Southwest Diner has reopened this week for indoor service to the delight of many who missed its Southwestern-style comfort food and service during the pandemic.
Like many other restaurants in St. Louis, the Ellendale eatery (6803 Southwest) temporarily closed in March 2020, at the advent of the pandemic. As the situation evolved over the past two years, Southwest Diner’s service moved through several models, including its most recent one of curbside, delivery, and patio service.
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Now, with the restaurant’s doors open to the public once again, patrons can dine in an atmosphere that’s just as vibrant as the food, with coral-red marble tiled walls, bright retro seating, and a diner-style counter. The restaurant is currently open for breakfast and lunch Friday through Monday.
Southwest Diner’s standout dishes remain on the menu. Among the favorites: Jonathan’s Famous Fiery Scramble (with cheesy scrambled eggs and home fries); the Southwest Slinger (a riff on an eggs-and-chili St. Louis specialty, with two quarter-pound burgers, home fries, eggs, chile, and longhorn cheese), and the Carne Adovada (with red chile braised pork shoulder, two eggs, home fries, and flour tortillas), as well as enchiladas and tamales.
Owners Jonathan Jones and Anna Sidel opened Southwest Diner in 2012, after running a popular grab-and-go booth at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, which served the same Southwestern-inspired fare. With its slogan, “A Touch of the Southwest on Southwest,” Southwest Diner quickly became a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
