The Choice Restaruant

My friend Libby and I were driving down Jefferson in our pursuit for something different for breakfast. We noticed the tall sign outside that said breakfast was $ 7. Sold! As soon as we opened the door the fantastic smell had us. There was so much to take in… the beautiful décor made you think you stepped into a stately mansion in New Orleans and the smell made you think of Grandma’s house on Sunday. We realized that it was 11:30 so instead of breakfast we went for the lunch buffet. Between the two of us we had fried chicken, grits, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, smothered steak, smothered chicken, green beans and fried fish. We both got tea. I would have liked to have been told that it was sweet peach tea before I got it but it really was good. The food was exceptional. With it being a buffet we could try everything. I personally liked it better than Sweetie Pies. Tamika was a great waitress. I wish we had been told what to do with our dirty plates but when our glasses were starting to get empty she was there. Two funny guys were sitting next to us. It was their first time too. They had the breakfast. They seemed to wait a long time for their food. There was also some kind of misunderstanding about their order. Their breakfast came with grits but one of the guys wanted rice. Rice was on the buffet and Libby wanted grits so we took care of it.
It seemed like every bite we took was better than the last. So why 4 stars? Well, the fish came out last and I barely had room to try it. While everything was spectacular that fish was even better. Not knowing what to do with the plates and partly for the mix up with the guys breakfast. I sort of feel that they should have been offered rice from the get go since out was on the buffet, not like out had to be made. She eventually offered it but was already switched by Libby.
I’ve attached pictures. This place really is beautiful. We will be going back. As a matter of fact, Libby planned to go back the next day but her breakfast buddy couldn’t go.

Don’t you dare get me wrong — the food is quite good and it is plentiful; however, in this atmosphere, they could have served me cold grits, only and I would have enjoyed it. It is the Mississippi baroque interior at its finest. Your eyes move from one interesting artifact to the next and there is a warmth here. The Owners make it more so. Toss in some jazz or blues on Friday and … suffice it to say that only heaven is better

Service is TERRIBLE. Food is subpar and overpriced. Would never go back. Would have given it 0 stars if possible, and would have walked out without paying if that weren’t such a hideous offense.

This restaurant is like a classed up version of Sweetie Pies. Their chicken also rivals Sweetie Pies and their soul food is just as good. My family and I were very pleased with the food and service.

I have been to this place twice and have had excellent service both times. In my personal life, I am in the customer service business so I know good service when I receive it. As for the ambience, it’s always a pleasure to break from the chains and dine in a historic St. Louis gem.

Disappointed. I’ve been here about a year ago in 2014. It was pretty good and I was willing to go back over Sweeties Pies to avoid the crowd… I hate to include Sweetie Pies but let’s face it, you don’t have a lot of comfort food choices in STL.
I came back recently and it was awful. At first I was confused by the Unilocal reviews because the first time I came I thought it deserved at least 3 ½ stars… But this second time I went it all made sense. Everything from the server to the food was unimpressive and disappointing. Our server was Stacey, nice but clearly hasn’t mastered the act of serving. She was overbearing and talked to much. At one point she stopped our family of 12’s conversation to tell us about the «possible» events going on. She started to tell us about the possible salon that «might» go in the basement. And about the other «possible» events and added business ventures that weren’t a definite. FYI, don’t stop us to tell us 12 things that might happen and 1 thing that has a definite date. Very annoying and unprofessional.
The food was ok but I wasn’t impressed. The greens, fried chicken, and fish were decent. The macaroni and cheese was awful and so were the sweet potatoes.
The best thing about this place was the décor, it felt like somebody’s great grandmothers living room, and the sweet iced tea was amazing! The upstairs part was very nice as well. We took a quick tour.
At the end, I won’t be back… Unless like this time I don’t have a choice. Lol I’ll stick to home cooked comfort food.

My husband and I had lunch yesterday at The Choice for the first time. The inside is beautiful from the art on the walls to the beautiful table settings. It was a good experience. Our meal was good the only complaint is that My husband ribs were kind of tuff. Our service was good. The Choice is a place I would visit again and recommend to friends.

