Rockwell Beer Company will soon have an updated food concept, courtesy of one of St. Louis’ brightest culinary talents.
Andrew Cisneros, owner of Jalea and Brasas, has partnered with the brewery to help guide the food offerings at both its flagship location in The Grove (1320 S. Vandeventer), and its beer garden at Francis Park (5300 Donovan).
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Slated to roll out in the coming weeks, the new menu will stay true to the Grove location’s burger-focused concept while expanding to include new offerings with Cisneros’ signature touch.
The Menu
Cisneros does not plan to fundamentally alter the burger and fries-style menu that Rockwell’s flagship location has become known for over the years. Instead, he plans to tweak those existing offerings. The burger, for instance, will feature a locally made bun and come with a variety of sauces, which he’s fine-tuned at his other concepts. Cisneros also plans to offer a Peruvian street food-style burger topped with an egg, as well as a fried fish sandwich. Cisneros also plans to incorporate sanguchitos, or small Peruvian sandwiches, which Cisneros serves at his other restaurants and formerly at Perennial Artisan Ales.
The chef is also helping revamp the food at Rockwell’s Beer Garden in Francis Park. Although he and the Rockwell team plan to continue offering pizza, he hopes to expand the menu by adding dishes that he describes as “a play on concession-stand food.”
Cisneros says diners can expect to see the changes roll out over the next few weeks. (The beer garden is open throughout the year, weather permitting.)
The Background
When Rockwell opened its flagship brewery at 1320 S. Vandeventer in 2018, it was joined by Brasswell, a brasserie-style riff from Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group featuring burgers, brats, and beignets. The burgers and fries gained a following over the years, though the food concept ceased operating at Rockwell in early 2024. Stephen Kovac, who had been overseeing the kitchen at Rockwell’s Francis Park location, then became the new culinary director. He kept many of the staples while adding healthy options like salads and a veggie burger, before Kovac joined No Ordinary Rabbit last year.
According to Cisneros, Rockwell owners Chris Hulse and James Sanders approached him several months ago to revamp the brewery’s food menu, first as a consultant and eventually as a partner in that side of the business. It wasn’t the first time that Cisneros has partnered with a local brewery to create the food menu. From August 2022 until a few months ago, he ran the Peruvian sandwich spot Sanguchitos by Brasas at Perennial Artisan Ales in South City. Although Cisneros says he decided to pull out of Perennial for logistical reasons, he’s excited to offer his talents in a brewpub setting.
“Over the past few months working together, we’ve built a relationship and have come up with all of these different ideas organically,” says Cisneros. “It’s a fun place, and there is so much potential for what we can do here.”
Cisneros encourages customers to check Rockwell’s social media for more menu details—and maybe even some additional project announcements.
