Comments from our Guests...
Received in an email:
My wife and I saw your establishment on DDD. My wife,
my daughter , son-in-law, and I visited on 12-29-12.Your wait staff and host
(our waitress was Jaime H.)were very pleasant , and the food was very good.
While I thought I knew most of the good places to eat in the STL area. I think
we just found a new place to frequent when in town.
Received in an email:
I ate lunch at your place today with my sons. My son is about to graduate from
culinary school and I have never seen him more impressed! I was raised in Louisiana
and Georgia and the Shrimp and Crawfish Etouffee just took me straight home
in time; I'll be sure to come back for the Gumbo
and red beans and rice. Thanks for the authentic and fine quality food; great
to have the south this far north!
=============================
“Best Christmas Party Ever!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed December 12, 2012 NEW
I was in charge of planing a holiday party for our department this year. Everyone
has diferent demands and to make 40 people equally happy is almost an impossible
task.
However, this turned out to be the best Christmas Party our department has ever
had!
I must have called the restaurant a few dozen times requesting different things,
changing plans and the number of guests... and every time I called I got the
same quality friendly service with only "yes, we would love to that for
you" answers. The staff at Hwy 61 Roadhouse was extremely profesional in
everything they did and at the same time very casual and easy going. I can not
thank them enough for making this holiday party planing so fun and easy!
My coworkers are still talking about the great buffet style dinner we all enjoyed
that night. The fried catfish, mac&cheese, stuffed grilled chicken breast,
smoked wings, red beans and rice were all prepared to perfection. Our buffet
never ran empty or cold, tables were clean and drinks refilled before you even
had time to ask for it. There are no words to describe the great experience
we all (40 people) had last saturday night at this restaurant!
And is that was not enough we had a pleasure to dance to and listen to the tunes
of the well known St. Louis artist, the Sy. Louis Diva Kim Massey!
Great night! I would highly recomend this restaurant for any occasion. They
have something for everyone on their menu!
==================
Here are 2 new reviews from Trip Advisor:
“St. Louis on a plate”
Reviewed December 11, 2012
The atmosphere is fun and the food is delicious. The Mardi Gras theme may not
seem appropiate, but the Cajun spirit is alive and well in St. Louis. Throw
in BBQ and some other local favorites and you have the perfect place to visit
when you are in town. Check out the website first for live entertainment schedules
as well. This is my favorite Sunday brunch option in town. Don't expect fancy
or gastro anything - good food, service and atmosphere is the offering here.
Visited December 2012
========================
“Midwest "New Orleans"”
Reviewed September 17, 2012
Found this place on Restaurant.com, was impressed by the website, so figured:
"Why not?" It did not disappoint. It has a New Orleans flare and we
were blessed to be there on a night when they had live music. I felt like I
was in the Big Easy all over again. One of the best experiences ever. Our waitress
was very helpful...she made a few food suggestions and everything was just excellent.
The quantity and quality of food was top notch. Just a very lively and laid-back
environment!!!
Visited June 2012
This is a really long review, but a good one!
"When I get together with the guys from one of my dealers in St. Louis,
we usually go to Llewelyn's for some appetizers and beer along with some business
discussion. Before a recent trip to St. Louis, I contacted one of the guys at
the store and let him know I would be coming down. He said, "Oh, man! We
have to take you to a new place. It's a Cajun-slash-barbecue place not far from
our store." The place he was talking about is called Highway 61 Roadhouse
and Kitchen.
Actually, it's not a new place - it's been in business since 2006. Bill Kunz and Dave Freese (not the St. Louis Cardinals third baseman) started the restaurant in what had originally been an old Streetside Records shop in the Old Orchard entertainment area of Webster Groves. Previous to Highway 61 Roadhouse's opening, it housed a couple three restaurants in the building. So while it isn't new to the general public, the guys from my dealer in St. Louis didn't know about the place until earlier this year.
After doing a couple demos for the guys, then listening to a couple audio systems they had set up in the store, we made our way to Highway 61 Roadhouse just south of Big Bend Boulevard on Old Orchard Ave. (see map) We made our way inside and found a table near the bar. The table was not very large, even though there was only three of us, and it was very wobbly. One of the guys reached under the table to put a folded wad of napkins under one of the legs. The chairs weren't very comfortable, either. One of the guys said, "The only thing bad about this place are the tables and chairs. The tables are too small and they're not very stable." If that's the only thing bad about Highway 61 Roadhouse, then that was fine with me.
