The Bleeding Deacon Public House

It looks like will be one of the last to review the Bleeding Deacon before they move. According to a post on their Facebook page today, they are having issues with the building and are closing for now until they either resolve the issues or find a new space.
So, if they move, I’m up for giving them another try to boost my rating.
But this trip, I thought it was just ok. The feel of the place was exactly what I expected and totally fine. The food was just ok. The one thing that really jumped out on the menu for me was the Turkey Club. They advertised brown sugar bacon (tasted like plain old bacon to me) and pesto aioli… no so much pesto. My biggest complaint was that I was expecting good old fashioned turkey. The kind you roast yourself that is thick cut. Not thin slices of turkey like I could get from the deli case at the grocery. It also was thick bread, but set up like the traditional triple decker club. WAY too big to get into your mouth. Triple decker clubs need thin sliced bread for it to work. Bottom line was that the sandwich was quite disappointing.
I do like that they let you choose from a bunch of sides rather than assigning one for each entrée. I ended up with the mashed potatoes which were fine, but nothing spectacular.
I would go back and try something else. I think I just picked the wrong thing off the menu.

So this place was really off to great start– I used to be a regular here, and It was exciting to watch the place grow at first. It was the kind of laid back punky dive bar that I love, but with AMAZING gourmet takes on standard bar food (and not so standard bar food, like awesome vegan/​veg options!) Plus they have a great patio (dog friendly!) and a brilliant local beer selection.
The staff here was really awesome and friendly, and always really cared about giving great customer service. I felt not only welcome, but appreciated when I came in. It was my favorite place to eat, or even just come in and relax, for quite a long time.
Somewhere in the last year, things have changed, and I can’t quite figure out where it went wrong. I feel like it started with the kitchen– the food went from perfect every time to unpredictable, and then to just bad. The past few times I’ve been there, my food was either cold, burnt, missing ingredients (they seem to be out of stuff ALL the time now sadly) or just poorly made– as though a stranger hopped in and tried to prepare something off the menu with no recipe.
The service soon followed. The familiar faces that made the bar so pleasant have been replaced with people who seem to be forcing their kindness. I used to feel like a local in my favorite bar, now I feel like a stranger at Denny’s. However the bigger problem is that they seem to have a hard time having enough people on a shift to handle a crowd. Almost every time I’ve been there this year, it has been a full house with a bartender coming out to wait on all the tables, or maybe also one server for the whole place if you are lucky. I have repeatedly waited more than an hour for a simple burger, only to have it cooked wrong– although I never want to send it back, because I can’t imagine how long it will take. Then, other than dropping off the food, I never see a server again.
I will give them credit– the staff has always been willing to comp. or replace food that was cooked/​prepared wrong, and they have never been anything but apologetic about it. It’s just that I don’t want to have that happen every time I come in– and it has been a while since I ate there and the food came out as expected.
I am actually writing this review because I hope the staff sees it. I really really miss the old Bleeding Deacon, before everything went sour. I will keep stopping by every so often, in hopes that they figure all of this out, and I will be sure to update my review if they get back on track! I really hope they do.: (

The saga of my long goodbye to TBDPH continues. Went back this Thursday for dinner.
WHY DO YOU SMELL LIKE THROW UP???
It took awhile after sitting down for me to not notice the smell anymore.
The giant wall of beers was completely blank.
The super cool record menus were gone. Replaced by paper.
The bartender was tending and serving the dining room while angry napkin utensil waitress just sat there only hopping out to serve the few people in the patio.
BD, what is happening? Are you depressed?
I’m getting my toot toots elsewhere.

