When Danni Eickenhorst, Steve Ewing, and company launched their grilled cheese concept Steve’s Meltdown last January, they fashioned it as a ghost kitchen, a way to experiment with a new idea without having to invest in a standalone spot while leaning into the popularity of third-party delivery apps. But then people started asking to order Steve’s Meltdown’s food at Steve’s Hot Dogs’ South Grand storefront. The company obliged, and soon the brand developed a loyal following. It soon became clear: Steve’s Meltdown needed its own location.
Now, the brand is on the verge of doing just that: Steve’s Meltdown will open its first brick-and-mortar spot inside the Food Hall at City Foundry, bringing with it the elevated grilled cheese sandwiches that guests have grown to love, along with fries, soups, mac and cheese, and, of course, the whimsical spirit that defines the Steve’s brand. Although Eickenhorst hasn’t set an exact opening date, she anticipates the new spot will open in the first two weeks of March.
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“It’s a super campy, fun brand with lots of cheese puns and cheese drips, so you can expect more of that in the physical space,” says Eickenhorst. “We’re going to start with the menu we have, add a couple of vegan options, and then, once we are established, we will swing into the model we are known for, which is collaborations and specials with grilled cheese as the canvas.”
The Space
Originally, Eickenhorst and the team at HuSTL Hospitality considered opening Steve’s Meltdown in its own standalone space but quickly realized that an arrangement where they could partner with an existing concept was the way to go.
“In the restaurant business, any time you can have a model where you don’t have to invest $100,000–$200,000 in an initial buildout and wait to recoup that money is ideal,” says Eickenhorst. “The thing we learned when Steve’s [Hot Dogs] went into stadiums is how beneficial the model can be where you plug into someone else’s space and plug into an existing food community.”
City Foundry was an obvious partner, and after working out the details, Eickenhorst signed the contract last week and got to work putting their signature Steve’s stamp on the food stall. Expect the signature red-and-yellow color scheme with paint made to look like cheese drips, cheese puns adorning the space, and an overall upbeat, family-friendly feel.
The Menu
The foundation of Steve’s Meltdown is fresh-baked bread and a variety of high-quality cheeses, Eickenhorst notes. Customers can expect to find the same core menu items, including the Forever Young Adult Grilled Cheese (a gooey concoction of melted colby, American, and mozzarella cheeses on griddled sourdough bread), the Sweet Caroline (made with brie, sharp white cheddar, cranberry jam, and apple slices), and The War Figs (another sweet and savory sandwich, which pairs fig jam with white cheddar, goat cheese, bacon, and balsamic glaze). “It started as a special, and everyone lost their minds, so we had to put it on the menu,” says Eickenhorst.
Mac and cheese, one of Steve’s Hot Dogs’ most popular offerings, will also be on the cheese-focused menu. “We’re working on a few different mac and cheese bowls that will be unique to the brand,” says Eickenhorst. “We’re making them higher-end and elevated.”
The new Steve’s Meltdown will also offer a rotating selection of soups (with tomato basil always available, crinkle-cut fries, and Excel sodas.
The Backstory
Years ago, while performing with The Urge, Ewing was struck by a lack of post-concert street food. While he couldn’t fill that void himself, he wanted to help build the city’s street food scene and launched Steve’s Hot Dogs as a daytime food cart in 2006. The cart became so popular, it prompted Ewing to expand his offerings, start doing festivals and special events, and expand to a brick-and-mortar operation on The Hill in 2011. Four years later, he opened a second location inside Tower Grove East’s Tick Tock Tavern and eventually closed the Hill location to focus on one storefront.
Ewing was considering closing Steve’s Hot Dogs in 2020 (being both a musician and a restaurant owner simply stretched him too thin), but the business was saved by Eickenhorst and her husband, Marcus, who partnered with Ewing to help grow the brand. Steve’s moved to its current digs on South Grand and expanded into stadiums and hosts a regular pop-up gig inside St. Louis Children’s Hospital. HuSTL Hospitality also runs The Fountain on Locust, and plans are in the works for two forthcoming locations in the Delmar Makers District: an additional Steve’s Hot Dogs location and The Fountain on Delmar.
Steve’s Meltdown adds to the hospitality group’s growing brand, which has regional aspirations. Although Eickenhorst is focused on what’s immediately in front of HuSTL, she doesn’t rule out a scenario in which both Steve’s Hot Dogs and Steve’s Meltdown are known beyond St. Louis.
“We decided that it was time to launch Steve’s Meltdown as brick-and-mortar and see if it has legs,” says Eickenhorst. “It will continue to be a ghost in our other Steve’s, and our hope is if we go to Kansas City or wherever we may go, we will bring it with us. We’re hoping this will help us grow our geographic footprint. A ghost kitchen is limited to 5 miles in each direction of the restaurant and to those who find us on delivery platforms. This allows us to grow our network and grow our brand by allowing more people to try it out.”
