Jefferson Avenue Bistro

I gave this place a try because I had a coupon for Jefferson Bistro. I had checked out the menu online & it looked pretty good. (They only have a Facebook page, not a web site.) When I walked into the restaurant, I thought I was in the wrong place. It’s under new ownership & is now «Jefferson Bar & Grill». A lot of the items that I thought sounded tasty weren’t on the new menu. My husband & I split an order of wings, which were ok but nothing special. My husband ordered a turkey club & I ordered a plain burger. The waitress asked how I’d like it cooked & I said «medium». My burger was char-​broiled burnt to a crisp. After 2 bites I wasn’t hungry & had heartburn. My husband’s turkey club was made with some sort of cheap loaf turkey that made him nauseous about 30 minutes later. The only thing that earns this place 1 star is the nice bartender.

Sadly I have had to update my formerly 5-​star review of this restaurant. It is apparently under new ownership with a slightly different name (Jefferson Sports Bar & Grille or something to that effect). We went there today to have breakfast and were treated to a much smaller menu than had been previously offered. Now fewer choices isn’t necessarily a bad thing if they’re all delicious, so I proceeded to order the Denver omelet.
What I received was a pile of heavily salted fillings cooked to wildly varying degrees covered in a requisite coating of egg. It was accompanied by a blob of fried potato substance that contained enough sodium to attract deer from nearby wooded areas. Not to be outdone, there was also a biscuit involved which had the consistency and flavor of a charcoal briquette. The bacon was consumable.
Looks like it’s time to find another go-​to breakfast joint. I’ll miss ya!

coupons get me to experience new places, especially when it is a BOGO coupon. Getting something free will always get me to try something new.
JAB is a mix of a dive bar and a neighborhood diner. The booze is cheap and the food is inexpensive. Keep in mind you get what you pay for, it is average bar food at best. The ambiance is cluttered with a huge aluminum ladder leaning against the wall and holes in the walls that needed to be patched.
Our burgers were good, but they were way smaller then the buns they are served on. I want my burger to reach the edge of my bun. Both of our burgers were cooked to our requested temperature. Looking at posted pictures, I was excited to see they served Steak Fries with their burgers. However, we were disappointed that they now use Crinkle Fries. At least they were crispy and still a good accompaniment to the burger.
The highlight of our experience was the Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings. They were perfectly done to a crispy coating. The lemon seasoning gave the perfect tang and the pepper gave it a spicy kick. LP CW is a favorite of mine and these were some of the best I have found in the city.
The service was hit and miss. The bartender was busy serving tables and doing the bar-​tending while other coworkers were running around getting ready for a Friday night of live music upstairs. No teamwork here, it was obvious the dining area was filling up.
I heard they also serve up a good breakfast. I may have to return and try the most important meal of the day.

Jefferson Avenue Bistro looks like it would be an awesome place to sit around and get hammered, but it’s the last place you should go for food. Worst meal I’ve had in a while.
I’m unsure how a bar makes pizza and burgers taste bad, but they managed to pull it off. I will give them one compliment for their hand-​cut steak fries. Those were the best part of the meal.
If I return, it will definitely be to drink myself into an oblivion… but I’m not eating.

This was some really good home cooking food! It was not expensive. Get the pizza, it’s cheesy and meaty. You will not be mad you came here.

Great food, great prices! For breakfast I have to go for the breakfast burrito, for lunch I have to go for fettuccine Alfredo or the yummy cheese fries. Very friendly staff! The food never seems to take very long and is always fantastic. The facility is also very clean. Just an all around good place!

