Sweetie Pie’s At The Mangrove

Great food… Great atmosphere… Very pricey!
It was our first time and surprisingly it wasn’t too crowded. We were prepared for the cafeteria style lunch line, which mares selecting a bit rushed compared to having time to sit and review a menu.
The selection is based off what is available for the day, I was hoping for peach cobbler, but they didn’t have it that day.
The food was really delicious! But make sure to bring ur wallet…

TERRIBLE, now! I’ve been here several times years back & the food was delicious but this trip was terrible and embarrassing.
Brought guests from NYC to the «famous» sweetie pies for lunch. The food was gross and the facilities have fallen into disrepair.
The chicken was OK at best — way to greasy & the breading wasn’t stick & was almost too moist.
The macaroni was a salty watery disaster! So bad that I asked for our portions to be taken from another pan. The manager assured us that it would & came back with 3 bowls that didn’t seem as watery & asked us to taste it. The first bite wasn’t watery & so we immediately said ok as she said she wasn’t leaving until we tasted it. She said the cooks didn’t wait for it to settle & put it on the line making it more watery than usual but these were servings from the same pan — AND IT TASTED LIKE IT! Still WAY TOO SALTY (and I like salty food but this was gross) not creamy & seemed like they’ve reduced the quality of ingredients to cut costs. It pissed me off even more that she tried to get over after she said she’d get us some from a different pan & laughed :(
NASTY A– FAKE CHESS PIE — I don’t even want to describe this but I just took 2 bites, let my boyfriend try it & left it on the table. The consistency was nothing like chess pie & I’m thinking maybe it had been sitting out too long.
My guest, boyfriend & I ALL experienced gastrointestinal DISTRESS after this meal & luckily we were in a location that had multiple bathrooms!!!
I used to defend Sweetie Pies as having good food because at one point they did, but this experience has completely turned me off. I won’t be returning & will be urging other people not to do so!
RIP to the hype!

Sooooooooo this restaurant was not what I expected it to be. I initial saw this restaurant on diners, drive thrus and dives, and thought it was going to be great! Well it was average at best. They give you ample of food but it wasn’t that flavorful and the meat wasn’t tender, the 45 minutes wait in line wasn’t worth it, the décor wasn’t well put together and staff was loud and there was this one waiter who kept on rubbing his nose and handling drinks.

Okay, so we went to this place just to check it out since is was shown on TV. We took a cab there from downtown and we were greeted by a police officer as soon as we walked in. The place is cafeteria style, you pick up your food and find a seat. The menu is different every day but they have the fried chicken wings as staple. I originally wanted oxtail or fried cat fish, those are on Thursday and Friday unfortunately. I ordered the chicken wings with two side (cabbage and mac&cheese) and corn bread for $ 10. The price was good and the food was okay. The seasoning from the wings was good, and the sides were decent.

This place is great! (You don’t have to know a thing about soul food to love Sweetie Pies!) It’s a cafeteria style ordering system, some folks may not be used to that, but it’s nice to see what you are ordering. They are not stingy on portions either, go hungry or you’re wasting the experience. Only thing I didn’t like was the Okra, but i let it get cold so that was my mistake! Can’t wait to go back!

