The Block

The burger here is very good and the service was excellent. It was nice and quiet and the whole dining area had a great feel.

We came here by chance when a nearby restaurant was crowded. I would come
back again, although there were a few ways they fell short. Liked the comfortable atmosphere and fun menu. While the menu is heavy on meat, there are several nice salads, a fish special and vegetarian option. First, loved my glass of wine. The beet salad looked beautiful, but two of us agreed that it was too salty. Everyone enjoyed their main courses, but my friend’s fish was undercooked and much smaller than the other fishes (mine was perfect). By the time she got a new piece, everyone else was done dinner and they did not offer to take it off or even a comp dessert. Speaking of dessert, the ice cream was amazing.

Have only been here once but can say that we really enjoyed our dinner. Came with a few friends and it was a perfect place to relax, have some drinks and catch up. They have a really good beer selection and the food is great too.

The wife and I like to lunch. We were out and about prepping for holiday madness (aka Christmas shopping for the fam), and decided to stop at The Block for lunch, having already enjoyed dinner previously at their other location.
Great choice! Potted Pig app, which we had before, didn’t disappoint! House salad (it’s just a salad!)… Delicious! While the portabello sandwich had some issues, the pulled pork was excellent. Also, the mac-​n-​cheese… Just say yes. And add the bacon. Is there any such thing as too much bacon?
Too full for dessert, but left happy and ready to knock out that shopping, thanks to Clare and her fabulous cocktails! Not on the menu, some type of sazerac mix-​em-​up, really hit the spot! Thanks, Clare, you’ll be seeing us again!

Had our Xmas party/​dinner here, and when we sat down at 7:30 we were immediately informed by the server of the long list of beef/​specialty entrees that they had already run out of. The 10 of us specifically picked The Block for its menu and superior cuts of beef, why would they run out on a Saturday night at 7:30?
The back up selections were chewy and gristly end cuts. Only 4 of us were happy with the quality; I would not recommend this place, unless you sit outside and just get appetizers and drinks when the weather is nice. Major disappointment and shame on them for not being able to handle a typical Sat night – especially when friends get together for a dinner to celebrate the holiday season.

The service was horrible until I said something to the manager. We went around 6pm for happy hour so, understandably the bar was busy but that is no excuse for poor service. Two of my friends and I had a seat at the bar. There were only two seats available at the bar and when we asked the bartender if there were any extra available seats he just told us, «what we have is what we have», and kept on doing what he was doing– he didn’t offer any suggestions or apologize for not having enough seating. Throughout happy hour when we ordered food the bartender barely made eye contact or acknowledged us he simply would barely nod without saying anything and at some point he slammed my friends beer down. Eventually I said something to the manager and the bartender warmed up but by then we were done with our night there. Honestly, we would have gone somewhere else in the beginning after the first rude response but 6pm on a Friday in the CWE it would’ve been more of a hassle to go somewhere else and find parking.
Overall the food and drinks were great but the service was terrible.

When you live in the CWE, you get the chance to frequent places like The Block and see the life of a restaurant change and improve over time.
First, The Block is a crowd favorite. Go on any weekend night (Thursday-​Saturday) and you’ll see why this place gets generally positive reviews. The menu is always unique and consistently mouth-​watering. The Block takes its meat dishes seriously (as the name implies, your meat is actually butchered at the restaurant). The restaurant’s classic — the grass-​fed beef burger — doesn’t disappoint. If you’re looking to explore The Block’s more inventive meat dishes, go with the Moroccan-​style braised pork and absolutely do not second guess yourself. I’m not one for pork dishes, but the experience I’ve had with this dish stands out as one of my top swine-​and-​dines.
On the green side of things, the salads are tasteful and appropriate for such a farm-​centric spot. Personal favorites are the flash fried brussels and the market salad.
Now, for the important feedback for two-​timers or regular hopefuls: Service can range from superb to slightly overrated. Depending on the night, you may find your dish tastes different this time around or the server forgot your drink at the bar for half the night. This has happened a few times to me. But it hasn’t stopped me from coming back, and I’ll continue to do so until I’ve found a better reason to stop.

So, this place is good… not exactly amazing like some of the other reviews. I was disappointed with my personal dish, but everyone else’s was fabulous.
Pros:
1) Frittes and Steak (I think this is what everyone should do here)
2) Service
3) Amish Chicken
Cons:
1) Gnocchi with Meatballs. I don’t think I got 2 little meatballs, but they were tasty.
2) Brussel sprouts — blah
3) Salmon tarter … ehhh — pass on fish at the Block, go for the meat.
All and all, they have great drinks, service, and pretty good food.

