Pickleball’s popularity continues to grow in St. Louis, with the much-anticipated opening of Chicken N Pickle in St. Charles (1500 S. Main). Located just off the Katy Trail and Missouri River, at the Riverpointe development near the sprawling Streets of St. Charles, the massive indoor-outdoor complex features not only pickleball courts and fresh dining options but also other games, multiple bars and private event spaces, fire pits and large TVs, and a stage for live music.
“Pickleball is the heart of our community, but we’ve really designed the space for people to hang out with friends or co-workers, celebrate holidays, retirement, or closing a big deal,” says Chicken N Pickle general manager Bill Koning. “It’s work and play together. There’s something for everybody, and we are able to adapt to whatever that need may be. If you can think of it, we can probably accommodate it.”
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Here’s what to know before you go.
The Atmosphere
Although pickleball is the organizing principle, Chicken N Pickle sees itself more as a multi-use community gathering space that offers something for everyone, whether recreation or just a place to connect with friends over food while listening to live music around a fire pit.
The sprawling complex clocks in at more than 75,000 square feet. Pickleball enthusiasts will find 11 courts spread throughout the space, as well as private and group lessons, clinics, and open-play opportunities that bring together players from a variety of skill levels—no partner required.
Chicken N Pickle aims to be a destination beyond its namesake sport as well. In addition to the pickleball courts, the complex offers several recreational opportunities, including life-size Battleship and Connect Four games, cornhole, Jenga, ping-pong, and bocce. Those looking to simply sit back and relax will also find a welcoming atmosphere complete with multiple dining areas and bars, an outdoor music platform, green space with fire pits, beer gardens, and multiple indoor TVs where guests can gather to watch everything from championship events to a weeknight game.
“We see ourselves like the cul de sac or neighborhood block party,” Koning says. “Everyone comes and gathers at our place, which challenges us to have different styles of programming.”
The Menu
In designing the Chicken N Pickle menu, founder Dave Johnson and the concept’s chefs wanted to create dishes that would be healthy and not weigh down diners who might be grabbing a bite to eat between bouts of high-energy activity. Still, Johnson wanted the food to be intensely flavorful and satisfying, and there was one food he knew of that ticked all of those boxes: rotisserie chicken.
While many diners might be familiar with the dish as a grab-and-go dinner option from the grocery store, Chicken N Pickle’s version is based off the dish as it’s served at the Chicken! Chicken! brand in the Cayman Islands. For its bird, Chicken N Pickle senior culinary director Alex Staab sources high-quality poultry, simply seasons it, and then roasts it over a live oak fire. Guests can order the dish in quarter- or half-bird sizes and customize the dish to their flavor preferences with four seasoning options, including the house seasoning (a salt, pepper, and juniper blend that Koning says tastes like Thanksgiving). Other choices include jerk, Southwest, and a spicy seven-chili rub. Sauce options range from a sweet and spicy mango habañero chutney to a smoky honey brew BBQ.
In addition to rotisserie chicken, Chicken N Pickle offers a wide-ranging menu, with such sharable plates as chorizo-queso, smoked wings, deviled eggs, and a trio of tostadas. Sandwich offerings include a Southern fried pimento chicken, pulled pork, and a double smash burger. Bowls range from pulled pork mac ‘n’ cheese to a lighter Cobb salad and OG Power Bowl (with beets, smoked almonds, cranberries, and goat cheese). For those looking for a heartier meal, Chicken N Pickle offers smoked ribs, chicken and waffles, and a rotisserie chicken and rib combination platter with such sides as goat cheese mashed potatoes, street corn, and grilled broccolini.
With three bar areas and beer gardens, the restaurant offers a full bar, wine, and craft beer. Specialty cocktails include a spicy blackberry margarita, a winter spiced mojito, and a barrel aged old-fashioned.
“The idea is that this is food that will energize you,” Koning says. “We have people on our property who might eat twice—maybe they get hungry and have a sandwich, go back and play, and then grab some wings. These are simple recipes, but there is complexity built in the flavors… There is a simple elegance to it.”
The Backstory
A decade ago, Chicken N Pickle founder Dave Johnson was visiting a friend in Florida when he noticed something fascinating: Hundreds of folks—from all walks of life and of all ages and abilities—were gathered together on a playing surface that looked sort of like a tennis court but was the size of a badminton court and bore a slight resemblance to a ping-pong table. The game they were playing, pickleball, was something he hadn’t seen back home in Kansas City, but he was so struck by the community feel of the game that he knew it was about to be a thing.
Johnson, who made his name in business in the Kansas City real estate and banking industries, had been wanting to get into the hospitality industry for a while. Once he came across the pickleball phenomenon, he decided to create his own concept, launching Chicken N Pickle in Kansas City in 2016. Since then, the brand has expanded to eight other locations, including San Antonio, Texas, Glendale, Arizona, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma—with more locations on the horizon. St. Louis felt like a natural market for the concept, in part because the area is near to Johnson’s heart after spending time at the University of Missouri–Columbia. “Dave has great memories of this part of the area,” Koning says. “This, plus the ability to be a major part of the development of this part of the Katy Trail, makes this location really exciting.”