I’m glad to say that I can elevate my rating this time around. I’ve been back two more times since my last visit and everything was great both times. The green goddess dressing makes me want to eat salad everyday — it’s so damn good! Besides the fact that they serve my favorite beer on tap (Founder Red Rye PA) I would eat here once a week if I lived closer. I crave The Bleeding Deacon on a weekly basis now. Good job!
I tried the house salad with the green goddess dressing and the fries and shine. (no food envy this time.) Perfect combo! We also tried the hummus which was pretty solid. The chippewa wings were freakin’ amazing! Wings on top of fries is the best idea ever. Add some gorgonzola cheese and I call that heaven. I don’t need anything else, ever. Well… maybe add a salad with the green goddess dressing! Mike O. tried the meatloaf sliders and they were good. The meat was tasty and there was a good meat to bread ratio. If you really like fries you should probably order a side of them because the «flume» of fries is a joke. You seriously get ten or twelve fries in a soufflé cup. Cute presentation, BUT the fries are so good you will want more. Trust me on this.
For a nice selection of food and beer, without the pretentiousness of a fancy restaurant, you should come here.

A’ight, straight up:
There are some things that could have been better — like my sandwich was WAY too small for $ 8 and the whipped sweet potatoes tasted kinda like baby food (OH STEPHANIE S I KNOW YOU’RE ALL ABOUT THAT YES I WENT THERE) — but ya know what? It’s a dive bar. And it’s pretty flippin’ cool for a dive bar.
Devin’s burger and my sandwich were both pretty damn good, and I was really diggin’ the fact that they have vegetarian and vegan options. Not that I’m either of those things, but you know me, always thinking of others… ha.
O’FALLON WHEACH YUM.
It’s a cool place. Great beer selection (though at 9:30pm on a Sunday they were out of most stuff but NOT O’FALLON WHEACH, YUM. Yeah, it was worth me saying that again). For a good beer in a laid back atmosphere and some munchies, I’d definitely be back.
OH AND STEPHANIE S THEY HAVE BREAD PUDDING DID YOU KNOW THAT? Okay I’m done calling you out in a public review.

Bottom Line:
Service was excellent. Food was a B+ overall. Inside atmosphere is a dive; outside is better.
Overview:
I have been here several times and just never got the review in yet for this spot. The menu has some interesting vegetarian options, which I think is a surprise given the vibe I get here; something makes it seem\ like alot of fried foods and pork loins are only served here, but that is not the case. The draft beer selection seemed interesting, but small (three draft taps?).
Atmosphere:
I have sat on the patio, eaten inside, and had a chance to go to a birthday party thrown upstairs. I will cover each below.
Inside:
I didn’t have much of a problem eating inside, but I don’t think I would do it again, unless I had to. It is fairly dark inside (walls painted black). Reminds me of the interior of a punk rock club.
Outside:
If the weather is right, the patio is it. Comfortable seating; nice backyard-​like atmosphere.
Upstairs:
(I will talk about this in the event section below.)
Food:
Public House Salad:
I ordered the full portion of the house salad with house dressing (oil and vinegar). The salad was good, but I seem to recall the salad going easy on the cheese, little to no spinach or tomatoes or sunflower seeds. (Did I order the Public House Salad? Honestly, it has been a while since I had the salad, but I am fairly certain of what I ordered. Sorry about that.)
Entrée:
Meatloaf Dinner:
The meatloaf seemed a bit on the dry side. The bourbon ketchup sauce did not seem strong on the bourbon, so it did not seem too terribly memorable or interesting. The green beans seemed fresh and quite nice. And the potatoes. Oh, the potatoes… I have griped about the Bleeding Deacon potatoes to friends already. They had lumps. No, they had asteroids (marble-​sized). I did not like that at all. In my mini-​survey of close friends, it sounds like some people like it this way. Not me. So, I will avoid them at all costs next time.
Dinner:
Presley Cristo:
I was a bit reluctant to also do dessert, but the great bartender/​server, Mike, recommended it. Thank you, Mike. I was pleasantly surprised and impressed. Everything here came together. My only concern was the peanut butter used. Pretty sure that was Skippy, and well, maybe without Skippy, it would not be that great. I just try to keep my peanut butter «healthy style», that’s all.
Events:
Recently, I attended a birthday party upstairs. I am not sure if this space is available to everyone, but just in case it is, here are some notes about it:
This is an apartment above a business space. It is very South City in it’s interior décor. There are some booths, as well as a bar. The bar and booth area has an amplifier so if someone wants to bring their iPod, etc, they can. There are a couple smaller, adjacent rooms for serving food, and then for just general hanging out. There is a back deck for smokers to use, however, I must tell you standing on this deck is like being in hell, in terms of the temperature. I could not believe the heat on this deck. I assume that the kitchen is right below, which is generating all this heat. Definitely a deterrent to smoking, at least for me. Otherwise, it is a nice deck to hang out on.
I think it is a great space for a party. It is like renting someone’s apartment to host your own party, plus you have a bartender to service you (drinks). Note the upstairs wiring I don’t think is 100%, so if you bring some electronics, you have been warned.
Summary:
Definitely come to Bleeding Deacon for some interesting food and friendly staff. Like I said, the drink selection may be not fantastic, the interior may be a bit of a dive, but if you can come on a nice day and sit on the patio, you are golen.
Oh, and if you just want some place to eat apps and hang out, I must say there apps are unique enough to warrant a try.
Bonus Bit for Dog Owners:
I know from time to time they will invite dog owners to bring their dogs to come and hang out on the patio. How great!

