In a brief announcement on social media over the weekend, Dave & Tony’s in Creve Coeur announced that it would be closing, effective immediately. The post read, “After 15 years of service we have decided to permanently close. Thank you for your support.” The website added, “After 15 years we have decided not to renew our lease.” No other reasons were given for the closure. SLM has reached out to the owners for further comment.
The Backstory
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In 2011, Dave Miller and Tony Dahl opened Dave & Tony’s Premium Burger Joint at 12766 Olive in Bellerive Plaza in Creve Coeur, the space previously known as Sammy Scott’s Sandwiches & More, which Miller & Dahl also operated. (Miller sold his interest several years later to Dahl and his wife, Brandi.)
Dave & Tony’s was the first burger joint in St. Louis that specialized in build-your-own, 6-ounce, premium steak burgers. Guests would fill out a golf scorecard-like sheet stating their preferences, and the options were seemingly endless. There was a choice between a sandwich, herbed garlic wrap, or salad. Then, customers could pick a protein (thick burger, turkey burger, chicken sandwich, chicken tenders) and choose between four types of buns (or a lettuce wrap), nearly 30 different toppings, 15 sauces, and six types of dressing. All of the extras were priced a la carte. (Aficionados swore by the pretzel bun, apple onion jam on the burger, and herbed garlic fries on the side.)
If that much assemblage (and math) was too daunting, the menu also included 11 signature burgers, as well as several other sandwiches and six salads. French fries (in several iterations), onion rings, coleslaw, and a kid’s menu were also available.
When SLM dining critic Dave Lowry visited Dave & Tony’s in 2011, not long after it opened, he wrote: “It won’t be the cheapest burger joint you’ve ever visited. But you won’t leave hungry. And in fact, if you do have room for dessert, why, just stroll less than a block down to the other side of the strip mall—that should burn off most of the calories of dinner—and treat yourself to a frozen custard at Silky’s… Can summertime get any better?”