I’m only giving this 2 stars as the food was decent — fried chicken was good, simple yet tasty.
I’m close to giving only 1 star b/​c the «new» bartender as she stated took her LAZY olé’ time our entire stay. It took at least 45 minutes for 2 entrees to come out. Oh, and there were only 3 other people in there at the time. Then she took our ketchup away to give to another table and never brought us another one like she said she would. THEN took 20 minutes to get our check to us. I had an entertainment book coupon that I left at home, but they also have an online version you can use from your phone… well she went to the «head bartender» and came back to us saying they can only accept the printed version. They need to read the disclaimer before signing up with that book then… b/​c that’s what the ONLINE version is all about…
Definitely not going back which is sad b/​c the patio looked fun. What a waste.
Sadly, I still tipped 20% b/​c I was once a server and I get what it’s like, but c’mon… this place needs help!

I have no opinion on the foods as we were basically ignored from the time we walked into the place. It was about 6:30 there were only about 8 people at the bar and no body at the tables. No menus, no water, not even a hello. After about 10 minutes a guy walked over and said that she was coming. We waited a few more minutes then walked out. I had even printed up a coupon from restaurants dot com so now I am out 10 dollars. The bartender was busy talking and going on with the men at the bar and just ignored us. I am very disappointed.

Bring even the picky eaters here!
I’m pretty particular and I can say this is one of the best places for a nice/​easy breakfast, lunch or early dinner.
Great and filling meals, good drinks and the best parts are the food taste, great service, and inexpensive bill! I love that it is so close to home, and Cherokee street. Have a few drinks on the cheap before heading down the street. I always recommend during the morning and afternoon, sometimes things get a little too rowdy for my liking in the evening hours.

Went to dinner here this past week. We waited for 45 minutes to get our food. We THINK it had something to do with the fact that our waitresses family was in the house eating and playing. There was no one else eating so it’s not like the kitchen was busy. We blamed the wait on my steak sandwich and yet when we got our food, my steak sandwich was NOT well done like I asked (which is normal and why I usually ask for well-​done. Most don’t do well-​done.) and the onion rings while some of the tastiest I have ever had were not really hot. My friend’s chicken took up half of the bun and her french fries were not hot. NOW, the ambiance was fun… we didn’t sit in the bar but it sounded fun, the place is old and I loved the architecture. My friend insisted that she had been there a couple times and that the service was great and the food was even better. Unfortunately, if I was there for just tea then I could say the service was great. However, I was there to eat and so I cannot.
I wanted to like this place, I LOVE small places to eat in the City of St. Louis. I gave it 2 stars because while the food was cold the onion rings with the sweet batter rocked!

I picked up a take-​out order at about 8:00 pm on a Monday night when the restaurant was fairly quiet. It’s definitely more dive bar/​casual neighborhood eatery than bistro but the service was quick and friendly. I was buying my meal with a Living Social voucher and there was some confusion around using the voucher but the bartender was super helpful, apologized for issue and worked to resolve the confusion and get my order out to me quickly.
The food was fresh, well cooked, well seasoned and tasted good! They also did a good job packaging things up to go. I ordered the Chicken Kabob with Greek Salad. Really my one complaint was the Italian salad dressing which they sent out on the salad (would have preferred on the side) and which had very little flavor, otherwise food was good — nothing to write home about but solidly good.
I was on the fence about the 3 vs. 4 rating for a few reasons… mainly atmosphere…
#1 it seemed like there were a few regulars who were belly up to the bar when I walked in and I was getting that weird ‘who are you?’ stare and places like that just annoy me
#2 the smoke smell that is mentioned by some of the previous reviewers is definitely still present… very slightly but its there regardless
#3 the neighborhood is just kind of uncomfortable. There were definitely some interesting folks walking around the block surrounding the restaurant and some random guy accosted me (a solo female) as I was getting back into my car
Perhaps it would have been a better experience earlier in the day with more activity around but I felt uncomfortable on this visit none the less. Seems like the Bistro is a good solid business that hopefully will help to bring more similar businesses into the neighborhood (it needs it!!). I don’t know that I’d list this as a ‘favorite’ but still a good option.

