By Stefanie Ellis
Schottzie’s, one of the latest additions to Maplewood’s bar-and-restaurant scene, has been going strong in its original South County location since 1947. Now folks in central St. Louis County can also get a taste of tradition in a place noted for its pizza, prices and brains.
Bar Buddies: Schottzie’s offers an authentic bar atmosphere, complete with plumes of smoke and glowing Budweiser signs, and its modern-day Cheers feel becomes evident after just a few minutes. It’s not unusual to see the waitresses stopping to chat with customers as if they’ve known them forever.
Bar Exam: Here you get bar food through and through, with a few clever twists thrown in for fun. The usual suspects are offered in artery-clogging abundance: jalapeño poppers, cheese garlic bread, egg rolls and fried shrimp cocktail. The most unusual-sounding appetizer is the tavern eggs, which are hard-boiled and covered with sausage and Parmesan crumbs on grilled sourdough with country mustard. The heavily salted homemade chips are nice and crisp, with little to no evidence of grease, and provided a welcome departure from anything found in a bag.
Bar None: Bar food takes a detour with six salads, including the taco variety, with pieces of grilled chicken tossed with lettuce and Cheddar cheese and piled high in a crispy tortilla shell. (We were inadvertently served a side of ranch dressing instead of sour cream ... and we liked it.) The cheese pizza with black olives fits all the St. Louis–style requirements: the crust thin and crispy, the sauce tinged with a touch of sweetness. There are burgers—from a veggie option to one topped like a pizza—plus wraps, more than a dozen sandwich options (including the house specialty, brain, served with red onion, hot country mustard and pickles) and dinner options such as strip steak and rotisserie chicken.
7372 Manchester, 314-647-3800, www.schottziesfamouspizza.com. Hours: 11 a.m.–1 a.m. Mon–Sat, 11 a.m.–midnight Sun
