Gentelin’s on Broadway, Alton, IL

St Louis Restaurant Review awards Gentelin’s on Broadway, Alton, IL, with a 4.75 Star Rating.

St Louis, MO – Our review is Gentelin’s on Broadway, 122 East Broadway, Alton, IL.  Phone (618) 465-6080.  The owners are Ryan and Sarah Gentelin.  Ryan is the chef and manages the kitchen, while Sarah manages the front of the establishment.  

I visited with Ryan for about an hour.  He gave me a tour of the establishment, and I was impressed.  The kitchen was SPOTLESS!  We also talked about their beginning as well as their plans.  Ryan appears to be very happy with life as it is, with no plans to expand.  They seem to make an incredible team, but one obvious thing, it takes efforts from both to make this establishment the success it is. Ryan is evident that Sarah is a critical part of the operation.  In addition to managing the front, she maintains their website and performs all accounting functions. So not only are they happy with the restaurant and its success, but more importantly, they appear to be happy with each other.  A husband and wife team can be challenging, but they seem to have mastered it just as they have mastered the restaurant business.

The menu is broad, offering everything from hamburgers to Filet Mignon.  Their Appetizers range in price from $8.50 to $10.00.  Salads range from $4 for a small salad to $14 for a large salad.  Sandwiches range from a low of $8 to $10, while Entrees range from a low of $17 to $27 for the 8 oz Filet Mignon. Desserts range from a low of $5 to $8.  Considering their ratings, the prices appear to be more than fair to us.

Their establishment is in the historic Union Electric building on Broadway. So it’s a classy building that the basement was once a designated bomb shelter.  The restaurant’s view is spectacular, overlooking the Mississippi River from a higher elevation.  

While Ryan & Sarah’s relationship is impressive, and so is the facility and menu.  What is even more impressive are their online ratings.  Facebook rates it 4.7 Star.  The breakdown is 229 5 Star, 47 4 Star, 15 3 Star, 1 2 Star, and only 6 1 Star ratings.  Unbelievable!  TripAdvisor rates it 4.5 Star, and Google ranks it a 4.0 Star.  Great job, Ryan and Sarah!

More impressive facts are the entire kitchen staff has had culinary training, and everything served is made in-house.  There are no frozen foods at Gentelin’s.  Additionally, they change the menu four to six times each year to keep things sparkling.  His advertising budget is zero!  Not advertising says as much for a place like this as anything.  

In addition to their fine dining atmosphere with an incredible view, they have a banquet room that holds up to 50 guests.  They offer wine tastings four to six times each year, and the bar area is quaint and relaxing.

Alton is only about 15 miles north of St Louis and takes about 30 minutes to get there and takes about 45 minutes to get there from West St Louis County. So it is certainly worth the drive.  It is a beautiful drive that helps to set the mood for a special occasion.

St Louis Restaurant Review awards Gentelin’s on Broadway with a 4.75 Star Rating.  If you have not been to Alton, IL, to enjoy what it has to offer, we recommend that you do so.  While it is a drive, it is a small drive, the river and bridge are beautiful, and the event will be a positive experience creating positive memories.