SUNNYGUN

"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

"St. Lou’s Assembly is cafeteria-themed, which doesn’t make it the sexiest candidate for this list. But while it has classics on the menu like patty melts and a “meat and three,” unlike most cafeterias, it also has dishes like biscuits with foie gras ganache. Plus, heading to St. Lou’s prevents a second round of back-and-forth about where to go for drinks afterward - there’s an entrance to a bar, Moneygun, right inside it. There you’ll find old-school drinks like White Russians, negronis, and daiquiris, and you can also play arcade games like Pac-Man and Tetris. So basically, you and your friends can just plan on staying here all night." - adrian kane

"St. Lou’s Assembly is part of an initiative to organize twice-daily meal drop-offs to the healthcare workers at Rush Hospital. They partnered with Gordon Food Service to create a rotating selection of prepackaged meals for drops at both 11:45am and 5:45pm five days a week." - adrian kane

"A sun-drenched patio oasis in the busy West Loop, Lou’s Backyard has plenty of room for people and dogs to drink (yes, water counts), play bocce, and snuggle around a fire pit on chilly evenings." - Naomi Waxman, Eater Staff

"From Oct 28-31, Saint Lou’s in the West Loop is swapping out their usual menu for a Waffle House-themed selection of breakfast items. You can expect dishes like hot chicken and waffles, steak and eggs, and poutine hashbrowns." - john ringor