On many Saturday mornings before the pandemic, the line at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market would snake around the south side of the Roman Pavilion as St. Louisans queued for Kitchen Kulture’s iconic breakfast sandwich, known as The Combo. Now that St. Louis favorite has spurned an awakening of breakfast possibilities.
Songbird, from the culinary minds behind the Kitchen Kulture booth and the Kounter Kulture restaurant, is now open at 4476 Chouteau in The Grove and expanding its take on breakfast in St. Louis.
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“We have tried to build a menu that is casual but thoughtfully sourced, with the ‘new normal’ in mind,” owner Chris Meyer says of her menu. “We want to give people a.m. options that are fun, delicious, and comforting, with options for every appetite.”
The menu is compact but hits all the right notes. The Breakfast Tamale—filled with cotija cheese and served with stewed black beans, cilantro crema, avocado, and a fried egg—is a worthy iteration, one that doesn’t crumble into fragments when prodded with a fork. The black beans make the dish, which is quite hearty. A vegan option is also available.
Songbird’s Steak & Eggs is a riff on the classic staple. The plate is full from side to side with a 9-ounce seared Newman Farm pork steak, complementary smoked apple compote, two fried farm eggs, and cheddar cheese grits from McKaskle Farm.
A collaboration with Songbird’s coffee partner, the must-try Sump Coffee Pound Cake is made with almond flour and presented with both a whipped coconut cream and coffee jelly, or you can order it plain. (The dish is also gluten-free.)
You can see Songbird’s complete menu here.
As for the coffee? Songbird and Sump Coffee have a long history together, so the partnership makes perfect sense. Meyer and Sump owner Scott Carey used the essential ingredients that define Songbird to create specialty coffees that complement the menu. The Songbird Latte, for example, is made with maple syrup and smoked salt caramel sauce, a carryover from the thoughtful ingredients that make the food.
For now, Songbird is open for curbside pickup via online ordering. ”We encourage folks to call us with questions, especially anything menu-related,” says Meyer. “Order pickup is on the east side of the building, where we have staff that greet you and bring the order to your vehicle.”
Jordan Palmer worked as a producer at KSDK from 1995 to 2020 and runs a local blog that focuses on the responsible-drinking community of St. Louis, Drink314.
