On a trip to St. Louis, recently, I found myself out in St. Peters, a town where my old company was located before I started to work for my present company over five years ago. One of the places we used to go to for lunch when I would visit the main office was The Broiler, a nice little restaurant in St. Peters (see map), just south and a little east of Mid Rivers Mall. It was close to lunch time and I decided to stop in for one of their great burgers.
Now, I didn't really know how to categorize The Broiler. It's first and foremost a steakhouse, but they have a very good burger that they make out of ground chuck (they grind it themselves). It's cooked over a charcoal grill and served on a very good toasted bun. It's got excellent flavor and texture. It's tough to beat.
The Broiler has been in business since 1988 serving great steaks to a rapidly growing area west of St. Louis. I first went there in 1995 when my then-boss took us there for dinner one evening. It was then I was told their burgers were the best around. On my next trip down to St. Louis, I made a point to stop into The Broiler for a burger. I wasn't disappointed.
I got into The Broiler around 1 p.m. and went into the bar area. The place hasn't really changed much since the last time I'd been in three or four years ago. The bar/lounge area is cozy and unpretentious. The main dining room is a little more formal, yet not stuffy or snooty.
The tables in the main dining area are covered with a nice linen tablecloths and it's got kind of an old-time supper club feeling to it, even though it's in a small strip mall. One of the neater things about The Broiler is that in the main dining hall, you can look through a window and see the chef cooking meat over the charcoal grill.
I sat at the bar and the bartender asked if I'd like to see a menu. Their lunch and lounge menu is more appetizers and sandwiches than their main dining menu. But I do have to say that I've been in there on slower nights, sat at the bar and was able to watch a game on TV and order off the main dining room menu.
But I really didn't need a menu this time. I knew exactly what I wanted. Provolone cheeseburger, medium, with the steak fries. I said to the bartender, "I haven't been in here for quite some time, but that was always what I used to order for lunch. I hope it hasn't changed."
The bartender said, "Oh, heavens no. It's just as good as the last time you were in."
About 15 minutes later, my cheeseburger showed up. I have to say that I forgot how good it really was. The burger was juicy and delectable. The bartender was right - it was just as good as the last time I was in.
When I listed my Top Ten Burger places last week in a post here, I put The Broiler just outside of the Top 10. I may have to rethink that after my most recent visit. It was very, very good and a place that I'll keep coming to for a good burger when I'm in the St. Peters area. Which, I'm sorry to say, isn't all that often any more. But I'll just have to make the time to drive out and stop in.
(Update - It had been quite some time since I'd been to The Broiler and I decided to go there for lunch when I was in the area during a trip to St. Louis in February of 2011. I pulled up to The Broiler and noticed a sign in the window and no cars in the parking lot. It had closed. I was very bummed because I really wanted one of their char-grilled burgers for lunch that day. Too bad. Another great little restaurant goes by the wayside.)