It has taken me four years to take my family here, but finally it happened. My mother and grandmother have been raving about this place for years (they are fans of the TV show). Thankfully there was no one at this particular restaurant this past Friday for dinner. I will say that everyone we encountered was really polite and courteous. Security met us at the front entrance and introduced us to our server. We then proceeded to the buffet style line. I had the fish, mac and cheese, and sweet potato while my family members had different combinations of the following: Chicken, mash potatoes, okra, cabbage, and corn.
The Good:
The chicken was crispy and had the perfect amount of flavor. The same goes for the fish. I was given two pieces of catfish. Large pieces (thank you). The mac and cheese was good but not great. I have had it before at this location and it was much better. I like that they put a little sugar in the mac and cheese to give it some sweetness but that was lacking this day. It could have used more flavor. The mac and cheese used to be one of my favor things on the menu and convinced me to try to use sugar in my home made mac and cheese. I hope that today’s blunder was a temporary one. THE YAMS. THE YAMS. THE YAMS. They had the perfect amount of brown sugar. There is no need for dessert if you get the yams. I really wish I had their recipe. This was my first time having the cabbage and I am really happy I was able to try it. It was perfectly seasoned. It taste just like my mother would make.
The cornbread was really good. My only negative about the cornbread was that it wasn’t sweet. I am from the south and when I eat cornbread I am expecting it to have a little sugar.
On to the bad:
The okra had no seasoning. None. I am not a fan of putting salt in my food after it has already been prepared but the okra needed something. The corn was not that great either. It was pretty average. It wasn’t bad, but I expected for it to be seasoned better. The mash potatoes were meh. Cooking the mash with more butter may have done the trick. I also think the brown gravy on the mash could have been seasoned better. This would have given the mash a bit more of a pop!
Overall I enjoyed my experience and my family enjoyed theirs too. I think that the food here is B+ when it comes to soul food but the service is top notch. I am leaving St. Louis soon and I am happy that I had the chance to eat here again.

I had the chicken wings mashed potatoes and Mac and cheese with cornbread. I had a turkey wing to go. The line was very long expected from a show on tv. I happened to be in the area for work. I live in the south Texas. So I was red to try so called soul food in the Midwest the chicken wings were awesome. Mashed potatoes not so much they were instant with box gravy pass the Mac and cheese was ok. Nothing to rave about… The turkey leg was the same kind they sell at six flags frozen and put in the oven. Cornbread wasn’t sweet. The sweet potatoes were good though I had with my turkey leg. I will say not worth the wait inline. This is a place that’s hyped because of tv or for people who just can’t cook or don’t know what soul food is… For this part of the country with very few black people in the surrounding states what I expected.

my friend & her kids wanted to come here since they saw it on oprah & of course im always down to eat! I had fried chicken, okra, corn, mac n cheese, cornbread & peach cobbler. The peach cobbler was my fave part of the whole meal and it wasn’t even that great. Ive had better back home in Chicago but we had to at least try it. my friend agreed & we both were disappointed with the food we all tried.

First time here in The ‘Lou so I decided to pay homage. The restaurant is in a good location but it’s on street parking. The set up is cafeteria-​style so you choose and move. I had ribs, cabbage, and okra. Everything was tasty. The ribs are cut small but you get a lot. The bbq sauce was an original and greatly enhanced the ribs. The okra was okay, not too much you can do to it. The cabbage was delicious! Simmered with bacon it needed no enhancements. For dessert I had some delicious peach cobbler. Sweetie Pie’s does soul food right.

Let me preface this review by saying that I’ve never seen their TV show on OWN. I tried them because I am a food connoisseur of soul food.
My strategy was to arrive around 3:45 p.m., in an effort to miss the lunchtime crowd and avoid the dinner rush. Mission accomplished.
Unbeknownst to me, the food is served cafeteria style and not cooked to order. I was taken aback a bit, but I can go with the flow. The entrees included pork, fried chicken and fried catfish. With that being said, the candied yams lacked any spices, the macaroni and cheese was overwhelmed by black pepper, and the fried chicken lacked flavor. On a positive note, the caramel cake was moist and delicious. Sadly, the cake was the only item the menu that was noteworthy, in fact, all the desserts looked very tempting.
Sadly, Sweetie Pie’s left a bitter taste in my mouth. I was told that their last television season was filmed at their other location, so maybe they have the best cooks there.

Headed to North Dakota. Had to stop by. Food was delicious. Staff was amazing. You must eat here if you in town!

If you’re looking for delicious soul food/​comfort food in Saint Louis, you must come here. You receive an instant feeling of happiness and comfort as you eat your meal. We ordered the fried chicken, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, sweet potatoes, and peach cobbler. The fried chicken was perfectly crispy/​not greasy and the skin was very juicy. The mac n cheese and mashed potatoes were amazing (⁵⁄₅ stars).
The food is served cafeteria-​style, so try to make your selections quickly and don’t hold up the line! The servers and staff are very friendly and make sure you enjoy the food/​experience here.