The interior of the Roadhouse was sort of kitschy, but in a good way. They have live music at Highway 61 Roadhouse - primarily blues with some jazz on Thursday nights. I understand they'll have a zydeco band come to play in the place from time to time. The main dining area had a stage on one end with a number of tables on the floor and booths along the wall. There was an upstairs dining area that can be used for private functions and overflow dining. The Roadhouse also has a expansive outside dining area on the south side of the building that wraps around to the front side. The patio is open when the weather turns nice. Since we had a pretty mild spring in the Midwest, the patio opened in March of this year.
The bar area had a number of lighted old beer signs, as well as some kitschy items that were actually pretty interesting to see. A couple flat screen televisions had a baseball game on the screen. The back bar featured a lot of ornate wood and a chalk board that listed their draft beers.
Prior to going to the Roadhouse, I was told that they had Magic Hat 9 beer on tap. Since I was first exposed to the beer at The Standard in Elmhurst, IL, I've found a number of places that offer the beer in the Midwest. It's not available in Iowa as of yet, but I'm guessing that it will be soon. All three of us signed up for a Magic Hat 9.
Another waitress brought us over some menus and I took a look through the one I had. The Roadhouse not only featured Cajun and barbecue specialties, but they also had soups and salads, a number of delectable appetizers, specialty pizzas, and a couple three pasta dishes including barbecued spaghetti. They take a plate of pasta and top it with chunks of pulled pork and their homemade barbecue sauce. I've seen barbecued spaghetti on menus before, but have never had it.
The first thing one of the guys ordered was a couple baskets of Highway 61's smoked chicken wings. They smoke the wings and then toss them in a container of the house "Voodoo" sauce. And he also ordered some of their Louisiana barbecued shrimp - they take peeled shrimp and bake them in a pot that has a Worcestershire/butter sauce infused with herbs and spices.
I was a little leery of the smoked wings, but when they were brought to the table I could smell the smoke on the meat and the wonderful sweet and spicy voodoo sauce that glazed the outside of the wings. The sweetness of the sauce helped keep the spicy taste in check. I'm not big on smoked chicken, but I have to say that the smoked chicken wings at Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen were delicious. The smoked chicken wing platters are pictured below left. I couldn't get a picture taken quick enough before one of the guys already had gnawed on a couple of wings.
But the highlight was the barbecue shrimp (above right). It was served in a small crock and had an ample amount of shrimp swimming in the Worcestershire/butter herb sauce. French bread was served with the barbecue shrimp and dipping the bread in the sauce was just as good as eating the shrimp out of the crock. It was heavenly in many ways.
I wanted to try a cup of the gumbo before we ordered any more food. The menu described the gumbo at the Roadhouse as a chicken and andouille sausage in dark spicy broth served with rice. When she brought out the "cup" of gumbo, I immediately said, "Wait a minute. I wanted a cup, not a bowl."
She said, "This is a cup." I told her that if that was a cup, I'd hate to see how big their bowls were.
One of the guys said, "The portions are huge here. We generally can't eat everything on the plate."
The gumbo was also outstanding. I think I make pretty damned good gumbo at home and I have to say that Highway 61's gumbo was one of the best I've had at a Cajun restaurant - or any restaurant, for that matter. The gumbo featured large chunks of flavorful andouille sausage and tender chicken chunks. I especially liked the roux-based broth. It was thick and had a little spicy kick to the taste. I jacked it up even more with ample amounts of Tabasco.
We decided to order up a couple things for each of us to try "family style." I was told the voodoo shrimp sandwich was absolutely one of the things to order. They take peeled shrimp, roll them in flour with Cajun spices added to it, deep fried to a golden brown color, then shaken in a container with their voodoo sauce. I sort of try to stay away from deep fried shrimp, but I was assured these things were to die for. They then take the voodoo shrimp and put it on a hoagie bun, then top it with mozzarella cheese and applewood smoked bacon. "The bacon is unbelievable," one of the guys told me. "I don't know how they make their bacon, but the taste is unbelievable."
For the other entree, we decided upon the smothered catfish - a farm-raised, lightly breaded and pan-fried catfish filet served on a bed of rice and then topped with ample amounts of Highway 61's shrimp and crawfish etoufee. You also got to choose one side from a list that included red rice and beans, green beans, fried okra, sweet potato pie (Yep! As a side!), and even the barbecue spaghetti. We ended up choosing the mac and cheese.
