Joshua C.
Yelp
I've got family in the St Louis area and was visiting for vacation so, naturally, I went to Yelp to look for some well rated restaurants. This one caught my eye and I'm happy it did!
At first look, you see a quaint, charming restaurant with a beautiful patio that wraps around the entire building, tucked away in an unsuspecting neighborhood. The interior is very welcoming and cozy. If I was judging a book by its cover, this one would have a pretty good judgment.
The real judgement comes from the experience/service and food/drink for me. We were greeted by someone who looked to be the manager of the restaurant. She offered us our choice of low top or high top tables in two different rooms. We chosen the high top in the room with the bar. The room was dimly lit and pretty quiet/comfortable. Our server greeted us shortly after being seated and took our drink orders. My drink of choice was the Dark Cherry Old Fashioned (x2) and it was great!
For appetizers, we ordered the Bacon Mac and Cheese Bites - it was not an easy choice as every appetizer looked really good. We were happy with our choice and I only wish we ordered more appetizers! For my entree, I was stuck between the Parmesan Encrusted Chicken and the Peas & Bacon so, I asked for the waitress's help. She suggested I do the Parmesan Encrusted Chicken and instead of the rice-orzo pilaf and veggies, do their white-cream farfalle and peas - this was a great choice. The Chicken comes encrusted in panko breadcrumbs, parmesan and mozzarella, topped off with bacon bits. The flavor profile was a rich, cheesy flavor paired perfectly with the bacon bits and chicken. The pasta was rich and cheesy as well and was a great combo with the peas.
Our overall dining experience lasted approximately 60-90 minutes and was never dull. From great background 70s folk music, to the amazing food, this was a great experience from top to bottom. I would recommend Hendel's to anyone looking for a damn good dining experience at a reasonable price!