SUNNYGUN
American restaurant · Fulton River District
664 W Lake St, Chicago, IL 60661
Highlights
Upscale cafeteria-style comfort food with a large dog-friendly patio
Upscale cafeteria-style comfort food with a large dog-friendly patio
"The 1950′s were a golden age. We walked fifteen miles uphill both ways to school. Bozo the Clown haunted children’s dreams. And the Sears Christmas catalog was basically the original Snapchat. Saint Lou’s Assembly wants to bring you back to the nostalgia of those days, specifically with a meat and three cafeteria. Here’s the thing about the good ol’ days - they’re impossible to perfectly recreate. A cafeteria format was tested out in the beginning, but it was quickly scraped for regular table service with a more concentrated menu. And ultimately, it was the small move that Saint Lou’s needed to let the food and space shine. Even though the cafeteria format is gone, the style is still there - brick walls, red tile floors, and old pictures of people and classic cars that today are only seen in movies or present day Cuba. The concept of a meat and three means you pair a meat like chicken or meatloaf with a couple of sides, maybe mac and cheese, mased potatoes, or baked beans. It’s old school, but there are enough interesting fillers like elote, watermelon salad, and buffalo fried okra to keep it interesting. And while it’s not cheap eats, you can’t get a more complete meal for $20. And then there’s the backyard. This backyard is as hot as an original Elizabeth Taylor pinup. There’s a covered area with picnic benches, round tables on mulch, some stadium seating benches, bocce ball, and a bar back there so you never have to go inside. All of this combined makes Saint Lou’s ideal for any casual lunch, dinner, weekend brunch, or drinking situation with friends. There’s no need to go back to the good old days when you can have yourself a great day at Saint Lou’s. Food Rundown Biscuit Basket Delicious biscuits with a side of butter and honey. You want these and can get an order of either two or four. Elotes Grilled corn on the cob with chili, lime, queso, and mayo. Heavy on the mayo and queso, but still great flavor and a good starter. Marinated Kale Salad A lot of kale with olives, feta, red onion, grapes, and pistachio. If you’re cool with kale then this salad tastes great. 1/2 Roasted Chicken A quality roasted chicken. Pair it with a few delicious sides and you’re good to go. Old Bay Crusted Fish Of The Day If you like Old Bay seasoning and you like fish, you’ll like this fish of the day. The one time we ate this it was catfish, and it was good. Also the healthiest version of the meat + three. Meatloaf Wellington If you want to go all 1950′s up in this btch then get the Meatloaf. Can’t say we’re huge meatloaf fans in general, but it’s worth an order. Sides You gotta have good sides if you’re going to pair three of them with most of your main dishes, and Saint Lou’s comes through in the clutch. The mac & cheese is delicious, as are the baked beans, creamed spinach, smashed potatoes, and broccolini. The only side we don’t love is the coleslaw, so skip it and get the others instead Brunch Saint Lou’s does a solid brunch on the weekends, and it’s an excellent place to sit and hang outside. Do it." - Sam Faye
"This is another Kentucky Derby watch party worth knowing about. On May 1st Saint Lou’s in the West Loop is hosting their annual Run for The Rosé event. People run through an obstacle course while carrying a tray of Rosé flutes, there’s a “best hat” contest (a $150 Saint Lou’s gift card is the prize), and they’ll have Mint Julep specials. Doors open at 3pm, and patio seating is first-come-first-served." - adrian kane
"During the summer, you should make Saint Lou’s Assembly a part of your regular rotation. This spot has a great outdoor space, where you’ll find a covered area with picnic benches, round tables on mulch, stadium seating benches, and an outdoor bar so you never have to go inside." - adrian kane
"If your dry January experiment is so successful that it extends through the summer, you’ll want to hit up Saint Lou’s. The backyard is a perfect place to spend time when it’s nice out: there’s bocce ball, a covered area with picnic benches, round tables on mulch, and some stadium seating benches. All of this combined with housemade lemonade, floats, and the upscale cafeteria-style food (like mac and cheese) make it like being at your company picnic, but with less of a chance of ending up talking to HR afterward." - adrian kane
"St. Lou’s Assembly always has a lot going on, and it appreciates winter enough to turn its patio into a tree lot during the month of December. This place is vaguely cafeteria-themed (with patty melts and upscale takes on “meat and threes”), but unlike most cafeterias, it also has dishes like biscuits with foie gras ganache. Also unlike most cafeterias, it has the entrance to a bar (Moneygun) right inside it." - adrian kane
