Bootleggin' Tavern

We were fortunate on a long road trip to pick the Home 2 Suites just across the street for a quick one night stay, otherwise wouldn’t know about the restaurant. The St Louis style BBQ was very good- shared the combo plate for the 2 of us, which they split before serving, which we appreciated. The Burnt ends were great, chicken delicious, and the big hit to us was the home made sauce. And they have a full bar and a wonderful selection of local beers. Finally the bartender had just created and was playing a fantastic Spotify play list, which we really enjoyed.

I stopped in just after opening on Sunday at 11am. Shay was a good chap with which to chat. The burger and fries arrived soon enough, and the meal was more than satisfactory. I may try the smoked, grilled chicken sandwich if time permits. Decent prices; great atmosphere; great food.

Wings were incredible. They are huge and the sauce was amazing. Try the bang sauce, it’s buffalo and bbq sauce combined. Mom got the bacon and she said it was the best thing she’s ever had. Kent was our bartender and he was very friendly and gave the best suggestions.

I came in on a Sunday evening and they were very busy. Ordered the pulled pork nachos and a salad. Nachos had a lot of topping and were very worth it. Salad was alright, but at a BBQ place it's what I expected. The bartender was friendly. I'd recommend it as a place to catch a game and have a drink/some casual food.

I really enjoyed this new BBQ place. I got the loaded fries and they had so much flavor. The service was great and prices were fair. We had a really good time and I will surely be back!

Wonderful people, fun bar interior, bland and forgettable smoked meats with incredibly small portions for the price which in the end didn't really matter. The pulled pork looked good but had zero flavor beyond the smooth fat and decent cheese nachos. The burnt ends were half an order for $18 and a fraction of the flavor of Pappy's or even Sugarfire with most of the flavor being char. Here is hoping this was a one off for them.

The waiting time was really long (more than an hour) although there were only a couple of customers. I am ok with long waiting times but it bothers me when they don't care about their food and how it arrives at their customers. They put hot food in boxes that unfortunately don't seem to be able to withstand heat and they melt. See the attached pics. Needless to say that because of that the food was not edible unless you like plastic flavored chicken. Edit: I'm updating my rating from 1 star to 3 stars due to the owner's response. That's greatly appreciated.

The drinks were fantastic, staff was awesome she really made sure we were taken care off. The food was really good. Highly recommend to stop by and support them!

I got the burnt end sandwich, bbq beans and fries...because I love burnt ends. Flavor on the meat was good and that's about all the good there was. Meat on sandwich was lukewarm warm like it had been sitting for a while. The beans were like bush's canned beans no extra BBQ flavor and no meat in them...don't call them BBQ if it's not in there. Lastly the fries were not done all the way.

This is a great bar & restaurant. If you like smoked wings- these are great! Have good selection of beers & couple ciders. My favorite is their own seltzer hotel lobby. Cucumber seltzer. Delicious. They have different specials & often have trivia or bingo. Always a fun vibe for games too

I had already had a full meal so I walked over here for a drink and snack and actually ran into my high school classmate who works there. It was nice to see a familiar face and catch up over the years while enjoying some very tasty fries with really good barbecue sauce. I will have to come back on an empty stomach and try more of their food the next time!

We were looking for something new and we came across this gem. Food came out amazing. I gor a side salad and the apple vinegarette dressing was wonderful!! We wanted to get a variety and we made it happen. Service was great but is was a little different than we were used to. You can order from you table using your phone or order at the bar and they will bring the food out. The were friendly and the restaurant/bar was clean. They have outdoor seating as well

I've hit bootleggin up a few times for beer and wings and it has not disappointed. They are located on The Grove which is a cool hood. Parking is tight in their lot. However, there is nearby off street parking. Service has been strong and atmosphere perfect for relaxing at the bar with a brew and wings. Price seems fair enough. I will return.

Beautiful evening out on their patio. Brew their own drinks along with a domestic beer collection. Started off with the Penrose Disco fries. Absolutely delicious! The pork belly had a sugar situation going on and the sauce with the cheese was to die for. Kent took good care of us. Absolutely will be back again!

Stopped by this past weekend with a party of six; service was slow but not the employee's fault (only one person working on a Saturday is poor business management). For the most part all of the food was delicious (including the appetizers) and the portion sizes were larger than expected! Not a real comfortable place to sit and relax, a bit cramped, furniture was typical hard wood bar-style but not the end of the world. No one in our party is rushing back anytime soon but a carryout order of BBQ could be in the cards!

