No tour of this beer, blues, and barbecue town is complete without a visit to the Anheuser-Busch Brewery (12th and Lynch St., 314/577-2626, www.budweisertours.com [1], free). Take a narrated tour of the King of Beer’s castle, and afterward, enjoy complimentary A-B products in the hospitality room.
Head toward downtown to check out the popular local microbrewery Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust St., 314/241-2337, www.schlafly.com [2]) at 21st and Locust.
Sample a pint at Morgan Street Brewery (721 N. 2nd St., 314/231-9970, www.morganstreetbrewery.com [3]) on Laclede’s Landing and get a taste of another great St. Louis microbrewery.
Grab a table on the patio at the Broadway Oyster Bar (736 S. Broadway, 314/621-8811, www.broadwayoysterbar.com [4]), toss back a few chilled oyster shooters, and enjoy some great live blues. Live music plays pretty much every night at the Oyster Bar.
B.B.’s Jazz, Blues, & Soups (700 S. Broadway, 314/436-5222, www.bbsjazzbluessoups.com [5], daily 6 p.m.–3 a.m.) is a legendary venue that serves up live tunes every night of the week alongside great Cajun classics like jambalaya and gumbo.
The Old Rock House (1200 S. 7th St., 314/588-0505, www.oldrockhousestl.com [6]) is a fabulous refurbished saloon that serves up both blues and barbecue.
When it comes to barbecue in St. Louis, the key word is pork. Lots and lots of pork. There are countless St. Louis restaurants that serve up their best pork steaks and country-style spare ribs every day. But to really satisfy your ’cue cravings, head to Pappy’s Smokehouse (3106 Olive St., 314/535-4340, www.pappyssmokehouse.com [7]) in Midtown. Open for just over a year, this altar to smoked pig is the best barbecue restaurant in town.
Links:
[1] http://www.budweisertours.com
[2] http://www.schlafly.com
[3] http://www.morganstreetbrewery.com
[4] http://www.broadwayoysterbar.com
[5] http://www.bbsjazzbluessoups.com
[6] http://www.oldrockhousestl.com
[7] http://www.pappyssmokehouse.com