Blueberry Hill

I love the Delmar loop area of St. Louis. The “Loop’s” eclectic, melting pot feel always makes me think that I am in a much bigger city, right here in St. Louis. Any trip to the “loop” would be incomplete without a stop at Blueberry hill. When you walk in the door you are almost smacked in the face by Blueberry hill’s personality. Knick knacks everywhere and old school rock and roll playing strongly in the background; blueberry hill is a treat for the senses. Ambiance aside (and I repeat, there is plenty of ambiance!), Blueberry hill offers a fairly comprehensive menu with offerings ranging from burgers, and deli sandwiches to trout almandine, and several vegetarian offerings like veggie lasagna and red beans and rice.  On our visit Brendan decided to try the famous 7 oz burger with pepper jack cheese and bacon and buffalo chips, and I opted for the Special Sandwich with a side of potato chips.

     The burger had a big, tasty charbroiled patty which was cooked to Brendan’s specification topped with pepper jack cheese and crispy bacon and served on a sesame seed bun – overall a good burger. The buffalo chips were thick slices of wavy cut potato fried to a golden crisp and sprinkled with a sneakily spicy seasoning that was unique and delicious. The Special sandwich was Cold roast beef, ham and salami served on a large kaiser roll with provel cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and Thousand Island dressing – a delicious combination, and the chips were your garden variety straight from the bag chips.

     When you factor in the combination of the ambiance, the food quality and quantity, it’s fair to say I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill….

www.blueberryhill.com

Value: 3.5 Lunch buckets

Service: 4 Lunch buckets

Food Quality: 4 Lunch buckets

Overall: 3.8 Lunch buckets

O'Connell's Pub

I’ve wanted to go to O’Connell’s pub since my friend Tony Urban told me they had the best hamburger in St. Louis over twenty years ago. Located on the corner of Shaw and Kingshighway O’Connell’s is dimly lit, with dark wood and pictures of Irish boxers and other Irish themed items adorning the walls. A visit to O’Connell’s is like a visit to Ireland, without ever leaving St. Louis.  This visit Brendan and I both decided that we had to try the hamburger to see if what Tony had told me was true. Well Tony, you were right. The folks at O’Connell’s do hamburgers right. The high quality hamburger meat was formed in a big thick patty that was char broiled to perfection and served on a toasted sesame seed roll with a pickle wedge and a slice of Bermuda onion.  The only minor setback was that the side dish is not included with the burger, but other than that if you are in the mood for a great burger we highly recommend a visit to O’Connells Pub.

Value: 3.5 Lunch buckets

Service: 4 Lunch buckets (burgers are cooked to order so there is a little wait)

Food Quality: 5 Lunch buckets

Overall: 4.2 Lunch buckets

Pappy's smoke house St. Louis Mo

Believe the hype Pappy's Smoke House is the real deal! Brendan and I visited Pappy's as our first "Lunch Bucket List" restaurant and we came away full and happy. Pappy's Ribs were the best I've had and the pulled pork sandwich was big and flavorful. The sides were good too. We had baked beans, fried corn and sweet potato fries and each was delicious. The prices were fair $12.99 for a half slab of ribs and $7.99 for a Pulled pork sandwich. Both came with two sides, and for $3.00 more Brendan got a delicious hot link added to his meal. The only downside was the huge line... we waited almost 45 minutes before we ordered and it was a weekday at lunch time. Fortunately we had our food within minutes of ordering and it was great. In spite of the wait, we think Pappy's is a winner. Our ratings are (5 is the highest, 0 is the lowest):
Value: 4 Lunch buckets
Service: 3 Lunch buckets (The wait was the only real problem here)
Food Quality: 5 Lunch buckets
Overall: 4 Lunch buckets
Visit http://www.pappyssmokehouse.com/index.php
for directions and information about Pappy's

What is a lunch bucket list?

Think of the lunch bucket list as a bucket list except instead of all the things you want to do before you die, this list is all of the places you want to eat lunch before you die. Inspired by shows like Man Vs Food and Diners Drive Ins and Dives, we are going to go to all of the good, unique lunch places in St. Louis and the surrounding areas and share our experiences via this blog