One of the most beloved restaurants in Alton is moving up the road. Terri and Glenn “Beau” Beaubien, owners of State Street Market (208 State) in Alton, Illinois, closed the nearly 10-year-old restaurant and wine shop on New Year’s Eve, with the hope of reopening it—somewhere. Their search led them 8 miles upriver to Elsah, Illinois, where they recently purchased the historic building at 18 LaSalle Street, the former home of The Elsah Landing Restaurant, a beloved destination lunch spot. State Street on LaSalle, the only restaurant in Elsah, is slated to open in March. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Atmosphere
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
Originally built in 1894, the clapboard-sided building housed Elsah Landing from 1975 to 2001 and later several other tenants, including My Just Desserts. Renovated in 2015, the space features a 1,500-square-foot main level, a basement kitchen of the same size, outdoor seating in the front, and a planned rear deck.
The Beaubiens are recreating the rustic charm of their former location, even bringing along their iconic copper bar. “It’s coming with us! It’ll be the first bar in Elsah,” Terri says, noting that Elsah is not a dry village anymore. In keeping with what will surely be the focal point, the new space will have a copper and black color scheme.
The Menu
Elsah Landing was known for its comfort food fare, a tradition that dovetails with the menu at State Street. Guests can expect to find State Street’s similar lunch and dinner menu, with the dinner menu changing seasonally.
Brunch—a favorite at the former Alton location—will continue on Saturdays, with the likely addition of Sunday brunch as well. The full-service bar will also offer retail wine sales.
The Backstory
The Beaubiens are seasoned restaurateurs. Terri previously owned a large restaurant in Herrin, Illinois, while Beau worked in upper-level management for Pizza Hut, Hardee’s, and Burger King.
In 2015, they purchased State Street Market from founder Kary Lockwood and expanded it into a more complete restaurant by adding brunch, a full bar, retail wine, and a dinner menu. Enduring six floods and a pandemic, the restaurant became a staple for Alton locals and visitors alike, many of whom would stop for a light meal on the picturesque brick patio.
The couple had planned to sell the business as part of their retirement, but, in 2024, their landlords informed them that a lease renewal for a future restaurant would not be an option.
“They wanted to go in a different direction that did not include the liability of a restaurant,” Terri says.
With selling no longer viable, she and her husband decided to begin searching for a new home and closed the restaurant on New Year’s Eve.
Rather than continue to lease a property, as they had been doing, the Beaubiens wanted to own or lease-to-own their next space. After an extensive search in Alton and Godfrey, they discovered most places were “not a good fit, or the rent was just too high.” They wanted to capture the same atmosphere that they created in Alton and found that in Elsah.
“The Village of Elsah really stepped up to make this happen,” Terri says. “They wanted a restaurant and bar here—and they made us a great deal. They really wanted us here.”