Love the ambience of this restaurant plus the convenient parking (which is important for me). It is a nice atmosphere since it is not too loud and has a beautiful outdoor seating area. It definitely is a great place to eat outside during nice weather.
The food was amazing and had unique foods, although there is not much variety. They only have one chicken dish and one seasonal fish dish. Other than that, the red meat is delicious and it is nice to know they are butchered by the restaurant.

It was a quiet night here, several tables outside were full, but the bar was quiet. The bartender was very nice and made a great Negroni! I had the house burger with bacon and egg. It was done perfectly and the meat had a nice flavor. Not just plain old ground beef, rather a ground steak burger. The egg, over easy and runny like it should be! And crispy bacon! Use a little salt and pepper and no condiments and you will have the right experience. I’ll be back to try more!

Choosing where to eat in St. Louis during our recent trip was accomplished mainly by reading reviews on line and finding articles about the best places to eat. The Block showed up on a lot of lists and since it’s Central West End location was pretty close to where we were staying, it was an obvious choice. In addition, it was one of the few restaurants on our list that were open on a Monday evening.
We arrived at 5:30 on a Monday and were seated immediately in the empty restaurant. There was a table filled in the outside area and a few people at the bar, but the main restaurant was empty. There are no booths, other than a half booth at the far wall. We sat at a table in the middle of restaurant.
After haven eaten somewhat lightly over the weekend, we were in the mood for a burger. We both went for The Block Burger 8oz grass fed beef, farmhouse white cheddar… fries & house pickles for $ 11. My husband added a fried egg for $ 3 more.
As you can see in the photo, my burger was quite a bit smaller than my bun. However it was a perfectly cooked medium, with plenty of juice, and the bun was nicely toasted and soft. The thin fries were excellent. They were crispy and perfectly seasoned. The housemade pickles included cucumbers and red onions and again they were very good and subtle.
My husband’s burger was also excellent. The fried egg was cooked perfectly. When we first walked in, we (or at least I did) noticed the homemade ice cream mentioned on the big menu board on the wall. I faced that menu the whole dinner and by the time dinner was over, there was no doubt that I was getting some ice cream.
The strawberry lemon thyme ice cream was amazing! It was two generous scoops and served with a biscotti.
We loved the meal. After looking online though, it appears that there is a very interesting happy hour menu — with a selection of starters and craft cocktails for $ 5. We weren’t told anything about this, so I’m guessing you have to sit in the bar to be made aware of it. I would have definitely tried a cocktail or two if I had been given the chance.

Went here on a Sunday evening. It is a very cute little place with a nice patio as well.
The good was a ⁴⁄₅ only because it was a little oily. The service was also a 4/​5, the staff was a little dry but the manager was walking around making sure every one was doing well which made up for it.
The drinks were my favourite, fresh and bold!
I would definitely go back!

Great service from Jason — informed us about the butcher services and took care of us. AMAZING food. Great prices for an upscale place, the only entrée above 20 was the rib-​eye at $ 35. Atmosphere is super chill, not bougie, which was really nice. They had a soup special, really hearty beef soup with garden fresh veggies. The happy hour is a great deal, ends at 7pm, cocktails are 5, and a bunch of the appetizers are 5 as well. The bf had an amazing pork chop with a great broth, and a good serving size for an entrée.

Lucky for me, The Block in the CWE is just down the sidewalk from my house. We have always enjoyed the place but noticed they recently changed the menu and added a couple of new dishes such as gnocchi with meatballs, tomato sauce, and peas with a dollop of what seemed to be ricotta on top — delicious! The chef even came out to check on how it was because that evening was the debut of the dish.
You cannot got wrong with their flavorful soups and fresh salads and, of course, their pulled pork and burgers are top notch. I’ve been to the Webster Groves locale and enjoyed a steak and fries — also very good. The CWE location has an excellent outdoor patio.
Overall, nice ambiance, excellent food, and good, attentive service.

Oh. My. Goodness. Incredible. We had an amazing dinner here a few weeks ago and I’m STILL thinking about it. The steak was amazing, fried Brussels sprouts were to die for, and we topped it off with crème brûlée. Delicious.
The service was great — we dined on the patio. It’s a little pricey but worth it. I came in not expecting much and was blown away!

