A-List 2007
Best Happy Hour in South St. Louis

Leave it to a bar named after a Grateful Dead song to know how to put you into an altered state. At Stella Blues, there’s no shortage of libations under $3 ($2 domestic bottles, $2.75 drafts, $2 wells), and thanks to a half-price special on appetizers, you’ve got six options for a $3 snack...

Stella Blues takes pride in eschewing ‘that gourmet stuff’
By Julie Failla Earhart

“Best friends since their freshman year of high school, Chris Van Hoogstraat and Mike Russo, co-owners and chefs at Stella Blues Restaurant and Bar, are living the dream.

“We love the city,” Van Hoogstraat said. “We grew up in the city and are proud to be business owners here.”...”



Posted Comments

Date: 08/14/2006 Posted By: Andrew
Great food, great prices, friendly people, and ice cold beer. You gotta try the meat ball sandwich. Old family receipe!

Date: 08/10/2006 Posted By: Gerrye6
What a great place! Friendly establishment, great food, great people!

08/21/06
South City blues bar is anything but depressing.

Attracting a business crowd at lunch, neighborhood noshers for happy hour, families for dinner and college kids after sundown, South City's Stella Blues Restaurant and Bar (which garnered its name from a Grateful Dead song) is truly the definition of diverse...

08/06/06
Posted by Allison at 3:13 PM

“...and I was very happy at Stella with the ceiling fans whirring and the baseball game flickering peripherally from the 4 plasma TV's. Stella Blues is not your typical Morganford haunt-- clean and modern, but definitely with a neighborhood vibe. This is one to watch. And I'll definitely be back...

Savoring the Morganford makeover
by Mickey Kitterman
12-14-2007

Stella Blues, 3269 Morganford, anchors the southern end of this Morganford renaissance at the corner of Utah. It wears a beautifully restored store front with bright blue awnings and a beacon of a neon sign. Big screen television is everywhere, as sports is a big draw here. Named for the Grateful Dead’s song Stella Blue, its live music on Friday and Saturdays is an important aspect of the business. Lunch is reasonable and delicious, and the room is bright and airy. I’ve not been there for dinner, but the place is packed when I drive by most evenings. They have recently added a video game room in an adjacent back building.

SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
11/16/2006

Stella Blues Restaurant & Bar
By Dawne Massey

Paul Bonn of Shakey Ground blues band finishes a song at Stella Blues Restaurant and Bar. John Logan, left, of the Hudson and the Hoo Doo Cats is sits in.
( Christian Gooden/P-D)

If it wasn't for football, one might feel guilty spending a sunny Sunday afternoon holed up in a bar. Luckily, places like Stella Blues Restaurant & Bar provide safe haven.

Located in a South City neighborhood that is half residential and half industrial, it's a light and airy neighborhood tavern filled with plenty of authentic touches in what appears to be a new interior. A 1940s-style back bar and hardwood floors complement light-colored, two-tone walls and an original tin ceiling.

One recent Sunday afternoon, three of the bar's four plasma screens were tuned to the Rams game, while the other featured the Arizona Cardinals. The place was pleasantly full, with most of the patrons in their late 20s to late 60s.

A lone bartender managed to take care of everyone, from drink orders at the bar to food orders for the dozen or so tables throughout the room. Oscillating fans mounted overhead keep the place from getting too smoky, and a large storefront window allows plenty of light. Advertisement

The bar offers a respectable selection of micros, imported and domestic beers, including 90 Shilling Ale and O'Fallon 5-Day IPA on draught. Wine snobs won't find much to work with here, as Yellowtail is pretty much the extent of the wine list.

Food choices include burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrees such as grilled beef tenderloin, Chicken Asiago, and spaghetti and meatballs. Appetizers, which are available until midnight for late-night snacks, include chicken wings, popcorn shrimp, toasted ravioli and spinach artichoke dip.

Wednesday is open mike night, and there's live music every Thursday and Friday night. Friday is usually blues day, with bands such as Shakey Ground Blues Band, Oliver Johnson and Johnny Fox. Occasionally, the bar features live music on Saturday nights.

Stella Blues offers a late-night happy hour from 10 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Wednesday.