My sister and i headed here for lunch after reading about their veggie burger in Sauce. We walked in — yep, it’s a dive. We weren’t sure whether to sit down ourselves or not but then the waitress walked by and told us to seat ourselves. They have a good sized menu and several vegetarian and even some vegan options, clearly marked. My sister went with a veggie burger and I got the grilled cheese. We got truffle fries too. The truffle fries were yummy! I’m not a fan of really strong truffle flavor and it was just enough. A HUGE serving for the appetizer too. More than enough for a table of people.
My sister really liked her burger but I wasn’t a huge fan of the grilled cheese. There was a rosemary aioli on it that tasted weird. Usually I am a big fan of sauce on my sandwich but it just wasn’t appetizing. The fries with it (regular, not truffle) were good though.
We split the turtle bread pudding for dessert, a la mode of course, and YUM! Lots of caramel flavor. Very good.
The service was wonderful– our waitress was really friendly and efficient.
I wouldn’t order the grilled cheese again but I might go back and try something else based on other things being good and good service.

Okay okay, The Bleeding Deacon’s grilled cheese is fabulous. The rest of the experience here was a well deserved 3 stars. If there was a 3.5 star rating they would get it.
The beer selection was great. Over 80 beers or so and plenty of different micro brews on tap. Menu is large and there were many things that sounded awesome. Too bad I don’t have 3 stomachs so I could try more. As I said before, you would not be unhappy with the grilled cheese. Many different unique flavors that blend oh so well.
Only bad point — it was dirty. I know its a dive bar, but I was borderline on deciding whether to risk peeing my pants over going in that bathroom. Gross.
I would come back here as it had great food, a chill atmosphere and a nice beer selection. I would just advise them to work on their cleanliness… please.

I’m not the dive bar type, the hubby’s even less of a dive bar type. From the outside it’s not very lively or attractive looking… we almost kept on driving. Obviously we stopped… review to follow:
We went for a bite in broad daylight and it’s very dark inside the bar, so it was like turning the clocks forward. Something about stepping foot inside made me want a beer because I kept thinking it was later than it really was. It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?
I had the spicy chicken sandwich with a cucumber salad on the side. The sandwich was packing a lot of flavor. Sliced grilled chicken, spicy coleslaw, tomato and bacon on a thick pita bread. I had the spicy sauce on the side and good thing because there was plenty of kick in that ‘wich without it. I really liked it but I enjoy a mouthful of flavor. The cucumber salad didn’t do much for me, especially after a few bites of that sandwich. The dressing was flat… just a little oil and vinegar.
The hubby went with the butter burger with fries. It was massive! The fried onion rings was a unique touch. The burger was okay, I still don’t understand the butter burger thing. I’m just not a fan of burgers in general tho. The fries were okay… nothing special, I kept thinking they tasted like extra greasy McD fries.
For dessert we went with the turtle bread pudding topped with sunflower seeds and a homemade caramel sauce that sealed the deal. I could have licked the plate I enjoyed the caramel sauce so much.
Overall I was pretty impressed with the food considering this is a dive bar. No bad, not bad at all.

