Fleur STL closes in former Eat-Rite Diner space

Fleur STL (622 Chouteau), a chef’s reimagination of the former Eat-Rite Diner located several blocks south of Busch Stadium, has closed. The acclaimed 14-seat breakfast-and-lunch spot had not operated regularly since early this year. In early February, the restaurant announced on Instagram that it had “temporarily closed.” Subsequent social media comments referred to Fleur STL being closed, and the building has since been boarded up.

Over the last six months, chef-owner Tim Eagan did not respond to several calls from SLM seeking clarification about the restaurant’s status.

Earlier this summer, Creve Coeur-based landlord Hoffman Development Co. (not affiliated with the Hoffmann Family of Companies) sued Eagan for unpaid rent. On July 20, the court ruled in the landlord’s favor, ordering Eagan to pay $25,641.07 and vacate the premises.

The Concept

Fleur STL opened in the former Eat-Rite Diner in late 2022. Rather than simply rehash the longtime diner’s menu and theme, Eagan created an upscale, chef-driven reinterpretation of the classic diner, with nearly everything made from scratch. The concise menu included a prime-beef double cheeseburger, a gussied-up slinger, biscuits and gravy, seasonal eggs Benedict, deviled eggs topped with candied bacon and fried jalapeños, and fried Brussels sprouts. The diner theme extended to the bar, with a similarly polished edge, featuring well-executed Bloody Marys, Old Fashioneds, and espresso martinis. And in decidedly un-diner-like fashion, guests were given cloth napkins, while ketchup for the hand-cut fries arrived in small glass jars.

Eat-Rite had famously operated around the clock for much of its life, but Eagan chose a more civilized schedule for Fleur, serving breakfast and lunch only. Evenings were reserved for occasional pop-up events. Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve brought five-course dinners, including one $100-per-person menu featuring American Wagyu, jumbo sea scallops, a braised beef cheek tamale, dessert, and a Champagne toast. Fleur STL was a diner at heart but one that gave Eagan room to cook beyond the confines of the genre. During its relatively short run, it landed on several local best-new and best-restaurant lists.

Photography by Mabel Suen

Courtesy of Fleur STL

All Shots

Overlay

Close

Photography by Mabel Suen

Courtesy of Fleur STL

The Backstory

Diners of a certain age may remember Eagan as co-owner of Park West Grill, which operated on South Jefferson in Benton Park West from 2008 to 2012. He later spent four years as executive chef at several LHM properties, in addition to serving as executive chef of the erstwhile 240-seat Weber Grill Restaurant, which opened at the Saint Louis Galleria in 2016. Although part of a small chain, Weber Grill operated much like an independent restaurant, with a chef-driven, scratch kitchen where all fish and most meats were cut in house, a hands-on approach that served Eagan well when he later set about conceptualizing Fleur STL.