It took my buddy from undergrad for me to try this joint out and I’m glad I did. We went on a Sat and it was a night the show was taping. It was the longest I have ever waited for food… almost hr. and 45 mins just to get to the food lol but it was well worth it. Love the ambiance of the old classic building and great soul food
Double order of mac and cheese 3÷5… I would give it a 4.5 but I don’t like sugar in my mac and cheese
2 chicken breasts:… ⁴⁄₅ Juicy hot and so much soul u feel it in the taste of the food !!!
FYE: there is usually a long line after 4 pm on Sat and Sun… They make sure that everybody that wants to eat their food there, gets the opportunity … once they have declared who is the last person in the line. An employee waits until the last person outside in the line is finally in the bldg before official closing the store to the public for the nite

I’m black if that makes a difference lol, but the chicken is delicious. Beware of Sundays, the lines were long!!!

This location is no longer open. The phone is still in service with no message about both locations being closed.

We were in St Louis for my sisters graduation * The very 1^st Lawyer in our family* I’m so proud of her. Along with our sight seeing and whatnot we decided to go to this famous restaurant Sweetie Pies (as seen on Ophra network. Sweetie pie who’s best friends with Tina Turner and was her back up dancer back in the day) I Loved this restaurant. The food was great and generous proportions. Your served cafeteria style. The lines are long so go early to get ahead of the crowd and to find close parking. The area is sort of ??? So lock your doors and hide your belongings in the truck that are of value.
The waiters were great the diversity in clientele was great. The food was Sooooooooooooooo good. They had a good verity of items to choose from. If your ever in St Louis looking for a great down southern meal try Sweetie pies
I hope this review was helpful enjoy your day.

Let’s keep this short and sweet (see what I did there?); the place is clean, has really good food, and a great atmosphere, too. It’s a buffet, and the meal choices consist of combinations of items from the buffet (though you can add items a la carte). The prices were a disappointment, but not nearly high enough to make me regret coming — in fact, I’ll go again the next time I’m in town!

OMG.
I live in the north and was visiting St Louis for work. A friend picked me up and drove me immediately to Sweetie Pies. I had the fried chicken, Mac and cheese, green beans and the banana pudding. It was HEAVEN ON EARTH! This please should not be missed.

Great! I make sure to visit here whenever I go to St. Louis. If you love soul food this is the best place to go. I love it! I recommend the chicken wing meal with mac & cheese with greens or sweet potatoes. I don’t think you can pick a bad combination.

I waited four years and had to work my way for years for probably one of the most depressing experiences of my life. Sweetie Pies is not worth the hype at least when I was there. The Mac and Cheese was cold and the Meatloaf was dry. I could have asked for more sauce but I doubt that would have helped. One meal with a desert was $ 20 bucks. OVERPRICED. Sweetie pies is not Graceland. Its not an attraction.
Long story short if you are coming because you’ve seen the show on OWN then try it out at your own RISK. It will probably ruin the show and at the very least make you question the trip.

I’m writing this review on behalf of my father who visited the restaurant. I’m not sure if this is the exact location or the other one in St. Louis, but I do know Sweety Pie’s son spoke to him in a negative, rude manner.
First of all, my father is elderly, 80 years old. He came to the restaurant by himself because he was hungry and wanted some soul food. He sat in an area and was served his food, but then the son came up to him and said, «Oh no, you gotta go. You need to get out of here, get out of this area!»
It seems as though they’re was a big party of people coming in. It is understandable that he needed the area for the people, but my father didn’t understand the way he was approached and spoken to ESPECIALLY when the area wasn’t roped off nor did it have a sign saying it was reserved. My father proceded to tell him the way he was speaking to him wasn’t necessary and the son proceeded to tell him that he could get out and get his money back, which he agreed and will never be returning.
I’ve never seen the TV show and never plan to see it. I’ve heard it was ghetto, especially the son, but I am totally appalled at the way they would treat an ELDERLY PAYING customer. I think it’s absolutely despicable!