Came here in a large group and sat outside – it was gorgeous. I had heard the burger here was good so I specifically wanted to try it, and I convinced some other people in the group to try it as well. I think I was the only one disappointed by the burger, everyone else seemed to enjoy theirs. I thought it was a little boring.
BUT my fiancé got this fabulous pork chop dish. I don’t typically get pork chops because I don’t like how it’s often too tough but this was wonderfully cooked. My friend got the flank steak that was also cooked to perfection.
The drinks were tasty and so were the appetizers. The flatbread special was so delicious, I probably could have eaten a whole one if people hadn’t been around. We also really enjoyed the potted pig sampler, especially the lamb salami. The brussels sprouts were tasty on top but super oily and gross towards the bottom of the bowl.
It was a fun and pleasant dinner out with some well cooked meats and good company.

If you’re not paying or you’re not afraid to spend a little more on dinner than you usually would, check out The Block! The atmosphere is very modern and cozy, and fits the food perfectly. The meat, beef stew, and macaroni & cheese were amazing. However, they aren’t huge portions so don’t share a meal with someone unless you really aren’t that hungry. The dessert portions were, to be honest, pitiful and the group I went with all regretted sharing desserts. The apple crisp wasn’t anything special.
Our waiter spent the whole evening trying to get us to buy more food than we wanted/​needed, but other than that, it was a good experience.

I really wanted to love this restaurant. It had a nice storefront, casual yet trendy interior, very cool to the eye. The service was also good, very kind, attentive, and helpful.
We ordered a few beers, brussel sprouts, pork sandwich, and pork pappardelle (sp?).
The brussel sprouts were highly touted and for what we got, I wouldn’t order them again — doused in oil and very seasoned. Took the brussel out of the sprout.
The pork was decent to the taste, but for the price we were paying, it wasn’t anywhere near what I would have expected quantity or quality wise. The sandwich had an underwhelming amount of pork, although I did get a plate full of fries. The pork pappardelle plate was ok.
I did however get some good beer. Nice local craft beers on tap. FOR $ 8.
Maybe we should have ordered something else, because it’s a nice location and a cozy interior with a decent patio. Unfortunately, we walked away thinking that we could have had a better meal for ¹⁄₃ the price.

I met a friend here for Happy Hour a few weeks ago and I was surprised at how great their HH prices were!
When I arrived it was a little after 5 and my friend was already there! The hostess showed me to the table where she was and went over the HH menu with us.
Our server came over shortly after and recommended a few items from the menu and took our drink orders. I just ordered a local beer since I wasn’t in the mood for a cocktail; however, my friend did order a cocktail.
When our drinks came out our server also took our order for snacks. we ordered a few items to share from the menu and was told it would be out momentarily. The food came out in about 10 minutes and was plated really well. I am not entirely sure about all the items we ordered, but I do know that I ordered the Mac & Cheese and it was delicious! Creamy and piping hot-​I would get that again!
Our server came over a few times to check in on us and I ordered another beer to enjoy with my meal. He was quick to get it out to me and even brought us water without us having to ask.
I would definitely visit The Block again for a HH or even for a dinner date! It’s a great place with a cool atmosphere!

It’s New Year’s Eve Eve, AKA the night before New Years Eve. The place is basically dead, because everyone else is saving themselves for the next night. We’re staying home NYE, so this is our special dinner out.
We started out with Brussels Sprouts as a appetizer. They were flash fried with house smoked bacon, caramelized onions, lemon and toasted almonds. If momma fixed brussels sprouts like this when I was a child I would have loved them back then instead of discovering their fabulous taste in these late years of life. The smoked bacon, lemon and toasted almonds made this vegetable shine. It was a fight to see who could scoop the most up the fastest, we both loved them.
We shared two sides, Mac-​n-​Cheese and an additional Beef Rib. Mac-​n-​Cheese was good, but the Webster Groves location does it better. They had a special on Beef Ribs and they were offering additional ribs, so we took advantage. Our rib was fall off the bone tender.
Our entrees were the Amish Chicken and the Pork Chop. I enjoyed the pork chop which a thick cut and was flavorful. When I cut my first bite I was concerned, I thought it was going to be tough. Then I realized it was my steak knife. It wasn’t that sharp. Once my bite was in my mouth, I realized the tenderness. As I ate my chop I didn’t see my server to get a new knife, so I just dealt with it.
Brad’s Amish Chicken was good, but not the pieces of the bird the waiter said it would be. He was told it would be a thigh and leg and when it was served, it was an Airline Breast. It was fine that it was the breast, but Brad’s favorite piece of chicken is the thighs so there was a little bit of disappointment.
The CWE Block was just, A-​OK. The Webster Groves, Block is much better all around. I’ll give the CWE another try, in hopes it was just an off night. They may have been saving themselves for NYE.