Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar

Overall score: 4 — 4.5
The Bridge makes the perfect date spot downtown! Mood lighting, candlelight, and live flowers on the table set the tone of this place. The only place in St. Louis that is better for a date is its older sister, Bailey’s Chocolate Bar.
The only downside of this place is that it’s a little too dimly lit. My table was large to accommodate 6 people and we only had one small candle and no light above us so we had to use our cell phone flashlights to read the menu. It’s also rather small but that adds to its intimate vibe so that’s not a bad thing. The first table we were seated at was right next to a vent with cold air coming through. The floor manager (I assume that’s what she was) offered to turn off the air but that wasn’t really necessary, because there were other empty tables upstairs and we hadn’t ordered anything yet. They accommodated us and we moved.
The beer list can be overwhelming. It’s quite extensive. My cousins both got different beers though that they both liked and had never had before. One got an urban chestnut variety and the other got a pear cider. I ordered a Moscow mule with whisky and it was brought in a glass. I found that strange in that a Moscow mule is always served in a copper mug, even when the vodka is replaced with another spirit. They lost some points for that.
Now for the food. I ordered the Cuban sandwich and loved it!!! It was one of the BEST Cuban sandwiches I’ve ever had, if not the best! It’s loaded with meat! The potato salad was decent and had a good-​flavored dressing.
On the other hand, one of my cousins ordered the pad thai noodles but replaced the tofu with chicken. She HATED it. She said that it «wasn’t pad Thai at all». She exchanged it for the cuban and also loved the Cuban. Another cousin had the Reuben sandwich and said it had a different flavor to it but said it was good.
Our waitress was actually our original busser and took on the role of our waitress when a large party came in downstairs. She was very good and friendly. I will absolutely return here for that Cuban. Remember, for a nice date in a slightly hipster environment, look no further than Bridge.

Pleasantly surprised buy a bit of Unilocal research that brought me here on my way from the airport. The downtown scene was a bit quiet on a Monday night, but the bar was well populated, and the service was spot on. I had the grilled steelhead trout and it was simply fabulous. I had not had this good bar food in ages. The bartender was knowledgeable of their entire selection on tap which is always a plus when you’re choosing local drafts. This is one place you want to stop by with a date or a business partner if you’re in St Louis.

I went yesterday and the food was incredible. It was busy given it was Valentine’s Day but the service was excellent. I had the hummus and pita for starters and Mac and cheese for dinner. Incredible. So delicious. Full of flavor. Try it all!

Once again, I’m making dinner decisions based on my Unilocalings. I had been looking forward to coming here all week and as soon as we walked inside, I understood what all the hype was about. It had such a cozy, spacious feel, but once we sat down upstairs, it almost felt intimate.
We ordered a couple drinks and knew their goat cheese & tomato jam appetizer was a must. We were not let down. It was so rich and decadent, we didn’t feel as though we were missing out on anything by ordering salads as our entrees. A couple sounded tempting, so we ordered both the blue cheese/​pear & Brie/​berry, ate half and switched plates. Funny enough, we enjoyed what the other one ordered more so than what we ordered. Unfortunately, there was no room for dessert, but I’m sure it would have been absolutely delicious. I look forward to my next visit!

Let me start by prefacing that I have had a couple good experiences at this place, in fact we celebrated my graduate school graduation here.
So when my boyfriend and I had our parents came into town and we were looking for a relaxed and quiet environment, we chose to go here. We were excited to see our favorite area, the lounge upstairs was open and requested to sit there. We were looking through the menu and discussing what sounded good, we were wondering if there was a server coming up or if we had to go down to order. My boyfriend went down and asked as he went to the restroom and they said someone would be coming up. The manager came up, unbeknownst to us, brought us water and said someone would be right with us. 10 minutes later, a waitress comes up. We order appetizers and beers, although halfway through the order we are informed that the manager decided my boyfriend wouldn’t be served. We thought it was a joke and we were all equally confused. We calmly explained we were not going to be a problem and that he had not been drinking much of anything. We requested to speak to the manager because we were so dumbfounded, he came back and said that it was mardi gras and they were being extra cautious. We explained we had not been participating in any mardi gras festivities, these were our parents would had been with us all day and we were just trying to have a nice night. No arguing, no anger, absolutely NO reason to single out him and decide he was not fit to be served. Obviously, we left and will never be back.
What a strange strange encounter and a very poor experience, I have never had something happen like this before. Bailey’s will be hearing from us regarding this experience and treatment of patrons.

For starters the ambiance and the beer selection is awesome.
Everything is delicious! We did the cheese and charcuterie board with Gorgonzola and Dubliner cheeses, duck liver mousse with pepper relish and a few fruits and nuts for starters. We also did the soft pretzels with beer cheese dip.
We all ordered entrees too. Cuban sandwich, Reuben sandwich with the most wonderful pastrami and I’m not a big fan of sauerkraut, braised pork belly with apple and mushroom barley, New York strip club– funniest name ever for a sandwich but the plate was cleaned by the end of the meal.
You need to check this place out if you’re in downtown St. Louis.

