service Southern American fare restaurant with the Best Fried Chicken in Missouri (Food Network).
Whatever one’s style, palette whim or vibe, it’s game on in St. Louis.
Go Cards!