1356 Public House – Restaurant Review

1356 Public House, 1356 Big Bend Rd, Ballwin, Missouri, Reviewed by St. Louis Restaurant Review.  The Best sports bar in West County.

BALLWIN, MO (StLouisRestaurantReview) For ten years, 1356 Public House has been serving its house-made menu items, which have helped create one of the most successful sports bars in West County.  It offers a cozy atmosphere ideal for relaxing with friends while sipping a beer.  It provides an exciting atmosphere and a wide range of drinks and food offerings in an upbeat setting, including pizza as a specialty dish and various other award-winning meals.

Dave McDonald is the owner who has transformed this location into a social destination.  He changed the name and created a menu of made-from-scratch items that customers love daily.

Initially, this location was a Kriegers, but after McDonald purchased it and changed the menu and atmosphere, he decided to change the name to remove the harmful Kriegers plaque from the location, which was a great decision.

When he purchased the restaurant, the strip center was aging, including an abandoned Schucks that had been empty for several years.  However, a developer bought the center and spent $53 million renovating it, according to a FOX article published on March 29, 2018.  The developer added high-end apartments, significantly benefiting the tenants, including 1356.

Additionally, Bartolino’s opened a fine-dining restaurant in the center, on the ground level of the apartment complex, creating one of the most excellent fine-dining facilities in the St. Louis region.  Another great restaurant is Carreta’s Mexican Restaurant, a well-respected restaurant with a sister location on Olive in Creve Coeur, Missouri, that has been a big hit.

The entire facility has become a dining destination with excellent choices and even a home for others.  The high-end apartment complex next door is part of this center and has created a unique lifestyle for its residents, who are blessed with these establishments in their front yards.

They offer a delicious range of options if you are looking for tasty meals.  Their pizzas are particularly sought-after and feature unique combinations of ingredients.  There are also burgers and other New American fare, with sides like their famous seasoned fries and chips.  Be sure to visit during Happy Hour for even quicker bites.

1356 Public House – Health Inspection Scores range from 98% to 100%!

While 1356 Public House has great food and service, 1356 Public House offers other excellent features, such as 40+ televisions for your viewing pleasure, 33 craft beers, and a clean atmosphere.  This is illustrated in the Health Inspection Scores from St. Louis County Health, which range from 98% to an impressive 100%.

Additionally, they offer a banquet room for special events with a capacity of 40 people.  The doors can be opened, making the front patio accessible.

They recently received a 10-Year Award from Anheuser Busch, which will be hung soon.

They offer online ordering, but delivery has yet to be made available.

This is one of St. Louis region’s best-managed sports bars or bar-and-grill restaurants.  The menu items are incredibly consistent, and is the staff.  They do not suffer the typical high turnover rate, which is the cause of many restaurant failures during this social and economic change we are witnessing.  The owner has created a stable and reliable reputation that customers have grown accustomed to visiting frequently for social interaction with friends, family, and business affiliates.

To illustrate the loyal following of 1356 Public House, we will let the online ratings speak for themselves.  They are as follows as of November 13, 2024, at 3:15 pm:

• Google – 4.3 Stars with 1187 online customer ratings
• Facebook – 4.3 Stars with 109 online customer ratings – 2K likes – 2.2 followers – 86% recommend (387 Reviews)
• Yelp – 4.0 Stars with 152 online customer ratings
• TripAdvisor – 3.5 Bubbles with 42 online customer ratings
• STL.Directory – 5 Stars with one online customer rating

Average Rating – 4.22 – high for a sports bar or bar and grill type of atmosphere

1356 Public House’s best-selling menu items are:

• Pizza
• Cajun Chicken Pasta – My Favorite
• Blacken Chicken Sandwich
• Seasoned FHouse-Made-Made Pizza Rolls
• Prime Rib Sandwich

To be honest, the entire menu offers excellent items, and we have never had any that weren’t fantastic.  While it might appear to be a typical sports bar menu, it isn’t.  Never judge a book by its cover.  There is no frozen food served here.  Everything is their recipe and made from scratch.  Everything!   No other local sports bar compares to this establishment.

Sports bars start with excellent management and a clean atmosphere but quickly show wear and tear in the facility.   However, 1356 Pubic House has a hands-on owner who will cook, serve as a host, or mix drinks.  The owner is deeply involved in every aspect of the operation to ensure high customer satisfaction.  The owner’s choice of location and menu, using his recipes, new name, surviving a massive center renovation, and high customer ratings have resulted in an excellent business that significantly contributes to the community.  Luck always helps to create success, but hard work and dedication are the keys to this success story.

We have had significant experience with this restaurant for ten years and witnessed the discipline and sacrifices the owner and management made to reach these high achievements.

1356 Public House is a featured restaurant and a member of our St. Louis Restaurant Directory, which is not a paid directory listing.  We choose who is included and who isn’t, and money won’t buy admission to this directory.  Therefore, our opinion is unbiased and not influenced by anything except their online ratings and great experiences with the establishment and its owner.

1356 Public House address and phone:

1356 Big Bend Rd
Ballwin, Missouri 63017
Phone: +1 636-861-1618

USPress.News covered this story as well.

Additional resources for 1356 Public House:

• STL.Directory
• Restaurant Directory
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