Pretty solid spot. I would recommend on a date night because it has the dimly candle light vibe throughout the restaurant. We used light from our phones to read the menu. Had the roast duck tacos and the cheese and charcuterie which were both pretty delish. Everyone in the party was pretty happy with their meals.

Had a lovely night at Bridge’s.
Tonight is Thursday, and it was busy, so our table’s server came around a good 10 minutes after being seated. She was great though, and very patient with us as we made our decisions.
I ordered a beer and dessert, the «Late Night Karate Kick» and the Brownie with Cinnamon ice cream. Great combo!
The only critique I really have of the place is that, although it was busy and crowded, I really felt there needed to be more room between tables. I tried to keep my chair as close to our table as I could, and yet my back was touching the posterior of our neighbors.
By the way, I really wanted to try the Chocolate Truffle Cake, but it’s unavailable right now.

So, I am pretty sure the only reason it took me so long to get here is that it just isn’t convenient for me. That said — it was totally worth a trip out of the way. A friend and I cam here for a drink and a light dinner, and we were overjoyed. We couldn’t get over the atmosphere, it is perfect. Large enough to give everyone privacy and space yet somehow cozy. Also, the décor is amazing. I loved all the light fixtures especially.
We ordered a few glasses of red wine by the glass. They had an excellent selection of wines by the glass, which I appreciated. We ordered a cheese board and it was delicious. They have unique cheeses and make it very easy to build your own delicious cheese. Plus, the portions of each were generous and all were equally delicious. The board comes with nuts, dried fruit, and warm foccaccia. My friend also ordered a salad and she was so happy with it!
Our server was also excellent, and we left more than satisfied with our experience!

oh man. My latest discovery in downtown St. Louis. What an awesome gastropub.
I come to St. Louis in the winter for conferences usually… and coming from California, downtown st. louis in december and january is a lonely, cold place haha. But as I entered opened the door to Bridge, I was magically transported from the empty cold street to a crowded trendy establishment. It’s dark, intimate and has a 2^nd story indoor balcony. I hung out on top with a group of friends. There was a huge selection of beer, but I couldn’t try it (had to go straight to a session at my conference)… but wow, I was impressed.
But the food… that’s what got me. Being in a rush, I had to order my food to-​go. I ordered one of the cheaper sandwiches on the menu, their 9 dollar impression of a cuban. I’ve had awesome cubans and horrible cubans… and i was a little apprehensive.
But I left the place, got back to where I needed to be for work through the cold… and as I took my first bite– MY GOD. it was near amazing. It wasn’t a real cuban, no (you can only really get that in florida or cuba haha… it was on a tolero roll, already a mark against it’s authenticity) — but WOW. the meat was so tender and juicy. The roll was perfectly toasted. Pork belly in there was awesome. Not authentic but totally euphoric.
I will be back there next year to enjoy the place fully!

Phenomenal beer selection. This by itself makes Bridge Tap House worth a visit.
There were a lot of local options — my fiancé and I sampled some brews from Perennial Artisan that were delicious. It is nice to be able to order a wide variety of sizes (4 ounce, 12 ounce, 20 ounce, and 64 ounce)!
We tried the following food items:
Popcorn — We ordered the pecorino, parsley, and garlic variety. Great flavor and beautiful presentation.
Meat and Cheese Board — We went with recommendations from our waitress. We ordered two cheeses (Port Salut and Black Diamond) and the prosciutto. You get a LOT of food for your money. Again, great presentation.
Roasted Chicken and Idiazabal Cheese Salad — WOW. Delicious flavors — the roasted tomatoes, jalapeño vinaigrette… I could go on and on!
Great service and overall amazing cozy experience.

Stopped by on out way to a Unilocal event. From the street it really looked closed but we tried anyway. Inside is pretty cool. Dark and weirdly loud in the bar area. Waiters was good. Menu was good but almost like going thru an index in a book. Reminded me of a library in grade school. All in all not bad. We will probably try it again.

Great beer selection!
We stopped in while in town for a football game and were impressed with their selection of beer. 50+ beers on tap and over a hundred more in the bottle so if you can’t find a beer you like here then you’ve got other problems.
You can do flights of beer too which is a great way to try different things. They don’t stock macro beers which I loved but one in our group was upset they couldn’t get their bud light.
They also serve food which we didn’t try since we were just passing through. The ambiance is a little upscale for a beer joint so not the best place for slumming it.
All in all it was a great place to check out. The beer was good although the a few tasted like they might be on the edge of going flat. The same with the sparking wine my wife ordered. With so many options available it might be hard to keep the quality up especially on things that don’t turn often.
I will be back next time I’m in the Lou. Definitely give it a look!