So not as tasty as the first time… I brought visiting friends here and the service was baaad.
Our fish and chips were blander than before and my friend who ordered the butter burger couldn’t taste any butter whatsoever, or see it. The last time, we could see it oozing out of the patty!
Disappointing…
but one of my friends did enjoy her taco platter so I guess that’s a positive!
I don’t want to write this place off completely but it’s no longer a must-​eat for my visitors.

I’ve been wanting to try the Bleeding Deacon for some time. I finally visited this weekend.
Upon entering, this place screams rockabilly dive-​bar. Super dim lights, tattoed bartenders, menus made out of album sleeves. At first impression I felt like this was going to be a new fav of mine.
I entered and there wasn’t a table. There really isn’t anyone to direct or greet you. After a bit of time one of the bartenders noticed me and asked if we were waiting for a table. She took my name and drink order and wrote my name down on a wait sheet behind the bar.
15 minutes later, my table was ready. I attempted to close my tab but it took over 10 minutes to do so. I think I was there during shift change because at the time there were 3 bartenders. After I gave my money to one, I waited and waited for my change and credit card… I gave it to them to open a tab. Nobody came back. After some frustration, one of them looked at me and remembered they owed me a returned card and change.
The menu is interesting. Typical bar food, but with a bit of flair. However, I have to thank this place for being the first time I’ve ever had to use a flashlight to see the menu. I see the elderly do this all the time and get a chuckle out of it, I was humbled when I had to use my phone to light up my menu here. In the back of the place there simply isn’t enought light to see.
I started with the truffle fries. They were very good. Then on to split a burger and fish tacos. The tacos were on stale hard tortillas and were nothing more than fried fish with a little sauce. The burger was super charred. It tasted like it was scraped from the bottom of a BBQ pit. I like a bit of charring, but this was a bit much. Both dishes sucked.
I took a picture of my food. It was the only time I was able to see it since my phone has a flash with the camera.
Service was average.
I really enjoy divey places. But if the food sucks, and bar service was poor, why would I ever come back?

I like fries. I like fries with ketchup, with mayo, with chili, with cheese, with bacon. I also like breakfast. I like biscuits and gravy, pancakes, French toast, bacon, eggs. And after going to the Bleeding Deacon, I’ve learned that I LOVE breakfast on top of fries. The Fries and Shine is green onions, a fried egg with a soft yolk, and breakfast gravy on top of crispy, golden fries. I busted the yolk with a fry and dipped the fries into the warm, oozy goodness. This is the hangover breakfast you wish you’d thought up.
I also ordered the ‘Wich Came First, which is a sandwich with grilled chicken breast, bacon, fried egg, swiss (though I substituted mozzarella), and red pepper sauce. The sandwich was alright-​ish. It was kinda messy so I ditched the bun and just ate it with a fork and knife. Also, the egg on my sandwich was not cooked very well – the yolk was runny and good but the whites were burnt a lot on the edges.
I picked smoked mac & cheese as a side. I can’t say no to mac & cheese, and this was smoked. What does that even mean? I don’t know, but I had to try it. It was really good. Smokey, white cheese sauce and green onions on mostaccioli noodles.
I also ordered a beer. But Amy, it’s only 1:00. So. What of it? I was looking at their list of beers on the wall, and it was fairly long with more than just the standard stuff. I ordered my go-​to beer, Boulevard Wheat, but the taste wasn’t quite right. I decided that was a sign that I shouldn’t be drinking 3 hours after waking up.
The feeling of the place is interesting. I’ve driven past it a lot, and I kinda ignored it for a long time. I thought it must just be another dive bar with nothing special. I mean, it is next to Simple Pleasures Boutique. Even when you walk in, it looks like just another south city bar. But then I heard La Roux playing. And I see a younger cook and waiter/​bartender. The waiter was friendly and helpful (and not mildly hostile to new people like in some bars). The menus are on old record jackets, and they offer a pretty nice selection. This is not just another south city dive bar. I completely underestimated it. This is a place where I think it would be fun to be a regular. (I don’t drink enough to be a regular anywhere, but if I did, I’d want to hang out here.)