Who knew you could go wrong with bar food? Just to put it plain and simple, the food just wasn't all that. You're better off finding another place to eat. My family and I are visiting for a concert. After being in the car for over 3 hours we decided to pick a place we could walk too. Which led us here. Not our first choice but since it was a Monday some of the other places were closed. The service was good, we walked in and were greeted right away, it's open seating and had many different spots to choose from including a section for family if you are not wanting the bar/high top seating. The atmosphere is your typical bar and grill. TVs all over the walls with different sport games going and random knickknacks on the walls. Sister 1 order boneless wings which she said lacked sauce and needed to be cooked a little longer to get that crunch. Sister 2 ordered the pulled pork and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was super watery and lacked in taste it just didn't cut it. She also didn't like the pulled pork, mind you she's only 10 years old, when we told the waiter she didn't like it, the waiter asked if we wanted anything else or to remove it off the bill? When the waiter left a few minutes later, another woman showed up. Which is who I assume to be the kitchen manager approached our table and asked what was wrong with the pulled pork. When my mom stated that she just didn't like it nor did she like the Mac cheese she stated they have really good pork and proceeded to tell us that it's a " personal preference" that she didn't like it and that there pork was good pork. But stated she would take it took it off our tab anyways. Not sure why she had the need to come over and tell us they had good pork and to top it off she was not very friendly during the whole interaction. It was unnecessary comment to be made and unprofessional. My mom and I ordered the Caesar salad wrap.. which I personally could have made a better one at home. As a Caesar salad enthusiast, this was the worst chicken Caesar wrap I have ever had. The fries were good and had lots of seasoning. The one good thing was our waters were filled and sauces were gave.

Food was spot on, got the burnt end sammich, was cooked to perfection. Service was great everyone was nice even had the owner come over and introduce himself and asked if anything could be improved on etc. Nice atmosphere with plenty of TV's will be back.

My family and I went here for dinner and we were super pleased. We were seated right away and our server was very friendly. The food was delicious. Everyone at everything--there was nothing left! It wasn't super busy, so we just relaxed, took our time eating, and watched the movie that was playing on the tv. The owner?/manager? Was sitting at the bar near us and engaged us--asking us where we were from and giving us some tips about things to see around town. Great vibe, yummy food, and friendly people!

I hadn't heard of this place before and when we were looking for someplace new we gave it a try for lunch. Not too many folks there on a Wednesday. A few people at the bar. It is not particularly charming from outside but that clearly is not the goal. Inside it was kind of randomly decorated, kind of charming. The food was solid. Chicken wings were very solid. Lots of meat. Good buffalo sauce. The Busch beer was very cold. I had a bbq chicken sandwich was a little dry (but I ordered without any condiment). My fellow diners said the burnt ends were some of the best they ever had. It bears another visit. It is kitty corner from Songbird Cafe and there was plenty of parking. Staff was friendly. Prices moderate. Bathrooms clean.

This just didn't work for me. While the service was nice and friendly, the food just didn't make the cut. Pepsi products sold here and went with Dr. Pepper because the Pepsi was out...and the Dr. Pepper ended up being flat, so water it is! Rio Grande sandwich, lacked seasoning, fries were overcooked and too crispy, baked beans... just a hard no. There's alot of competition in the StL area for BBQ, so yea...

So good! Ordering an old fashioned is hit or miss. Best old fashioned I've ever had! Burnt ends, fries, wedge salad. All 5

Cool little spot next to the hotel we were staying at. We came in pretty much right before they were closing, but props to the bartender for still serving us and not rushing us to leave. Forgot his name, but he was really cool and friendly. Seems like a cool place, would love to try some of their food, but it's too bad I'm leaving tomorrow. Maybe I'll try it again the next time I'm in town.

Amazing food and great for watching sports! Service was excellent, just speak up for yourself and ask for recommendations.

Bootleggin is pretty good. We ordered two combo meals. One with brisket and pulled pork with a side of potato salad. The other with brisket and burnt ends with a side of fries. The brisket had good flavor but it wasn't fall apart moist and delicious. The pulled pork was good but dry. I enjoyed the burnt ends, moist and full of flavor. We both thought the potato salad was great. The staff was friendly and the service was prompt.

I work on the Wash U medical campus and am always on the lookout for new lunch spots. I often walk down to the Grove when I want to get away from work for a while and stretch my legs. I'd seen this restaurant going in a few blocks south of work right on Chouteau. I'm a pretty big BBQ fan so I decided to stop in. The new location looks pretty nice. I actually stopped in before the official grand opening. The staff was very nice when I came in. You order and pay by scanning a QR code at your table. They have a nice mixture of food and alcohol options. I got a pulled pork sandwich and fries. The menu also has nachos, brisket, wings, and a number of other traditional BBQ fare. The sandwich was good and had enough sauce on it to bring out the flavor but not so much that it was soggy. The side of fries were a tad on the expensive side ($5) but it was a very large order. I could have easily split it with another person or maybe even too. They are thicker cut fries which I like, and they were on the crispier side which I also prefer. Overall I had a positive experience and likely will be back again in the future.

