The saloon came before the steakhouse, but it’s hard to imagine one without the other. The dark, no-nonsense small-town bar, which was opened by Ernie Wells and Sam Cross in 1945, is decorated with neon beer signs and a life-sized inflatable Mizzou Tiger. You can eat at the bar – and still smoke, too! – but most customers prefer to wander past the pool tables down into the well-lighted dining room, where they find the metro’s meatiest and hottest chicken wings and less-traditional broccoli cheese puffs (think broccoli cheese soup embedded in a deep-fried tater tot). The rest of the menu is all-American: fried chicken, grilled liver and onions, meatloaf, fried catfish, steaks and burgers – and hand-battered frogs’ legs! With Golden Boy pies for dessert. — Charles Ferruzza
Price: $-$$
Payment Type: All Major Credit Cards, cash
Parking: Lot Available, Street
Reservations: Accepted, Recommended for Large Parties, Not Necessary
Attire: Casual