For a wine bar, you think there’d be more than one port on the menu, that said port would be better-​described than «Tawny Port» (turned out to be Niepoort), and that it would come served in a port glass, rather than a snifter.
That said, service was outstanding, and the alcohol lists included a fair amount of stuff (except for port). Pours were pretty stingy, though.

I go for Nathaniel’s Old Fashioneds. They are the best I’ve ever had. They’ve got a great bar staff, but he is by far my favorite bartender that I’ve ever had. It’s a sacred relationship that you have with someone who serves you alcohol, and this guy gets it. Mixologist, conversationalist, foodie. He won’t lead you astray.
The food is great — try the popcorn and the warm cheddar crisps. Although, everything is great.
This is by far my favorite bar downtown!

Came here for a spontaneous group dinner with friends and it wasn’t too bad, but nothing memorable either. My friends enjoyed their drinks but when my friend asked for a drink they ran out of, they suggested a swap and it ended up being one of the most expensive options there. I hate when places do that.
The scallops were tasty, but the risotto that came with it was even better. The pork belly could have been much softer and the veggies that came with it weren’t very appetizing.
Incidentally the appetizers were better than the main dishes, but still nothing amazing.
It would probably be fun for a happy hour or some drinks if we’re in the area – the prices aren’t too bad and it’s a nice atmosphere!

Pro: A must in StL! Bridge has a lot of things working in its favor. Primarily, the food is outstanding! The Bacon Rosemary Gorgonzola Bread Pudding is among the richest and most complex flavors I’ve had the pleasure of trying. It’s good enough to devour, yet also good enough to savor slowly. The Braised Pork Belly is another hit. The chefs will change the recipe up from time to time, but I haven’t had a bad version of this sinful indulgence. Other favorites include the Roasted Duck Tacos, Pork Belly Bahn Mi, and Maine Crab Roll. On to drinks… a hefty selection of draft beer and wine! Also, Justin makes the best Old Fashioned in town. It’s only fitting that good food by accompanied by good libations!
Con: When I leave StL, I can’t take it with me…
Bottom Line: Great ambiance, food, drinks, and service. This is a superior establishment.

Pretzels and beer cheese… YAHSS! This stuff is the shizzle. That cheesy goodness would also be awesome slathered on a burger. I didn’t check the menu to see if that is an option, but if not, I’d ask to customize.
Smoked Paprika popcorn– eh. Needed salt. The paprika gave it kinda a dry powdery mouth feel. Strange. I was excited to try it and was kinda disappointed.
Awesome assortment of beers on tap– one could easily spend an afternoon here trying several. I think that might be the way to go at this place honestly.
My scallops escabeche was very refreshing. Think ceviche with a slightly spicy watermelon salsa alongside. Three nice sized scallops were in the portion. I was glad I also asked for a side salad or I would have still be hungry but it worked out. I had a glass of dry rose with the scallops and it went perfectly.
Service was really great. Unobtrusive but attentive. I felt bad for the guy though because almost all the seating in this place is upstairs on a mezzanine level. My real issue with that though was the lighting was extremely dark. As in I used my phone light to read the menu– and I have ²⁰⁄₂₀ so I know it’s not my eyes!
I might try again, but I’d sit at the bar for beer and nibbles instead.

Take it to the Bridge!
I don’t like to admit when I’m wrong, but my initial feeling of Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar was not so hot. They had won me over with their selection and tasters, but it didn’t seem like my scene. I love craft beer, but I’m not a beer snob. At first, I got that snobby vibe from them, but my second visit set me straight.
We had a small group come by on a Tuesday night. After an event at Flying Saucer, it occurred to me that my friend hadn’t been to Bridge yet. A crime against brew-​manity, we went straight to the Bridge!
They were crazy busy. Since there was a small group, we wanted to sit at a table. Both the bar and the dining area were packed. I flagged down a server, and she hooked us up! She found us a table almost instantaneously, and my love for Bridge was quickly growing.
The beer is unique and quite often expensive. However, Bridge offers four ounce tasters that range from two to four dollars, give or take. This is great for people wanting the kitchen sink. For ten or fifteen bucks, you can try a wealth of different craft beers.
They also have a very impressive wine selection, but you’d have to refer to another review if you’re into that sort of thang.
And now the food! I was really impressed. I ordered a Cuban sandwich with chips for nine dollars. This sandwich was damn near Dagwood style! The meat was stacked high and tight, and it was quite delicious. I also tried the mac n cheese, and it was also a solid effort. Needless to say, that’s one pub with great pub food.
You have grown on me quickly, Bridge. I can’t wait to go back.

Mac and cheese. Sooooo good! Do not pass it up! Who knew this would be the place to have such a food?
Still waiting for that Diamond Cheddar…