A month after celebrating its 10th anniversary, The Wolf Café (15480 Clayton) in Ballwin officially cut the ribbon on a new taproom, located beneath the main café space—with more in the works.
The Taproom
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The Wolf’s taproom offers a wide selection of local beers and wines on tap, New Jersey–style pizza, an outdoor beer garden, and an array of classic arcade games for guests 21 and up.
The spacious taproom comfortably seats large groups, with a mix of long picnic tables and high tops. Walls are adorned with hand-painted murals by local artists and a TV showing local sports and classic movies.
In addition to pizzas, the menu includes such classic pub fare as snack mix, pretzels, and beer cheese. To-go orders can also be placed from the full menu upstairs and brought down to the taproom.
The Cocktail Lounge
The taproom is the first of two expansions. Next up: an intimate cocktail lounge, slated to open in late July.
“We want the cocktail lounge to feel like a classic speakeasy,” said Bob. “The goal is to create something unique, unlike anything you can currently find in West County.”
The lounge will be adjacent to the taproom, with velvet couches, dim lighting, intimate seating, and vinyl records spinning. The menu will feature a rotating selection of classic cocktails and a few specialty craft cocktails.
With a separate entrance on the west side of the building and elevator access from the top floor, the taproom and cocktail lounge are designed to be a distinct experience from the café.
The Background
The taproom has been in the works since 2019, but the pandemic halted progress. “We’ve wanted to expand for years but knew we didn’t want to open multiple locations,” says owner Bob Biribin. “The space downstairs was empty, and we figured it would be the perfect next step for us.”
Bob and Denise Biribin bought The Wolf Café from its previous owners in 2012. Their mission: to create a neighborhood gathering place with a range of organic food options and a focus on sustainability. The community-oriented café now boasts a diverse menu and top honors from STL Green Dining Alliance for efforts in sustainability. Like the Wolf Café upstairs, the entire taproom and cocktail lounge venture is a sustainable, zero-waste operation.
