Years before actor Dan Blocker started the inexpensive Bonanza Steakhouse chain (named for the TV series he starred in), Harry Hilleary thought St. Louis needed a reasonably priced family restaurant for steak and such.
The Flaming Pit’s first location was near Westroads Shopping Center, where the Saint Louis Galleria sits now. Other locations quickly sprouted in Hazelwood, Des Peres, and Crestwood. Eventually the chain expanded to such places as Columbia, Missouri; Maryland; and Florida. The only notable flop was in what’s now Grand Center. (Ironically, the location now houses The Best Steak House.)
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Of course, steak, salad, and a baked potato were popular, but there was also a polite gesture of fried chicken and shrimp, as well as a Steerburger and a hot dog. The garnish was a spiced peach half, puzzling to today’s palate. Groups gathered for lunch and dinner meetings. Yet Flaming Pit remained family-friendly, hosting multigenerational gatherings, whether Granddad’s birthday or we-just-need-a-little-fun occasions. And it was fun, with a little more drama in the décor than in most cafeteria-style places. For kids, the crowning touch was a treasure chest from which they could select a small toy while leaving the restaurant.
Hilleary went on to open Noah’s Ark in St. Charles, but that, of course, is another tale. The last Flaming Pit location, in Florida, closed around 2009, and Hilleary died the next year.