I live one block from this place at my school with 15 of my best girl friends and THIS is our hang out spot. Every time we want to go out, we always end up at The Bistro. I don’t normally order food from this place, for I am part of the poor college crowd, but I do spend my money on drinks, which are very reasonably priced here (and strong!). They have different drink specials at night and different days of the week. I wish I could remember what night 2 for 1 wells is (I think Wednesday). I love the home-​y feeling of The Bistro. The owner, Rich, is always there at night, talking to his patrons and hanging out, which adds to why I love this place. It’s a bar where «everybody knows your name».
One of the cool things about the bistro is their upstairs area that has tons of bar games. They have a pool table, electronic dart boards, and that game where you take the silver disks and slide them down the big wooden table (shuffle board I think?). They also have a very nice ladies bathroom upstairs if you don’t want to use the one downstairs. They were also in the process of expanding their outdoor patio in the back, which I’m excited to visit this summer!
On the occasions I’ve ordered food, I’ve never been disappointed. They have a «happy hour» menu at night with the bar food staples. Chicken strips, burgers, fries and nachos at a reduced price and also their full menu, which is very large.
I think the only thing I dislike about this place is that they have one bartender running the show at night (at least on the weekdays). The poor girl has to make drinks for everyone and serve food for everyone, which is why the service is a bit slow sometimes.
If you’re looking for a low-​key place to hang out and get some drinks with friends or enjoy a meal breakfast, lunch or dinner, check out Jefferson Ave. Bistro.

Ever watch diners, drive-​ins and dives??? This place belongs in an episode of local favorites, and here’s why…
I get an email message from Rich (the owner) he read my review of Eat Rite and thought I should stop in at his joint to give it a fair assessment. So I did, and within moments of receiving his Unilocal email I was headed 40 East to Jefferson Ave Bistro.
As you drive down Jefferson you start to question if you are in fact headed in the right direction, but then out of nowhere you see a very large brick building sitting pretty on the corner of Winnebago and Jefferson. Hang a right and park in their gated parking lot across the street. The building has the standard bar signs in the windows, writing on the building in what looks like chalk (see picture), a front patio and a back patio and enough inside seating for your whole kick ball team! And yes of course there’s a bar area that will support your drinking habits (they offer specials too!).
We snagged a table right up front, a tall man approached us his shirt embroidered with Rich S. he began by filling us in on a few specials (fried chicken! weekend BBQ specials, etc). He also said to keep the costs low they don’t have a server on the patio, but we could order at the bar and then sit outside (that’s pretty cool that he told us! Most of the time you sit around and wait until you find out the hard way). You probably want to know about the food… keep reading!
Our waitress — very friendly not very fast, but I suppose what one lacks, one makes up for. The food was not really anything to balk at! Large portions (see pictures) and it was well seasoned. I didn’t ask if they were mixing it up from scratch but I hope so! My only words of encouragement (timing and heat control), the chicken and dumplings; a bowl fit for two people. I could tell it had been waiting to reach my table for a several minutes a light skin began to form on top and the corn bread that came along side was a bit too hard and dry for my liking. Although there were some minor issues these are certainly redeemable issues. The two of us ordered three dishes (go big or go home!) so the other dishes included the ½ a fried chicken special with smashed potatoes and cheesy garlic bread (ditch the garlic bread and our your efforts into awesome corn bread!!! Serve it with the chicken, the dumplings, the bbq, etc), and a ½lb mushroom and Swiss burger with homemade fries.
The fried chicken was perfectly done on the inside, but I would bet the oil was a little old; the chicken was very dark in color. Note — it was flavorful. The accompanying smashed potatoes were also buttery in tasted a bit salty but had a nice peppery taste but served lukewarm I would have loved them piping hot. And last on the table… the ½ lb burger cooked medium/​well it was juicy and seasoned could have used a bit more mushrooms. The homemade fries were decent in size but they need to be double fried rather than crunchy they were more on the soft side.
All of the items listed, although had some minor imperfections are all things that can be improved upon, I would go back just because the prices were great. All of this food plus a beer and a tea for $ 30 no complaints here! The patrons dining were laughing and enjoying their beverages, it appeared that a few regulars came in when they were greeted by name. I think this place could fine tune some of these items and really make it to an episode of Triple D!

