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Score another one for north St. Chuck!
On Tuesday, we announced that the second location of Sugarfire Smoke House will be located in a former Chuck-A-Burger at 3150 Elm Point Drive, and today’s news is that a much larger renovation is taking place at the former Locos Grill & Pub at 3803 Elm Street, just over a mile away. The Tap, An American Restaurant + Brewery is under construction and is slated to open in the 6000 SF space in late February.
A lot can happen in that much real estate and a lot needs to happen in that much real estate. Lucky that husband and wife team Jerry and Maria Berhorst devised a multi-layered concept: The Tap will be part restaurant, part micro-brewery, plus a late night lounge called After-DARK. Berhorst, who has a background in management of big box retail stores, went Johnny Londoff and bought both the building and lot (above).
When Relish queries a new restaurant owner, one of our questions is “How will your place be different…what’s the hook?” When we asked Berhorst that question, we got a response we’d never heard: “I made a long list of design features and unusual ideas—things that had been successful elsewhere—and decided which ones could be incorporated into the restaurant and brewery concept I had in mind."
We don’t know how many weren’t incorporated, but the list that were is daunting. Here goes:
- Personal Table Taps -- Several tables will be equipped with a system that allows guests to draw their own beers from a four-tap head. The taps feature a rotating selection of beers. (This is the next generation of the system used at Circle 7 Ranch in Ballwin.)
- World’s Largest Unassisted Keg Smoker—passers-by will have a hard time missing the super-sized outdoor smoker (below), made from over a ton of American-made stainless steel.
- A 30-foot Frost Rail -- to keep beer and spirits ice cold
- A Chill Rite 32 beer delivery system -- capable of cooling draft beer to 32°F. Establishments using this system often claim “the coldest beer in town.”
- 28 beer taps; five of the beers will be homemade (and use only American hops)
- Approximately 175 craft beers by the bottle
- Largest selection of wine & spirits in the area
- Micromatic Wine Tap System--six wines on tap, plus two cocktails
- Cabo Wabo Tequila Patio – a 50 seat patio, complete with tiki torches, heaters, a private bar, and the first combination beer tower/water fountain/wishing well in the area. All proceeds from the well will be donated to breast cancer awareness.
- The Wild Turkey Honey Pits--the first-ever competition-grade washer throwing and cornhole pits will be adjacent to the outside patio
- Hot Sauce Cart -100 varied sauces from mild to wild
- Fondue – using old school fondue pots
- Kids menu –delivered on plates fashioned after children's toys
Berhorst will act as both brewmaster and pitmaster. Family members (“at least eight of them”) will help operate the business.
The restaurant will feature an all-encompassing menu, heavy on comfort food, designed to appeal to families and adults. A scratch kitchen will produce items like deviled eggs, Famous Barr-style French onion soup, pizzas, meatloaf, plus half-pound, special-blend Angus burgers. And pulled from that leviathan of a smoker? Hefty pork steaks, smoked chicken wings, and pulled pork. "We're not looking to become a BBQ joint," Berhorst commented. "If we try to compete in the BBQ business, I have a feeling we'd lose," referring to his soon-to-be neighbor, Sugarfire Smoke House, located just up the road.
The bar/lounge will have over 20 TV’s, so a full complement of sports can be offered, including the NFL Ticket and European soccer coverage. There's a stage, with backdrops designed by Jack Daniel's and lighting from the same folks responsible for all the glitz at the legendary Studio 54, so there'll be dancing, too, to both live music and DJ's.
Berhorst, a native of St. Charles, has long wanted to open "a unique gathering place for locals." He appears to be headed in the right direction.
