What a year it’s been for St. Louis restaurants and bars: December was particularly eventful, with several exciting new openings. Antagonist Cafe, a literary-themed counterpart to Protagonist Cafe in Soulard, made its debut. Acclaimed chef Nick Bognar introduced Pavilion, an omakase concept on The Hill. Over in Clayton, Matt McGuire of Louie and Wright’s Tavern launched Box Hill Grocer, and Dogtown welcomed the beloved Byrd & Barrel to Tamm Ave. Bar.
Unfortunately, the end of the year also brought some tough goodbyes. Longstanding St. Louis staples like Del Pietro’s, Earthbound Beer and Fortune Teller Bar closed their doors. However, not all closures are final – concepts like Fourth City Barbecue and The Lucky Accomplice are hinting at rebrands and fresh starts. Stay tuned for more details on those developments here and on social media.
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Catch up on all of December's restaurant openings and closings below.
Openings
Antagonist Cafe, 2727 S. 12th Street, Soulard, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-312-6242, www.antagonistcafe.com
Box Hill Grocer, 7628 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, Missouri, 314-919-9775, boxhillgrocer.com
Byrd & Barrel (inside Tamm Ave. Bar), 2652 Hampton Ave., Clayton-Tamm, St. Louis, Missouri, instagram.com/byrdbarrelstl
Gioia's Deli (additional location), 9955 Winghaven Blvd., O'Fallon, Missouri, 314-776-9410, facebook.com/GioiasDeli
HiFi by Upshot, 8401 Maryland Ave., Clayton, Missouri, 636-475-8094, weareupshotcoffee.com
Joey's Scratch Kitchen & Catering, 5420 Old Collinsville Road, Fairview Heights, Illinois, 618-632-5222, facebook.com/KCClubEastStLouis
Ojos Crazy Restaurant & Bar, 2737 Cherokee St., Benton Park West, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-448-1431, facebook.com/profile
Pavilion, 5201 Shaw Ave., The Hill, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-390-2883, instagram.com/pavilion
Ranoush (reopening), 386 N Euclid Ave., Delmar Loop, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-833-4400
Steve's Hot Dogs (additional location), 17081 N Outer 40 Road Ste. 140, Chesterfield, Missouri, 636-812-2022, steveshotdogsstl.com
Closings
Del Pietro's, 1059 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, Missouri
Earthbound Beer, 2724 Cherokee St., Gravois Park, St. Louis, Missouri
Frank & Helen's Pizzeria, 8111 Olive Blvd., University City, Missouri
Fortune Teller Bar, 2635 Cherokee St., Benton Park West, St. Louis, Missouri
Fourth City Barbecue (for now), 2635 Cherokee St., Benton Park West, St. Louis, Missouri, instagram.com/fourthcitybbq
The Happy Bakery, 102 W. 6th St., O'Fallon, Illinois
Jovick Bros. Deli, 318 W. Port Plaza Drive, St. Louis, Missouri
The Lucky Accomplice (for now), 2501 S. Jefferson Ave., Fox Park, St. Louis, Missouri, instagram.com/theluckyaccomplice
Mac B's Grill & Bar, 5800 Southwest Ave., Southwest Garden, St. Louis, Missouri
The Mad Crab, 8080 Olive Blvd., University City, Missouri
Pizza Champ (becoming Side Project Pizza; details TBA), 2657 Lyle Ave., Maplewood, Missouri, instagram.com/sideprojectbrew
Sisters Sandwich Shoppe, 5353 Devonshire Ave., Southampton, St. Louis, Missouri
State Street Market (moving; reopening in February), 208 State St., Alton, Illinois, instagram.com/statestreetmarketofalton
Some of the notable events throughout 2024 captured by St. Louis Post-Dispatch videographer Allie Schallert.
