Sportsman’s Park Restaurant and Bar (9901 Clayton), the longtime Ladue staple, is turning 50—and celebrating its golden anniversary in a big way. From September 17–21, the family-owned neighborhood bar and restaurant will host a series of special offerings, including special tastings, menu items, and appearances by Joe Buck and other sports celebrities. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Anniversary Celebration
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In 1974, Norman Probstein and NFL Hall of Famer Jackie Smith founded Sportsman’s Park Restaurant and Bar, paying homage to a stadium where St. Louis teams had played football and baseball since the 1800s. Although Smith no longer has an ownership stake in the restaurant, he remains a staunch supporter and regular customer. He plans to attend the 50th anniversary festivities—and possibly order the Buffalo chicken wings. (Legend has it that he introduced the iconic bar food to the St. Louis market via Sportman’s Park.)
Customers can enjoy a series of specials (and an appearance from the Budweiser Clydesdales) during happy hour, from 4–6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday:
- Tuesday: Vodka tasting with Southern Glazer’s; Canyon Ranch Spud as a menu special
- Wednesday: Wine tasting with Bommarito Wines; Canyon Ranch Spud as a menu special
- Thursday: Whiskey tasting with Breakthru Beverage; Honey-Avocado Chicken Sandwich as a menu special
- Friday: Beer tasting with Schlafly; Honey-Avocado Chicken Sandwich as a menu special; photo opportunity with the Budweiser Clydesdales
It all leads up to Saturday, when there will be tastings of Anheuser-Busch products with Grey Eagle and beers from Urban Chestnut, as well as an outside bar set up to sell beer, wine, and seltzers. Sportscaster Joe Buck will make an appearance from noon–3 p.m., and other celebrities will stop by throughout the day, including Smith and Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray. The anniversary toast and cake-cutting happen at 1:30 p.m. Guests can also purchase commemorative merchandise, enter a raffle, and bid on in-person silent auction items.
The week-long celebration includes a benefit for St. Louis Children’s Hospital via an online silent auction of gift baskets filled with local favorites. Customers can also donate directly and receive a $25 gift card to Sportsman’s Park for every $100 that they contribute.
The History
When Norman Probstein and Smith co-founded the business in 1974, Sportsman’s Park was already a memory. It had been renamed Busch Stadium in the 1950s and hosted its final St. Louis Cardinals football game in 1966. Years before, the St. Louis Browns—who also played baseball at the stadium in North St. Louis, at Grand and Dodier—had moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles.
After decades of wooden stadiums at various locations, the best-known version of Sportsman’s Park was a steel and concrete structure completed in 1909 and expanded in 1922 to seat 30,000 fans in the hopes of bringing a World Series to town—and in 1926, the Cardinals defeated the Yankees in seven games to win their first MLB title. In 1944, the stadium hosted all six games of the World Series, because the St. Louis Cardinals and Browns played each other. The Cards won, taking their fifth title.
Over time, the Ladue dining establishment evolved into a restaurant with a sports theme, rather than a game-day sports bar. Jim Probstein, Norman’s son, who now runs the beloved establishment, recalls eating there with his family and seeing athletes and other sports figures, such as Jack Buck. In fact, the 8-by-6-foot wall honoring the Bucks is one of Probstein’s favorite pieces of memorabilia. “It warms my heart because they’re such a nice family,” he says. “It’s been there for decades.”
Most of the mementoes are always on display, but Probstein does rotate the décor out occasionally, making way for new items, such as swag from CITY SC or his most recent acquisition, an artwork made of flattened wine corks painted with the Blues logo.
The menu has also remained consistent over the years. “Everything sells, and we have changed it very little in the past seven or eight years,” Probstein says. Helping ensure a continuity of flavors are longtime culinary team members such as Ricky Perry, a cook who recently celebrated his 40th anniversary of working at Sportsman’s Park. “We met as teenagers,” Probstein recalls. “He’s like a brother to me.”
Along with the chicken wings, the most popular menu items include the chicken strips (in all forms, as entrées, sandwiches, or atop salads) and the turkey chili. “That sells like crazy,” Probstein says. “Last Halloween, we sold 60 quarts in just one evening.” (In-the-know customers will buy it cold and take it home to ensure they get their fix.)
One of the biggest updates is the recent addition of outdoor seating. “It took 48 years and a pandemic, but we’ve got a great patio now,” Probstein quips. “It’s been a game-changer.”
Probstein owns and manages office and retail properties aross the metro area, but the restaurant has had a special place in his heart since he first walked through it five decades ago. “My dad’s been gone since 2001, but whenever I have to make decisions of any consequence, I always think about what he would do, and that helps me not screw things up,” he says with a laugh. “It’s just such a special place.”