My husband & I took the grandbaby out for dinner at The Choice. We had heard good things about it, plus soul food! The food was awesome. The service was terrible. The worst part was that they charged $ 18.50 per person for the steam table buffet. Their website says $ 10.50 or $ 11.99 depending on whether you choose one or 2 meats. I cut and pasted this just now —
«Steam Table Buffet available Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 7pm-​items on steam table vary daily, to go orders are accepted. 1 meat, 2 sides, with a piece of cornbread for $ 10.50, 2 meats, 3 sides, with a piece of cornbread for $ 11.99. Additional meats $ 4.99, additional sides $ 2.79. Call each day for items on the steam table.»
here’s the link to their webpage:
They charged $ 12.50 for a glass of cabernet. The waitress was so slow. She refilled my unsweet tea with sweet tea, and that only after I had finished eating and had to wave to get her attention. She never checked on us. Never brought Charlie’s milk or a spoon for him to eat with. The restaurant was empty except for us. We were literally the only customers in the restaurant at 6:30 on a Thursday evening. The food was so good. If not for the bait and switch with the prices, we would have overlooked the terrible service and come back over and over. We would have begged all of you to try it. We would have supported them enthusiastically in the hopes that they will say in business. Because of their unethical business practices, I can’t imagine well go there again. I’m so disappointed.

Took 45 minutes to bring tasteless food that was probably just reheated frozen stuff. They didn’t even refill our water while we were waiting. Not even worth checking out on a Groupon.

Great time. Bought the groupon and came over to enjoy some Soul Food. Since the obvious comparison is Sweetie Pie’s, I’ll start off by talking about how they’re different.
First off, we were treated to live ragtime music by a really sweet pianist who came over and greeted us and handed out his CD. Absolutely beautiful.
Second off, they have a bar with mixed drinks and wine, happy hour, etc.
Third, this is a fancy joint, and they bring you your food up to your table, and there is table service.
The food is similar in that it is cafeteria style. You do pay a premium for the special service, but the food is good soul food.
The service was a little off in that we had to remind our server twice to bring stuff we asked about, and had to get up to get refills. I’m guessing their ironing out stuff. They also handed me a flyer about their Thanksgiving buffet for $ 20-​something/​person (I think).

A Really Bad Choice!
Four of us came in after volunteering for the neighborhood at a local event. We were all wearing our neighborhood shirts the entire time. We were greeted well when we came in, over ¾ their staff we’re at the bar talking and drinking. Damn, I thought, this is a sweet gig.
Now to the menu, we ordered and when three of the four of us wanted ribs they said they were out. If we are paying upwards of $ 30 per meal, how about you tell us what you’re out of. This went on for several entrees, and sides. By the way, the cornbread stuffing is a la carte but apparently is only available on Sunday.
Two of us got the Ribeye, which wasn’t even that but merely a big chunk of sirloin instead. The boys never used so much steak sauce in their lives, and compared it to Ponderosa. I had the chicken Alfredo that was bland, like hospital food. There wasn’t even salt or pepper at the table to help myself out a bit. The chicken was fatty and like rubber, I ended up getting a to-​go box and giving it to my dog… sadly even he has good taste and didn’t eat it. Mac n’ cheese was dry, bland, and gross as were the mixed greens in a literal pool of butter.
As for the music, it was loud, and somewhat classy version of Karaōke. We couldn’t even have a conversation, and we were one of three tables filled in the whole place.
I was so excited to try this place, it’s local, new, and has a nice cozy vibe. Too bad the people, food and service SUCK. I feel like this should be called the MANAGER’S CHOICE, because it’s on the verge of going bad.
I honestly have nothing good to say about the Choice, except I got out of there! Bad bad bad choice. I’ve definitely learned from this mistake. Don’t waste a penny of your money, even easy mac from the microwave is better. WOOF!
Someone please take this place over and make something out of a corner in the neighborhood.

Every time I go, the food is absolutely awesome and the ambiance is as well. The owner is very gracious and personable. I would definitely recommend the meatloaf… but the macaroni and cheese… not so much. The desserts are good as well. The only reason I am not giving them 5 stars is for the customer service at the bar area… which was bad and them appearing to be short staffed. Other than that… I would recommend this place over Sweetie Pies and Yummies (other soul food restaurants in St. Louis)

Given the very small number of reviews on Unilocal,we went against our better judgement to give this place a chance for dinner on a Friday night. Nice décor, but food quality and service was terrible. Date and I waited awkwardly for several minutes before we were seated despite servers just standing around, and once we were seated our server took several more minutes before giving us water or the menu. Food was way overpriced for something that seemed frozen and reheated/​fried and it took forever (~hour) just to get one appetizer and a pasta dish with 2 sides. Salad was subpar and drenched in dressing that rendered it unedible. Highly doubt this place will survive.