Friends have raved about the decent, inexpensive food at Jefferson Ave Bistro. So, when my friend and I were seeking a low key place to eat breakfast we thought we’d give it a try.
The restaurant is set up like a neighborhood sports bar, not a bistro, but the menu sounded good, the $ 5 bloody mary’s were tasty and strong, and the bartender/​waitress was incredibly friendly. The food portions were large and great for the price, as previously noted. Unfortunately, my experience was tainted because…
1) I asked for no cheese on my omelet, but got it anyway. I waited a ½ hour for my replacement omelet, because the cook elected to put my omelet (his mistake) at the end of the Que instead of in front of the Que. This is one girl that does not need to be left hungry during breakfast. Just sayin.
2) The patrons at the bar were loud, drunk, and cussing up a storm, even though there was a kid at the table next to ours.
3) We were seated next to a filthy window sill.
The food was good. So, I’ll be back again. But, if the same thing happens with my order, it will be my last visit.

Every time I come here I’m like what is this? Sports bar? Douchey frat bar? Biker bar? Locals bar? Is it even a bar? A restaurant? A brunch spot? Well I’ll tell you what it isn’t, and that’s a bistro. I don’t know what their shtick is, but I kind of dig it.
Their menu is really really large. They have burgers, sandwiches, «entrees», pasta, pizza, and all of your standard fried bar food. It’s solid food. It’s not awesome, but it’s satisfying. I’m never getting tilapia, but I’ll do a burger. Actually one of the great things about this place is that you can get modestly priced booze and a huge assortment of food. Usually the cheaper the alcohol, the less food they have to offer (4 year old bags of ruffles chips, etc).
Their booze selection reminds of just about any place in Soulard. Not gigantor, but pretty decent. Their happy hour is something like 1.50 PBR and High Life… and I think 2 $ domestics and rail drinks. Not too shabby.
The service is… service. Every time I’ve been here, someone different has served me. Hot tan blonde? Check. Middle aged lady who leaves the bar five times to smoke a cig? Check. Woman who has never worked behind a bar a day in her life before working here? Check. But they were all very nice and got the job done so that’s really all that matters.
I like the ambiance. Enough TVs for sports fans without being obnoxiously sporty. Sweet internet juke box. Those Mega Touch Force 2000 Extra Mega Super Awesome game machine things. There is no way to describe the people who frequent this place, so I’ll just say it’s a little bit of everyone, which adds a really nice touch.
I can only attest to what it’s like during the week and during dinner. I’m sure Fri/​Sat nights are a spectacle and I’ll get there one of these days when I’m not feeling old and crotchety.
So in conclusion, decent food, decent booze, decent prices, decent employees. It’s nice to have a place like this in my hood where I can get a drink and some chow for incredibly reasonable prices. and maybe meet a biker or knitter or something, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way to come here.

I am SOOO glad to have found this place!
I’ve been here 4 times already and have NEVER had anything wrong with my food… in fact, all of tasted great!
The bar area has tall large tables to sit at and lots of TVs for you sports fans. It’s got a real cozy feel to it and everyone there has been REALLY friendly… esp the owner Rich who will make a stop at your table to say hi I’m sure.
This bar is now SMOKE-FREE…so they really get a thumbs up from me.
The menu is pretty extensive and lots to pick from. The burgers are fantastic and seasoned just right. I usually get the Mushroom and Swiss one. The pizza start at 6.95 and are St. Louis style… so maybe that’s not your thing, but they are great to share as an appetizer (see photo).
Last night we got the Cajun Grilled Chicken special (see photo) and loved it… only 5.95 with salad!!! Can’t beat that!
They also have live music (check out their website… and Thurs. Matt Hill will be there from So. Carolina!)
Give this place a try… the customers are a good mix of So. City Hoosier, families, college age, hipsters, seniors… you name it!!!
We hope to get here for breakfast really soon!!!