I cannot said enough about how amazing Bootleggin is. When they first opened, my boyfriend and I would come in for dinner and a couple drinks the night before every exam we had in grad school. The service was impeccable and the food was even better. Service was fast and if in a rush we could eat and have a drink in less than half an hour. Fast forward 2 years and it is still our go to for every occasion. We've brought friends and family to come hangout with us and try some good BBQ. Not only do they have the best wings I've ever tasted, but they include local beers and desserts in their menu. As a huge STL fan, this place is somewhere you have to try. So, if you're ever in the area, stop by and have a drink or two. Staff is extremely friendly and the atmosphere is lovely (they also hold bingo nights every once in a while where you can win some sick prizes).

The best chili we have ever had! The wedge salad was a bit strange though - the Roman lettuce was kind of bitter. Service was excellent.

cute place for a little post work drink and snack. i got a yummy blueberry lavender cider per recommendation from someone in my group. the fries were delicious with a little cheese dip. pro tip- ask for the fries in one of their signature rubs! they were putting halloween decor up which was fun to watch. lots of tvs for sports watching

WHAT A HIDDEN GEM! I'm in town visiting my girlfriend and we were looking for wings to celebrate a family friend. We found bootleggin on Apple Maps and decided to give it a try. Upon getting close to the restaurant/bar I noticed how quiet the neighborhood was for a Thursday night. We pulled up to the establishment and there were no cars parked outside and I was doubting if they were even open. Walking up to the front door we noticed there was staff inside. Entering the restaurant we were greeted immediately by the manager and staff while we took our seats at the bar. They were friendly throughout the entire night and gave us an in depth description of the local beers they had as well as the menu. I took his recommendation on a locally brewed beer and was very pleased with it. As for the menu, they had a number of great options but we were there for the wings. I opted for traditional wings while my girlfriend got boneless. The wings were smoked then fried which offered a depth of flavor that's hard to come by. I also got a side of fries that were crispy and seasoned well. It was a nice clean establishment with fitting decor and multiple seating options. We finally asked what the story was as far as the lack of customers and the manager mentioned it was hard to get people through the door when they aren't even aware the bar is there. The locals are definitely missing out on great food and a great atmosphere. I was thoroughly impressed with Bootleggin tavern and I will most definitely be returning in the future. I didn't catch the managers name but thank you for your kindness and great food & beer!

The pulled pork was fabulous and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Food is amazing !!!

Yes when I was working by Barnes Jewish Hospital downtown not many places close . This one is got the Royale with cheese no onions and Mac and cheese. It's good I would get it again. It's an easy clean , shotgun style looking bar. Service is good haven't seen it super busy either.

They have some of the best chicken wings in town. Bring the family. This place is awesome.

In a town known for BBQ this is a hidden gem. Truly some of the best I've had. Pulled pork is tender and flavorful. The burnt ends had just enough bark but could be cut with a fork. French fries and Mac and cheese were both amazing. Great before a show at the Fox

Stopped for lunch today and was super impressed with the wings! They have great snap, a smoke forward flavor and the wang sauce was not overpowering the smoke flavor. Can't believe this place doesn't pop up immediately when searching for the best wings in St Louis! I'm from out of town so maybe I need to try more places but this place might be hard to beat...wing game on STL!!!

First time at this restaurant and I ordered the pulled pork sandwich with French fries. The pulled pork was tender and tasty. I wish the meat would have been chopped to make it easier to eat as a sandwich. The bun was buttered and toasted. The fries came out hot and were seasoned perfectly. You scan the QR code to access the menu and order food. I like how the restaurant is laid out. It can easily handle large groups. Next visit I'm going to try the chicken wings. They were loading the smoker with wings and they looked awesome. No parking lot but there's plenty of street parking.

Been coming here on their soft openings and had a great time and then coming on their grand opening was awesome. This is a cool spot to see City FC (I'm not calling it SC, it should be FC like a normal football club) play too. They have Yeungling, they have food, they have good service, they have good vibes. I liked the smash burger but the chili wasn't to my liking (it was sweet to me) but that's fine. I'm going to come back until I move to the West Coast and when I return to visit, I'm still coming back.

Stopped in here for a late lunch and I was starving. First time there, and I was craving a burger. They told me about their specials, and one was three brisket sliders. They tempted me (wait for it) but I ordered the Miles Davis burger. A smash burger, with blue cheese and caramelized onions on a brioche bun. It was very tasty and flavorful. The fries have great seasoning. I finished the burger, was still hungry, and I had fries left. Yep, I ordered the sliders. They were served on a pretzel bun with caramelized onions and homemade horseradish sauce. I love horseradish sauce. I'll be going back!

