Courtesy of Hwy 61 Roadhouse
The owners of Highway 61 Roadhouse in Webster Groves, the husband-and-wife team of Michael Skordos and Crystal O’Brien-Skordos, are heading west along Highway 61 to open Highway 61 North Bar & Grill in Winghaven.
Courtesy of HWY 61 Roadhouse
The Location
A smaller, second location is slated to open "ideally by St. Patrick’s Day" in the space previously occupied by Stef’s Pizza (2002 Winghaven), which closed earlier this month. (Stef’s Pizza's other area locations, in Chesterfield, New Town, St. Peters, and Lake Saint Louis, remain open, along with the flagship Stefanina’s in O’Fallon, Missouri.)
“We tried to find a sister location that was smaller and closer to where we live, in O’Fallon, so if Crystal and I and a few other people had to run it, we could,” says Michael. “We didn’t want a place that required 75 people to operate.”
“Our broker, Kim Wright, who had also secured the Roadhouse for us, found this place that had just closed [Stef’s Pizza], which was really close to where we live,” continues Crystal. “We had eaten there previously and had already thought, Wouldn’t that be a great location? Plus, it’s located just off of Highway 61. Done deal!”
The Concept
At 2,700 square feet and 60 seats, the new location is half the size of the flagship. It has “a dozen tables, a dozen at the bar, and 50 seats on the patio,” Michael says.
The more they thought about it, the more the couple liked the area. The pared-down concept will be smaller than the flagship and will initially serve food during the day. “The Winghaven area population is growing by leaps and bounds, and there are business offices close by, including MasterCard,” Michael says. “So we thought we’d open for lunch first and serve appetizers throughout the day. We’ll see how staffing goes, keep the bar open at night, and work into an evening menu when we can, especially since the potential for pickup and delivery business during the day is the great unknown.”
Roadhouse mantel mural by Carol Boss. Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
HWY 61 Roadhouse in Webster Groves
With the theater and the Missouri Rush soccer complex located across the street, along with the multi-use outdoor entertainment center (anchored by a new Carl’s Drive-In) slated to open later this year, the restaurant's co-owners are approaching the project with eyes wide open. “Missouri Rush, which is part of the largest youth soccer club in the world, is a big operation,” says Michael, who also happens to be a soccer coach, “and with all the recent interest in soccer, it’s only going to get bigger.”
The couple does not plan to duplicate the atmosphere at the flagship, which Michael says “is unique unto itself.” He adds that there will be some Highway 61 signage along with the new logo, but the décor will lean more toward sports bar than the whimsy of the Webster Groves location.
Live music will also start on a smaller scale, “beginning with, say, a single acoustic musician on Thursdays and maybe a duo on Fridays and Saturdays, then seeing where that leads,” Michael says. “But live music is so much a part of what Highway 61 is—and we both like it so much—rest assured that it will continue. We want people to be able to listen to music, whether they’re by themselves on their way home from work, on a date, or gathered with friends watching a game on TV.”
The Menu
The inaugural lunch menu will feature a few Roadhouse classics, such as gumbo, barbecue pulled pork, smoked wings, and red beans and rice. Otherwise, a smaller menu will feature bar and grill food, especially at first, Michael says, including sandwiches, salads, appetizers, “and a few other surprises.” Other signature Roadhouse features, such as barbecue spaghetti and smoked fried chicken, will appear as specials and may be added to the regular menu, depending on demand and staffing.
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Courtesy of HWY 61 Roadhouse
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Courtesy of HWY 61 Roadhouse
One item that will likely make an appearance was made famous by Guy Fieri when he visited the Roadhouse to film a segment of the popular Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. Appropriately named the DDD Sampler (pictured below), the triple dipper includes Cajun potstickers, red beans and rice, and the aforementioned barbecue spaghetti.
Courtesy of Hwy 61 Roadhouse
The Background
Last spring, the Skordos’ purchased Highway 61 Roadhouse & Kitchen from founder Bill Kunz, who had operated the restaurant since 2006. Over the years, it became known as a local gathering place in Webster Groves that was famous for its Cajun specialties, Memphis-style barbecue, folksy atmosphere, live music, and Southern roadhouse hospitality.
Painting by Julie Krovicka
The name Highway 61 is a reference to the “Blues Highway” that connects the cities along the Mississippi. The décor is a mishmash of memorabilia collected along the route. In 2013, Guy Fieri visited the restaurant and featured it on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. In the segment, the duo made "Cajasian" pot stickers along with Kunz’ signature dish, barbecue spaghetti. The result was national notoriety and a large crowd whenever the episode aired.
Musician wall mural by Carol Boss. Photo courtesy of HWY 61 Roadhouse.
When the new owners took over last year, they were aware of the challenges and updates that were needed. “We added new tables, chairs, and TVs; updated the stage lights; and brought in a sound engineer to update the speakers,” Crystal says. “And most recently, we expanded the stage. We had already planned to close the restaurant for a week in early January, so we decided to knock that out then, and here we are.
"The transition has been nothing short of great,” she reflects. “When you have a strong backbone, the job is far easier. The menu was proven. We retained the three core chefs and four core front-of-course staffers. Staffing is always an issue, but you hear that from everybody, so we’ve been blessed, really.
“It’s a scary business to get into,” she adds, “but we were honored to acquire a great institution and are excited to carry on the legacy a little farther west.”