We checked this place out after touring the bud brewery and walked the 1.3 miles to this joint. I call it a joint because it is certainly not a fancy bistro and is not in the best area of town. We did see a hooker-​john deal go down as we sipped our beer on the patio.
The food was pretty good for the price, they had a pork steak special for $ 395 and there breakfast were super cheap starting at $ 2.22.
They have happy hour daily from 4 – 7 were you can pound some $ 2 beers.
Texas toaster was good with a little spice from the grilled bannana peppers!
Salad was fresh and well dressed.

After weeks of Healthy Life Bagels with reduced fat peanut butter, sometimes you want a little bit of bacon. So I loaded Tricia in the car and we headed to Jefferson Avenue Bistro, which is supposed to have a great breakfast. To be honest, the only reason we haven’t been sooner is because it’s a smoking establishment, and I really have a hard time with cigarette smoke. But damn it, I wanted cheap bacon.
As others have pointed out, you really get your money’s worth here. I had a breakfast burrito that must have had at least 4 eggs in it besides the other stuff, a side of bacon for a whole buck seventy-​five (I think) and some damned good coffee. Our waitress was as friendly as could be, and the cook came out to make sure everything was to our liking. That’s what got me… the staff cares what you think.
So we’ll be back. And with warmer weather coming, we can utilize the outside seating and avoid the smoke.

This place gets a little bit crazy after 9 pm. Met one of my gf’s here for a late night bite to eat and a few beers. This joint was jumping! And it was a very diverse group of folks… which is not something you see too terribly often in St. Louis. Props for that!
Total cost for 4 beers, one buffalo chicken wrap and a side salad= $ 21, plus tip. SO CHEAP!
Will be back soon!

Very few times in my life I have gone into a restaurant with the intent of blowing as much money as possible in a single sitting. The last time I can remember doing this was somewhere outside of Tucson at a Red Lobster where we were $ 50 deep before even being seated. Oh to be young again…
Another such time was the other morning at Jefferson Avenue Bistro. It was an easy sell for brunch being that it was just down the street and we had a $ 50 gift certificate, but not knowing if we would enjoy ourselves enough to go back we went in with the plan to spend all $ 50 that morning. Little did we know, this would be an incredibly difficult task.
At first glance, Jefferson Avenue Bistro is not fancy. It appears to be the kind of place where you go for chili dogs and darts, not mimosas and filets. This is probably my inner-​snob talking but I think I typically feel uneasy in any bar /​restaurant that you could call «sporty».
The menu though, presented us with a fantastic assortment of semi-​traditional breakfast, brunch and lunch fare, with a smattering of delicious sounding dinner entrees. It must have been fate that both of us decided on the Breakfast Burrito, because it really was one of the best sounding things on the menu. And going back to the gift certificate burning a hole in our pockets, we topped those off with a few extra pancakes, breakfast potatoes and bacon orders, along with a pair of mimosas. While we took a minute to remove our socks to count up what we expected the check to be, it became instantly clear that we were never going to be able to spend all of our dough in a single visit. And this is without holding back at all when ordering.
I think I still expected to order more food, in the effort of complete indulgence, but about halfway through my delicious Breakfast Burrito, I knew full well that this wasn’t going to happen. The cook served up a generous portion of simple yet incredibly cooked food that filled us to the brim pretty quick.
The mimosas were also poured strong and deep. It is rare to have a mimosa served in a large juice glass, instead of a champagne flute, but you won’t find me complaining.
All in all, we had a great experience at Jefferson Avenue Bistro. The staff was friendly, the place was clean and the food was really good. Plus we got out of there for like $ 26! Yowza! I definitely plan to go back to sample their non-​breakfast items, especially the $ 6 filet, and their daily specials seem to offer something for everyone. I deduct 1 star for atmosphere, which is probably more my personal tastes speaking as opposed to it actually being «bad», but I think there is a trend of restaurants on Jefferson being a little lax on the décor. Oh well, who am I to judge. I’ll eat great food just about anywhere! :)