Greatest burnt ends I've ever had plus a great beer selection. Friendly staff too. They plan to add ribs soon and can't wait to try those based on the burnt end.

Great food Excellent servers Highly recommend I've already put this place on the map for friends

Nice little spot in the grove. Ended up here for burger week since they were doing a special. Burger was pretty good liked the sauce on it. You order at bar. Will have to come back and try the bbq. They were busy when I came.

GREAT food. Service was good except the guy was newer, but he went and got the information we needed! Rock songs were jamming and on point! Would come again!

The brisket here was incredibly tender and buttery, though it wasn't piping hot when it came out. Nachos were delicious and enough to serve at least three hungry people. Eat it quickly though, as it got soggy towards the end of the meal. There was only one server, and she balanced being friendly and attentive, yet cognizant about not interrupting our conversations perfectly. As for ambiance, I can envision this place packed on a match night with buzzing St. Louis City soccer fans, but because we came in for a late Wednesday lunch during a flash thunderstorm, the place was quiet aside from the occasional Linkin Park song.

The waitress/bartender was amazing! She did it all! The cook was fast too. There were a few other parties and one mage party. Had the burnt ends. He had the burger. Mac and cheese and fries are tasty. They have lots of beers! Fun place!

Don't sleep on Bootleggin Tavern! This little gem is a great place. The people are awesome and the food is delicious. We had a holiday gathering there and they were SO accommodating. Kelly was wonderful and made sure everything was perfect. All of our friends raved about it! Also, a great place to sit at the bar and have a beverage and a bite and chat with the bartender. Marissa is the best. A couple of our foodie friends said it was the best BBQ they'd eaten in STL. Seriously-we just stumbled across this place a few months ago and it's a winner!!! And, consider their party room for your next gathering. You won't be sorry.

Found this place because I was in between meetings, and it was awesome. Wings were great, burger was delicious. Everything came out fast and was piping hot. Kudos to Marissa or waitress. I highly recommend this place. It's a hidden gem.

This place is horrible. Spent $240 on 4 for frozen fries, dry brisket, burnt ends that I'm not sure spent any time in an oven or smoker, box Mac and cheese and various apps. The biggest rip off west of the Mississippi. I'm from Kentucky and I'm astonished a restaurant in this big of a city can be this horrible. Worst brisket I've had in my entire life. Worst burnt end I've ever seen attempted. Genuinely a horrible experience and I would not recommend this to my mother in law!

Best Brisket and Burnt ends in St. Louis! Would highly recommend stopping and getting some great food Thanks Kent for the great service

Nice corner establishment in a well lit neighborhood with ample parking. Good variety of BBQ with good hot sides interesting decor and very friendly staff.

A friend and I stopped in here a few weeks. We sat at the clean bar having a cheeseburger and wings. The bartender served us quickly and she was attentive. Two kitchen workers also said hello in passing, which was kind. Overall, would recommend!

Consistent and delicious every single time. The staff are always nice, the food is well-priced, and boy does it hit the spot.

My classmates and I go to Bootleggin every Thursday, and we love it! Great and quick service. The cook asks us how we likes the food each time. Good drink selection! Shoutout to Chelsea! Such a great manager.

Awesome food! The meat is tender and flavorful, and the fries are always very crunchy. You will not be disappointed!

Oof.. thought we had found a new spot until a few beers , an appetizer and 2 meals cost us $160. They don't put prices on the menu- clearly that's for a reason. The waiter also seemed annoyed anytime he came over, which was not often. Not worth the money... at all.

Good all the way around. From burnt ends to brisket, chicken wings and cheese curds to one of the best Margaritas I've ever tasted (none your typical pre-mix crap). Small outdoor seating area but we were the only ones there. Hats off to the bartender/server as well who's name he repeated for me twice and I still can't remember it ‍. Backward ballcap and a Chris Stapleton t-shirt. My kind of guy. Would highly recommmend on all fronts!

Very diverse menu with many product offerings. No pescatarian options ( menu shows smoked salmon but was out of stock.) Excellent pork belly appetizer. Many different seasoning options for chicken, brisket, ribs (e.g. dry rub, old bay, buffalo, bbq, bbq and buffalo, etc.) Space on Newstead and Choteau has plenty of tables and a full service bar. The interior decor is very sports bar gaudy, but all tables have QR codes for convenient paperless ordering. French fries were crispy, tasty and nicely salted!

Foods amazing. I love the bootlegger burger. The fries are really good too. I also like it with the baked beans. I would say this is my favorite burger in St. Louis. Thanks!!

Outstanding smash burgers and fries. Friendly atmosphere. Very large portions, two could share a meal or the fries! Inside was neat and fun. Food was served fast, and as ordered.