Hmmm were do I start
Saturday afternoon — wait was about 20 minutes they had A young lady singing I would guess R&B
Fried chicken was Fried to hard, The customers raved about the pork steak but it was only OK, to the macaroni and cheese was awesome The peach cobbler and banana pudding was to die for the only real complaint that I have Is
My food was cold !!!

I really can’t add to all the praise this place receives other than praise them. We arrived around 5:30pm which is early and we had no line. As we walked in we were greeted by a gentleman who directed us to the serving line and how things worked. I guess my daughter in law and I had deer in the headlight look going on.
This is a soul food restaurant or really what is known now as comfort food. Never did like the word comfort food as my pants get too tight when I eat comfort food. Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese with side of green beans. And they gave us huge slice of corn bread. I am not a cornbread guy but I did like the taste of it.
The interior is very funky with pictures of The Beatles, BB King, Tina Turner, Steve Martin and Gregory Peck from To Kill a Mocking Bird. Cool.
As this is cafeteria style you eat and go. We had such a nice young man serving our table and chatting us up I just had to give something extra for his being so darn nice and wearing a tie!!!

This was my first time trying Sweetie Pie’s. I’ve driven by it dozens of times, but always end up going somewhere else nearby. I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews and was looking forward to trying it. We went on a Sunday, right when the church crowd heads to lunch. I think it took us about 45 minutes from the time we entered to the time we sat down to eat.
I was impressed with their selection of food and efficiency with serving everyone cafeteria style.
My husband and I both had fried chicken (breast and wing). I had green beans and sweet potatoes for my sides and he had mac’n’cheese and mashed potatoes. And they give you cornbread to top it all off. Very generous portions! Definitely don’t eat breakfast if you plan on going for lunch.
My favorite side was the sweet potatoes. They were so sweet and lovingly spiced and tasted like Thanksgiving in a small cup. Also, the fried chicken was super crispy, a pinch spicy, and juicy. Very delicious!
So why not 5 stars? The food was great, but it’s not somewhere I would frequent. The food is so heavy that you really need to allow yourself enough time to digest or nap before going on with your day. Try it once, you’ll like it!

Had to fly a hour away from Atl to get some good southern food. Just kidding I was visiting & happened to pass by here.
The staff was just as great as the food.
I liked that they don’t put actual corn in the cornbread but it wasn’t amazing but good.
Only had two options for dessert, I was tempted but held off.
Not sure if they had a dedicated parking area but we lucked out and got one right on the street that takes change or you can download that parking app and pay that way.

I knew that Sweetie Pie’s was a great restaurant when I first entered the doors but I was not prepared for how delicious it would be.
I went in and ordered the friend chicken with Mac n Cheese and mashed potatoes. The first thing I noticed was how great the ambiance was; It made me feel very comfortable. The next thing was the presentation: all the food looked absolutely delicious. The best part however was when I sat down with my plate.
The food was absolutely delicious. The mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy. While I will say that my mom makes excellent Mac n Cheese, I think even she would agree that this was something special. But I think the best part was biting into the large piece of friend chicken with its crunchy and flavorful exterior and it’s delicious interior. This meal was beautiful and I will definitely be coming back for seconds sometime soon!