I came back for lunch and also to try their version of smothered fries, the Fries and Shine.
French fry wise, the Bleeding Deacon did not disappoint! The Fries and Shine feature their thin cut, very crispy fries smothered in vegetarian breakfast gravy (you know, the white kind), green onions and a fried egg on top. The yolk was still runny, which is just the way I like it.
These fries were so tasty. My dining companion and I plowed right through them. The gravy was well seasoned and coated the fries really well. The best part, though, was the FRIED EGG on top. As soon as our plate hit the table, we both attacked the yolk with a fork to get all the wonderful creaminess flowing into the fries. These were unlike any smothered fries I’ve ever had before, but still great. Some of the best I’ve had in St Louis.
I finished lunch with their Spicy Chicken sandwich with the house salad on the side, and to tell the truth, I was too stuffed from the fries to focus on the sandwich. The sandwich has a lot going on, though. Grilled pita bread, a bed of spicy coleslaw, grilled chicken, tomatoes, bacon and a spicy sauce on top. It was good, (and in particular, I enjoyed the char on the grilled chicken) but I don’t think I’d order it again. I can’t put my finger on it, but I think it was too busy. There were a lot of bold flavors in this sandwich, and in the end it came across as too crowded. But it was very well put together, nonetheless.
Service was prompt and very friendly. The staff at the Bleeding Deacon has cultivated a great laid back atmosphere which I really enjoy. Next time you go, try those smothered fries!

So I heard some rumors that this place was «freaking awesome!» so I decided to go in there with a friend and try it out.
I had a turkey club sandwich and some kind of beer… I forget… I think it was a wheat ale, which is usually what I drink.
The sandwich was pretty tasty but nothing to write home about. I did like the atmosphere although it was quite dead.
Definitely willing to go back and give their food another shot, but I guess I just don’t know what it is I should order to get «the experience» that everyone raves about.

There are many little things that bring me pleasure, but more than most is someone having food envy of what I ordered. I’ll say it up front, I’m a cautious order-​er, I sometimes put more thought into my dinner choice than I do say paying my taxes or what to buy my mother for her birthday. So it pays off when I end up with the best dish at the table. That dish was a grilled cheese. Now this isn’t your mom’s grilled cheese (as good as that may be). This masterpiece has smoked mozzarella, cheddar, honey glazed apples, rosemary aioli, lettuce, and tomato. The aioli wasn’t over powering or über-​mayo-​esque, rather it added a little seasoning to the mix of sweet (apples) with savory (cheddar). Now I’m no chef, but I added bacon to this and I should give myself a few stars for the choice.
This sandwich was wonderful and I look forward to indulging again. The beer was cold (could have been colder) the hummus app ($ 3 during happy hour) was delicate and tasty. Wings… well, the char flavoring was lost on me, they just tasted a little burnt. But everything else was great. did I mention the little back patio? Wonderful little escape.