My mother recently celebrated her 66^th birthday here. It is a very decorative place with old world charm; from the chandeliers to the white baby grand piano. There was a jazz singer that sang from 4:30 to 6:30 with songs from Porgy and Bess, Sam Cooke, and Gladys Knight. (I either knew or heard all the songs growing up.)It was a very mature atmosphere (I almost did not feel grown-​up enough to be in this environment.) The food was very seasoned and the portions were ample. (I had smothered chicken, collard greens, cabbage, cornbread, fried corn, and carmel cake!) I ordered their famous Halle Berry non alcoholic drink. Very good and fruity as @#&! (Next time I’ll order the alcoholic version when mother is not around!) The price is a bit on the higher end, however was well worth it. The servers were very hospitable and professional. Very intimate setting. I’ll return with my husband. Nice place for «well behaved» kids.

I would give The Choice a 3.5 if that was an option as it lands smack between 3 and 4 for me at this point. It could change with more visits under my belt, but I wanted to get a review in on this place. There isn’t much out there yet, and I think it is a solid entry into the Benton Park area.
What’s a three? The food, the table service, and the buffet/​lunch area. The Choice serves up southern style comfort food, the results are good but not great. The standouts do far are fried chicken and the greens– both savory and delicious. The chicken was spiced just right with the skin crispy while the meat stayed tender and juicy. The greens are vegetarian, but you would not miss the flavor that bacon or other meat adds. The many other sides we tried– red beans & rice, stuffing, corn bread, steamed veggies, and mac ‘n cheese, were just okay. Some were overcooked and mushy, some lacking flavor. I don’t like to add salt to meals at all, and when it’s southern style comfort food, something is amiss. BF tried the pasta alfredo with blackened chicken, which we thought could be a tactical error not being a typical southern dish, and we were unfortunately correct. The sauce was bland and the chicken was just cooked through by baking or sauté– not a trace of grilling or char to be found. Our table server was a young, shy girl who spoke so quietly we could hardly hear her. She did move us from the sterile, cafeteria like buffet area into the nice bar area, so that was a big help. She didn’t have a wine list or know what wines they served, so had to get the bartender’s help. Turns out they just have one house brand with a handful of varietals and one house special, so that should be easy to remember!
So what was a four for us? The bar ambiance, bartender, and neighborhood location. The difference between the lunch and buffet area is like night and day. The bar is upscale yet comfortable, spacious yet cozy. It’s beautifully decorated with soft, comfy seats, a gorgeous bar, and great lighting. There are several flat panel TVs strategically placed for good viewing but minimal distraction. This would be a great place to watch a game. The bartender is apparently a local legend that knocked our socks off. He is funny, professional, and serves up cocktails with flourish and flair. While we were still at our bar table, he stopped by to top us off consistently but not intrusively. Once we bellied up to the bar after dinner, he rolled out the charm and chatted us up. We had a lot of laughs, but he was always on top of his game for us and other patrons. A real gem. It’s nice that this is walkable from home as well, especially since the bar is such a highlight! They do have a bar menu that looks good, so our next visit will be drinks and apps at the bar.

Beautiful gorgeous space! Super friendly staff! I’m vegan so I can’t eat much here but the greens are BANGIN. You don’t find many soul food restaurants with meatless greens and I truly appreciate the fact that they try to have at least a couple meatless items. As good as the greens are I’m really giving five stars for their five star bartender Jerry. He is an absolute jem and I will be back frequently just for his smile and and his Bloody Mary’s

The worst service I have EVER experienced in my life. While the staff was trying to be accommodating for the amount of people that were coming I feel they fell short. The owners clearly were aware that a national church convention was in town hence the buffet being dubbed «the COGIC buffet» per my receipt. Therefore I cannot excuse them running out of food every 10 customers. There was no seating, no bus boys except for the adorable child who greeted us as the door. A local customer was actually assisting the staff in seating and getting drinks. When we were done eating and went to pay the cashier did not know how to ring us out and sent us to the bar where we were rudely helped by William. He was completely agitated with having to ring us out and extremely rude. He snatched my debit card from my hand and sighed in disgust. He also was rude to the other customers behind us. I feel we were extremely patient with all the mishaps that this meal offered but trust me I will NEVER return to the Choice nor will I recommend this place.

My husband and I wandered into this restaurant for lunch today. We were warmly greeted and given instructions on different ways of ordering, either from the buffet or a la carte. We chose a mixed plate from the buffet that included two meats, three sides and a cornbread muffin. We got smothered chicken (thigh), lightly breaded tilapia, collard greens, sweet potatoes and cornbread stuffing. All terrifically yummy! and plenty of food for both of us. I wandered into the evening dining sections, and discovered a treasure trove of tasteful art, furnishings and music stages and a very classy bar. We hope to get back for the dining experience very soon. Thank you Miss Lillian for bringing this haven of sophistication to Benton Park West!

Good live Jazz. Great first visit, food was good,