Every year at our organization’s national conference, we take one night to have a staff dinner. Our conference took place in St. Louis and Sweetie Pie’s was on the list of suggested eateries. When we chose it I was thrilled. I will never pass up a chance to eat some soul food, especially as I haven’t exactly inherited the ability to cook soul food like my granny.
So, we did wait in line for about a half hour on a Tuesday evening around 7 pm, but it was worth it. The menu is a lot more limited then t seems online, and they serve certain meats on certain days. The Tuesday meat options were Salisbury steak, pork steak, pork chops, and fried chicken. Every single one of us ordered the fried chicken out of 10 people. I think that means something lol. Alright, so, the food is served cafeteria style. You wait in line and grab a tray and silverware and let the servers know what you want as you move through the line. The fried chicken looked the best to me. It was fresh hot and seemed to be the most popular choice. You can choose to add 1 – 3 sides to your meal. I got three sides which made my meal $ 13.25. The portions are great so I felt it was worth it. Sides were boiled okra, white rice, creamed corn, green beans mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, black eyed peas, and of course the famous macaroni and cheese. I got the Mac and cheese, black eyed peas, and mashed potatoes. All plates come with a large square of cornbread. You can also get a dessert for $ 3.25. I got banana pudding, my favorite! You order your drink at the end, pay, and the servers will bring your drink to the table. The servers also carry ladies’ trays which I thought was a nice touch. Our server was one of the nicest people I have ever met at a restaurant. He was super attentive, and just very friendly. We really appreciated that.
So now getting down to the nitty gritty– the food. Fried chicken-​crunchy, crispy, very well-​seasoned, huge portion when you get the breast, chicken thigh, and wings. Black eyed peas were a solid good. The mashed potatoes were smooth, yummy, but I did think the gravy was slightly salty. I still gobbled it down though! The corn bread was a little misleading– I thought it was going to be sweet but it was unsweetened cornbread. I guess it makes sense since everything else was flavor packed, it balanced out the meal. Now for the stars of the show– the Mac and cheese and the bread pudding. Man. I loved the Mac and cheese. Thick, browned cheese crust in the top, gooey, cheesy macaroni on the bottom. I should have gotten two sides of that! I could have eaten that macaroni and cheese forever! Like on and on and on. It was so good. I loved it! The banana pudding was so good. Like, perfect ratio of pudding to bananas to cookies.
Please try Sweetie Pie’s at least once. You won’t regret it!

Decided to stop here on the way home from Texas after mixed reviews from my FB friends and I have to say that the «nay» people were pretty much right. Opening almost 15 minutes late didn’t help either but here’s my review.
Service: good. The waitstaff was great.
Food: ended up here on Catfish Friday so I tried it and although it was fried harder than expected, it was delicious. Two large pieces of catfish and two (kinda small) sides, $ 13. My daughters BBQ wings were undercooked. The mac and cheese and sweet potatoes were pretty good.
Cost: for two meals, one dessert and water I spent over $ 30 which in my opinion was a bit pricey.
Glad for the experience but I can’t say that it was the best I’ve ever had or that I would return.

The best way to describe the midweek lunch experience at Sweetie Pie’s is Sunday dinner at the home of a semi-​distant relative who knows their way around the kitchen (perhaps it’s an aunt or uncle on your favored side of the family, but not the one that you talk to all that often…).
The Good:
In keeping with traditionally-​styled recipes, the food is home-​style good. Don’t expect subtlety in the slightest; if you’re looking for nuanced flavors, you might find them, drowned in succulent butter, fried to a golden crisp or smothered in gravy. There’s plenty to eat in the restaurant and the hands that serve you won’t be shy about dishing out a heaping portion that’s probably best consumed over the course of two meals.
When the large rounds are free, it’s a little easier to accommodate mid-​sized group here (6 – 8) than at many other places, without even needing to combine tables. The main dining spaces are flexible and offer a few small booths, standard tables and the aforementioned rounds.
Hospitality is genuine, even though the line service is business-​like.
I’ve never had ‘that’ much trouble parking here. There isn’t a lot dedicated to the restaurant, but street parking (sometimes on Manchester, but usually on the side streets) is usually available within a block or two.
The Caveats:
Service is cafeteria-​style, meaning that for every time that you get the first piece from a fresh tray of food, you could just as easily get the less-​appetizing last piece of the previous tray. The number of guests coming through inevitably keep fresh food coming out of the kitchen, but don’t expect ‘made-​to-​order’.
There may also only be one or two servers working outside of the line, so the wait for a drink or to-​go container could take a little while.
Just as dinners at home with family aren’t usually formal, precise events, neither will a lunch at Sweetie Pie’s be… but the yams and mac and cheese will fill whatever soul food void you might’ve had when you walked through the door.