Once the food hit the table, we weren't too certain we were hungry. But the wonderful smells of the voodoo shrimp and the catfish smothered in the etoufee were overwhelming. It's amazing how something that smells so good can make your full stomach suddenly find room for more food. The voodoo shrimp was everything I was told it would be. We picked the off some of the shrimp that hadn't been covered with the cheese and bacon. Oh, my God, were they great! I love that sweet and spicy voodoo sauce at Highway 61 Roadhouse! But the killer taste sensation was the mozzarella cheese coated applewood smoked bacon slices. I pulled one off the top of the shrimp and took a bite. It was so sinfully great that I almost cried. I did pull some of the cheese off the bacon and had a bite of the bacon on its own. Just like it was described to me, the bacon was so flavorful and delectable. One of the guys said, "They have a Sunday brunch here that I want to come to at some point. I know they have the bacon on the menu for their brunch. I could just gorge myself on the bacon."
The smothered catfish was also declared excellent by the guys. I especially liked the crawfish and shrimp etoufee sauce. It was a nice dark sauce - darker than most etoufee I've seen in the past. It had a little kick to it. I'm not big on catfish, so I focused on bites of the etoufee and rice. On it's own, the etoufee and rice were worth getting the smothered catfish.
And surprisingly, the mac and cheese side was also very good. It featured a lot of cheese with ample amounts of bread crumbs mixed in. One of the guys basically took the mac and cheese and finished it off when myself and the other guy decided we were full. We still had food on the table - about half of the smothered catfish was eaten, but most of the etoufee was gone. And all the voodoo shrimp and bacon were gone off the sandwich, but only the tomatoes, lettuce and hoagie bun were left.
I have to say that everything that I had at Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen
was very good to excellent. The service was good, as well. I liked the ambiance
and the decor was fun and interesting. But the food was the winner at the Roadhouse.
The voodoo shrimp, the applewood smoked bacon, the smoked chicken wings, the
barbecued shrimp - all top notch. I get worried when restaurants have such an
extensive menu, generally because I quickly find out that they don't do varied
types of cuisine well. But Highway 61 Roadhouse did everything all right in
my book."
This review is from Road
Tips - A Sales Guy's Guide to Travel, Food and Music in the Midwest and
Beyond - and Much More!
"My friend and I stopped in on our visit from Milwaukee. I heard Guy was filming Triple D this past June, so this was a MUST on our list. Fantastic food, the BBQ spaghetti and the Red Beans and Rice are some of the best things I've ever tasted. Can't wait to see it the show and special thanks to a fantastic waitress Natalie who helped make our experience over the top! I will be back!" -- Wendy Bishop (on Facebook)
"Drove all the way from Pennsylvania to enjoy this place!!! Was well worth it!!! " -- DrueAnne Schreyer
"We were in town from Osceola, IN. My cousin took us to your place for dinner. The food was great but my husband in particular sent his compliments to the chef regarding the Mississippi Fried Catfish. Thank you for a wonderful evening!" -- Barb Canoy Beven
"We were visiting from South Carolina and happened in one evening when a musician - Randy Harr - was performing. Great voice, original songs, some R&R classics - impressive.... "
"The food is Great, the atmosphere is Great and the decor is Great. So much fun. St. Louis needed a place like this."
Here's an interesting email thread:
From:* Cindy Roettger *To:* Cornbread@STLBlues.net *Sent:* Sun, June 20, 2010
10:56:10 AM *
Subject:* bands Are there any places ages 20 and 17 can go to listen to bands?
If you could email me at xxxxxx@xxx.com
We will be in St. Louis and available to go and listen to a band on the 29,
30, and July 1. Thank you, Cindy Roettger
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Cornbread *To:* Cindy Roettger *Sent:* Monday, June 21, 2010 2:52 PM
*Subject:* Re: bands Hi Cindy, check STLBlues.net
------------------------------------------------------------------------
***From:* Cindy Roettger *To:* Cornbread *Sent:* Fri, July 2, 2010 8:42:58 PM
*Subject:* Re: bands Just to let you know we did go to Highway 61 Roadhouse
on Tues, June 29. Thanks so much for the recommendation, the music, food, and
atmosphere were all great. My husband and two boys ages 17 and 20 also enjoyed
the evening. If we make it back to St. Louis we will be sure to go back and
our youngest son will probably bring his guitar. I would probably come
back to St. Louis just to go the Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen. It just that
great of a place!!!! Thanks again, Cindy
• Here are excerpts from reviews by customers we found on the internet •
(found on americanroadmagazine.com)
"On Valentine's Day, Quinn and I ventured to a great new joint in Webster
Groves, the Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen...the place is chock full of murals,
photos, and memorabilia commemorating the "blues highway"...the food
continues that commemoration; we had Fried Tamales (a Delta favorite) and I
had BBQ Spaghetti (Spaghetti saturated with jerked pork and the Roadhouses own
BBQ sauce--have your Tums by your side for this one!). They also served Quinn
and I heard some great music (it was a benefit for Katrina Relief, and all the
proceeds go to New Orleans)...you can hear great blues there as well (Kim Massie,
an icon of the St. Louis Blues scene, plays there regularly)...it is sorta strange
touting a "Route 61" roadhouse that is not quite on highway 61, but
if you are visiting the St. Louis area, it is well worth the visit..."
