The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern opens at Union Station

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

After a series of soft openings, The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern (2 S. 20th), the much-anticipated, 9,200-square-foot soccer-themed bar at Union Station, officially opens its doors on Monday, February 27—just in time for the St. Louis CITY SC home opener on the following Saturday night. Here’s what to know before you go.

The Atmosphere

Created by the team at Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) and designed by The Lawrence Group, The Pitch is located at the northwest corner of Union Station, catty corner to CITYPARK stadium. The former Señior Julio’s space has been retrofitted with copious amounts of leather and warm wood to create an English-tap room feel.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

“Think of a well-maintained, older pub,” says Blaise Pastoret, director of restaurants at LHM. “Some of the wood finishes came to us already distressed. The rest are ready to be. There is no glossy wood anywhere, by design, so everything can age gracefully.”

Photo by George Mahe

The entryway is pleasantly nondescript, save for the roster of current St. Louis CITY SC players depicted on the wall. A bespoke wood-milled crest above the host stand glows but offers no clues until its components' connection to St. Louis is explained to guests who choose to inquire. Just out of sight, a heavy velvet curtain shields incomers from any visuals and sound, until it is pulled away, almost speakeasy-style, revealing a sprawling, impressively appointed sports bar.

The most impressive space lies hidden just behind the curtain to the right, where the walnut woodwork from the back bar of the legendary Tony Faust’s restaurant was fashioned into a wall. Customer-programmable TVs have been inlaid in the wood recesses, accompanied by two groupings of leather couches and chairs. “Apparently, those pieces moved from Faust’s to this bar and then to that bar,” according to Pastoret, “eventually ending up in a subway tunnel below us here in Union Station, only to reappear at Señor Julio’s. We refinished it, and here it is.”

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

(A little early Faust history is worth noting: According to this article in Lost Tables, in the mid- to late 1800’s, Faust’s was the most extravagant restaurant in St. Louis, and "by the turn of the century, Faust's had become the center of St. Louis’ social life—the place where the rich, powerful, and famous could always be found.” It eventually closed in 1916. When the Adam’s Mark Hotel opened in the same general area 70 years later, it paid homage to St. Louis history by naming its signature restaurant Faust’s.)

Flanking both sides of the space are several similar, mini-lounges, each with their own programmable TV and seating groupings atop tartan and Persian-style area rugs. Decorative drop ceilings with hoop chandeliers were added over the lounge areas to delineate them and to help absorb sound. “It looked a lot different as Señor Julio’s,” Pastoret reflects. “We took out a stage, two-plus bars, a DJ booth, a mechanical bull… I think one of the construction workers took that home.”

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Seating at The Pitch is all first-come, first-served, but all of the semi-private nooks can be reserved in advance, with a purchase minimum. “A small gathering is possible,” Pastoret says, “or a group can take over one entire side of the restaurant,' and full buyouts, for between 250 and 275 guests, are possible as well. “It happens more often than you think,” he says. “We book out [Westport Social, an even larger LHM venue] on average four times a month.”  A private room also faces the stadium and can accommodate up to 30 guests. “Due to its corner location right in the middle of the action, that room will be super popular,” predicts Pastoret.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The walls are lined with soccer-related plaques, team crests, period photos, and artwork—much of it St. Louis–based—that took curators months to locate and procure. “Some of the pieces were already serviceable, some had to be reconditioned or antiqued, but all of it looks like it’s been here for awhile,” says Pastoret. Considerable walls pace is dedicated to the 10-time NCAA champion Saint Louis University men’s soccer team, and one to the women's team as well (see above). 

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The 80-seat main room is delineated by a half-dozen banquettes and large, semicircular booths. Generous speaker distribution above equates to no hot spots, so the music can be loud and conversations can still be heard. The seating design and placement focuses all activity inward and toward the bar, where liquor is stored in old-school chicken-wire cages. “An old-school tavern touch I’ve always wanted to do,” says Pastoret.

A new-school touch: four 100-inch TVs above the bar. And even more new school: brass button tufted leather and plaid-backed barstools, which are some of the comfiest in town.

Outside, a wrought-iron fence fully surrounds a 46-seat patio equipped with Sunbrite TVs. Once the space is fully tricked out, Pastoret predicts, it will be as appealing as the inside.  

The Food  

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Beef Chili is served with honey butter corn bread

The menu was created to focus on bar appetizers and distinctive sandwiches. “It’s no secret that I love Blues City Deli,” Pastoret says. “That quality level of sandwich was our inspiration in building this menu.”

Another attraction are products from Carnegie Deli, the 85-year-old Manhattan institution known for its corned beef, pastrami, cheesecake, and black-and-white cookies.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Chicken Pot Pie with mirepoix, house-made chicken stock, cream reduction

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Garlic cheese bread-encrusted cheese curd bites, tossed in Parmesan, with pomodoro sauce

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Lobster Rangoon, served with passionfruit sweet chili sauce

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Elaine's Salad with greens, cranberries, goat cheese, candied pecans, and poppy seed vinaigrette

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Starters range from the traditional (wings, tenders, pickle fries) to the more craveable (shrimp poppers, lobster rangoon, and braised pot roast ravioli).

Consider a scatter of salads, two soups, fish and chips, or a perfectly executed chicken pot pie. But don't overlook the sandwiches—from the Carnegie Classics and a classic Gerber to a pot roast dip—with a choice of chips (Ruffles or Red Hot Riplets), cole slaw, or potato salad.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

At the Pitch, Carnegie Deli corned beef is served open-faced on toasted New York rye with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Carnegie Deli pastrami with mustard, New York rye, and half sour pickle

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Philly Cheesesteak with house-shaved ribeye, hoagie roll, Cheez Whiz, grilled onion

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Italian sandwich with Volpi salami, capicola, pepperoni, banana peppers, lettuce, tomato, onion, Italian dressing

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Executive chef Adam Link worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Los Angeles before returning to his hometown to work at SHIFT and The Lucky Accomplice before joining the team at The Pitch. Here, Link says he plans "to switch lanes and cook the simple comfort food that everyone enjoys.”

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Some Menu Selections at The Pitch in St. Louis

The Drinks

The beer selection includes 10 rotating taps to start, both domestic and foreign, plus an extensive selection of sports bar–style beers, including Europeans, domestics, and local and seasonal crafts, broken down by style.

Photo by George Mahe

A small wine selection is also available, along with a full bar. But the cocktail menu stands out due to its one-item simplicity: Irish coffee. Order it the traditional way if you must, but you’ll likely be tempted to try The Pitch’s signature frozen version, from a don't-ask recipe that Pastoret has been perfecting for months. The concoction contains ice cream, "coffee essences and a secret alcohol," espresso powder, plus an optional topper of Irish whiskey, served in a plastic fleur-de-lis cup.

“There’s no water in it, so it’s not grainy,” Pastoret says, “like a properly made milkshake. It’s rich, decadent, a kick in the pants, it’ll give you a buzz, and it’s pretty damn delicious. It's a versatile, all-season drink. I bet we sell a million of them.”  

The Pitch will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and at 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, when both a breakfast menu and a full bar will be available.