All I can say if you’re a Soul Food connoisseur you will love Sweetie Pie’s.
The food tastes like your moms or grandmas food the food is cooked fresh all day long.
I was able to see Turkey, Chicken, Pork chops, Fish with all the sides imaginable Collard greens, Yams, Macaroni and cheese, Black eyed peas, Banana pudding, peach cobbler, pound cake.
Sweetie Pie’s is a nice clean establishment they played good music the staff was personable they carry your food to the table and seat you. It’s worth the drive to St. Louis, Missouri. If ever in St. Louis indulge and enjoy like I did.

I’ve even here twice and it’s just not good. The fried chicken is not season well. We had to douse it in hot sauce to get some flavored. As the catfish last night and it was fine. The sides are just bad. There is sugar in everything. Tell me why back eyed peas needs sugar? The cabbage is sweet the macaroni and cheese is sweet. It’s just so off. The cornbread is good and so is the banana pudding. I’m not even sure the pecans are baked into the pecan pie. Really looked like they just stuck it on top.
Also the system and flow is disorganized and chaotic. It is cafeteria style with the staff on one side giving you portions. The height of the station is such that you have to literally crouch down or stand on your tip toes If you’re tall to hear or see the person asking you want you want. They were behind on catfish so she handed me a post it asking me to sign and write what I want. It’s really flawed.

The long-​awaited, anticipated, favorite show of mine from OWN’s network — Sweetie Pies! After seeing many seasons of this show and finally being able to be there and EAT, I was in awe! We arrived a little before noon and there was already a line but not out the door. The wait was about 20 minutes. Seeing this place in person was a breathtaking experience that I had 2 soak in before I ate LOL. I recognized several of the staff from the TV show and they were even nice enough to take pictures.
So, the main part — The FOOOOD!!! I ordered the fried chicken with macaroni and greens. Macaroni was my favorite! All meals came with cornbread and they had sweet tea (not Ms. Robbie’s creation), soft drinks or water. I also got some meatloaf and peach cobbler to go. The food was good but not great, like I expected (my opinion). I definitely love the business and all the employees but maybe my expectations were a little to high. Nonetheless, it wasn’t bad just lacked some seasoning on the chicken and the meatloaf. I added my share of hoy sauce so that helped a little. I wanted this to melt in my mouth but it just didn’t do that. But that peach cobbler was to dieeeeeee for! OMG! It reminded me of the way my Grandmother used to make it and boy how do I miss her cobbler. I plan to return and try the other locations. All in all, great experince and BOMB​.COM customer service!

Disclaimer: we visited two days in row as we were from out of town.
Now that’s outta the way, I will say that my first meal was delish. It consisted of the three wings, yams and Mac & Cheese. Wasn’t too fond of the cornbread, guess I’m just a Jiffy cornbread lover. Other friend had the smothered pork steak but it was cold but her sides (black eye peas, yams and mac & cheese). Other friend had the same meal as me except she had other chicken pieces. Two of us had peach cobbler and one banana pudding.
Sunday: it must have been good cuz we came back for some more to take home, four hours away. Meals included meatloaf, baked chicken (good) and of course, wings again… Mac & Cheese (better than Saturday), greens (ON POINT), yams… all good. Peach cobbler was good but that banana pudding was right on the money!!!
Downside: on Saturday, while in line, the line staff is a bit rough in tone. We had picked up their brand tea and from outta nowhere we hear someone yelling, «CAN YALL LAY YALL TEAS DOWN ON THE TRAY FOR ME?» We were like what the hell just happen. We were feeling like Seinfeld’s soup nazi episode, like obey the rules or get out.
Side note: bottled tea was not good at all
Sunday: back in line, since we were traveling, I asked could my yams and greens be put in the side containers. Out of nowhere, some lady comes with a EXTRA bad attitude, yelling that any side the line lady put in those containers would be $ 3.69 a piece. SAY WHAT!!! I’m traveling, I don’t want soggy chicken when I get home. The issue is that she was extra rude to my friend and I and it was completely unnecessary and it could have been handled much better. Even when we asked the staff her name, they even shrugged and rolled their eyes like, «huh, she’s one of the managers»
Good food. bad customer service tendencies… need some retraining!!!