“We really enjoyed the ambiance, food, service, drinks. It was great for dinner and would be a fun place to hang out and watch a band. We will definitely be back to try more items off the large menu and will bring visitors here as well.”
“My family went to the Roadhouse for Mother's Day brunch and I have to say it was probably the best brunch I've ever had! Everything in the brunch selection was so good! Fried catfish, ribs, pulled pork, pecan french toast, cheese grits, hash brown potatoes, crispy bacon, sausage patties, scrambled eggs, corn cakes, pancakes and omlets made to order, and more plus a dessert table! It was all good! The pulled pork and pecan french toast, and corn cakes were my favorites and I couldn't stop eating! I'll def be back for more of these!”
“The blend of Southern comfort cooking with the uniqueness of Midwestern/Saint Louis style meals equals a delight. I love Cajun food, and they know how to serve the right creole mix here. I loved every bite of corn souffle(MUST TRY), 1/2lb Saint Louis style bbq smoked ribs( Just the right amount of sauce, not dry Memphis), creole rice and beans( big beans), waffle fries(light on spice), po boy sandwich with spicy crawfish ( wow, full of crawfish)”
“HWY61 is a welcoming place with it's jazz,blues and all that hearty soul music. The walls are plastered with musicians who have made history and changes to the American music that we hear today. This place is a mini museum in itself and a reminder of the past.”
“my hubby and I both ordered the sampler plate that had ribs, chicken, and pulled pork. OMG! It was all good but may have been the best puled pork in my life! I got mac and cheese on the side, definetly didnt come from a box or cartoon or anything. Homemade all the way. It was all so amazing but also WAY too much food. 2 Hour drive isnt anything for this place!”
“CAJUN CHIPS - This are the reg type pub chips only these are hands down the best I've had. I am still munching on these 3 days later too, still crispy and good. I will note that this is a HUGE portion but remember....great to take home. BTW - skip the cheese sauce and add vinegar or just plain.”
“THE MASHED POTATOES - mmmmmmmmm, I do loves me some mashed tators and these are very, very good. I got the brown gravy.”
“CREAM CORN SOUFFLE - Sweet corn in a thick cream sauce and baked with corn meal. Large enough to split and very fattening and yummy!!!”
“There are some standouts here, but in general it's difficult to go wrong on the menu. The kitchen somehow maintains consistency and quality across that huge menu, I have no idea how. ”
“That said, here were some surprises that I didn't expect. The barbecue ribs were actually good, the burger was exceptional, the appetizers (which are huge and 2 for 1 during happy hour) are generally good, especially the wings. The corn souffle side dish is a must, and the barbecued spaghetti is one of those oddball dishes that I grew up around but most people haven't heard of. It's a love/hate thing, this one is spicy with chunks of barbecue in it, and most people are pleasantly surprised at what seems an unholy creation.”
“On a side note, with the portion sizes we've always been far too full to indulge in dessert...until last night. They have a Mississippi Mud Cake dessert that was beyond good. For those of you who know what a "chess pie" is, it's essentially a warm chocolate chess pie on melted marshmallows, with coffee ice cream and chocolate syrup.”
“If you're looking for simply good food, in an unpretentious atmosphere suitable for kids and adults alike, that can accomodate the tastes of most groups, it's difficult to go wrong. These people are definitely contributing to the fattening of america...and I'm ok with that. "Fine Dining" it's not, but "Mighty fine dinin' " it is.”
“Highway 61 is a nice place to go and eat dinner, enjoy some music, and have a good time.”
“Had dinner at the Highway 61 Roadhouse. They serve cajun cuisine so it was just in time for Fat Tuesday. Fried catfish was excellent. Give them a try when if you are in the Lou.”
Business Hours
Sunday
• brunch 9:30am - 1pm
• dinner menu 1:30pm - 8pm
• bar until 9pm
Mon - Thurs
11am - 11pm
• lunch menu 11am - 3pm
Friday and Saturday
11am - Midnight
• lunch menu 11am - 3pm
Kitchen Hours
Sun - 9:30am - 8pm
Mon - Thurs 11am-10pm
Friday - Saturday 11am - 11pm
Happy Hour
Mon - Friday 3:00pm - 6:30pm
Mon-Thurs 10pm - CLOSE
Every Monday night
Every Tuesday night