I’ve driven by The Bleeding Deacon about a million times and had read so many great reviews by Unilocalers that I simply had to give this place a try. So here’s the good and the bad about my experience here:
The good:
— Love the ambiance. I’m a huge fan of divey taverns and The Bleeding Deacon fits the bill. I especially like the album cover menus!
— Impressive menu! Usually I’m able to pick exactly what I want to order within minutes, but here I had to really sit and ponder. In a good way.
— Even though this is probably a smokey bar at night, no one was smoking when I arrived. It was noon on a Sunday, so that’s probably part of the reason why.
— They have cajun seasoned french fries. Heaven!
The not-​so-​good:
— Soda was flat. Our server knew this and served it to us anyway. I heard him ask the manager how to chage the Co2 cartridge after he dropped off our glasses. Kind of shitty of him, but whatevs.
— No music. It was dead silent when we arrived, which led us to believe that the place was closed. It wasn’t. They just hadn’t bothered to turn on any tunes yet. If I’m going to sit in a dive, I want music, damnit!
— Food was only so-​so.
I would be happy to go back and give ‘em another try. Just wasn’t sure what all the fuss was about.

Have you heard about the deacon? The deacon your mouth!
This is the review where I tell you how all of the drinking I did in the great town of St. Louis caught up to me. I was hung over and sleep deprived. This bar was the perfect cure. We came here for a late lunch this past Sunday afternoon. The bar is dark and divey. We grabbed a table and ordered up. I guess I was on a hummus kick because that’s what I ordered again. It was good! I spent $ 5 on the juke box in a matter of seconds. Gotta love a juke box that has Revernd Horton Heat. What’s the best part about this bar you ask? Not just the deacon joke (sounds like «dick in your mouth» for those that didn’t catch on). It was the CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON (see photo)! Oh yeah.
I wanted to pack this bar up in my suitcase and take it back to Dallas with me.

We went to the Bleeding Deacon for the first time on Monday for dinner and a couple drinks. We were greeted by the bartender as we sat at the end of the bar. My vodka&club was poured heavy and the food was pretty good. I got the curly dog (a hot dog curled into a circle) on a bun, with fries, and Zack got the pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and mashed sweet potatoes.
I was pretty impressed with their menu considering the place looks like a dark hipster bar. Almost everyone at the bar was discussing music and their band, which didn’t bother me but it was all a little pretentious.
I might go back with a group or for dinner again, but I don’t think it will become my neighborhood bar.

I parked on the lot and saw a door with a mail box that said 4123 ahh this is the door. Nope not the door. OK I will walk around to the front door must be there uh the first door I see says private. Hmm. I need to regroup. So I go back to the car light a cigar and think ok bright guy there must be an entrance. I walked down to the next door of the building and bang I was here. I walk in the bar/​restaurant with my stogie going full blast. I think oh boy here comes the «glare» I order a diet cola and very sheepishly ask for an ash tray. Heck everyone was smoking ahh life is good.
Ok I got to smoke a cigar what about the food. Price to value to taste it does not get any better than this. We had a table of six and all six people gave the place 5 out 5 for the food. I had the Italian soup and the hot salami sandwich on rye with the spicy coleslaw. It was unique and very tasty. Other dishes included the fish and chips which was a towering plate full of fries and fish. The Veggie burger my son from Chicago ate said it was a 10 and the bar was a 7. The wife and her mother had a burger and they also said they were outstanding. Conclusion It is a «dive» bar get over it. The food and wait staff are very very good.

My friend read a review for the this place in the RFT I think so we all decided to head over and check it out.
It’s not much to look at on the outside that’s for sure. One of our friends was there waiting for us on the patio but even though it was open for seating there were no lights on… weird.
We decided to go inside instead to take in the ambiance. Inside was also very dark and small. We did notice a scooter on the wall (art?) and a chalk board listing all of the beers.
They had a jukebox and I didn’t think it was too loud at all but that might depend on where you were sitting. We sat near the back door in a booth.
I ordered the veggie burger and many of us agreed that it tasted a lot like a Stove Top Stuffing patty. This is not to say that it was terrible or anything… I really did like it.
Others got the Angus burger and chicken wings and we really LOVED everything!
One complaint… I ordered a white russian, which you’d figure is pretty standard at most bars… but when I got mine I swear it was milk and vodka on ice… lol.
They do have a drink menu so I ended up switching it to some Irish drink which was really good.
We’d go back… great dive bar! Not too smokey on the night we went either.