Snax is raising the bar in South City
The owners of Robust open St. Louis’ first gastrobar.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
What looks and sounds like a new candy bar is actually Snax Gastrobar, a shotgun approach to the gastropub, a descriptor that’s become as shopworn as the Guinness tap at McGurk’s. The new concept from Robust’s Arlene and Stanley Browne and executive chef/partner Joe Hemp V spotlights Hemp’s strong suit, “humble foods,” as he calls them: small and midsize offerings such as Buffalo Balls (“Sweet-Heat”–glazed chicken and pork meatballs over stone-ground grits) and cast iron–seared chuck steak. The partners wisely play to the neighborhood, welcoming families and dogs (especially at yappy hour). There’s a patio in back and an all-season covered area spanning the front, complete with picnic tables, board games, and sidewalk chalk. The interior walls, painted gunmetal gray and chalkboard black, are perfect for inscribing chef’s specials and sassy beer quotes (“Beer makes me hoppy”), and a scattering of orange chairs and matching warehouse lights is reminiscent of Halloween, a time when kids of all ages unplug and unwind. A Snax candy bar would fit right in.
