Urban Fort Play Cafe could be described as a comfortable space for families or as a coffeehouse with a play area for kids, but those descriptions wouldn’t do justice to the food and creative space in McKinley Heights.
“We focused on the coffee, first and foremost, then broadened the concept to two solid breakfast and lunch menus: one for grown-ups and one for kids,” says co-owner Monica Croke, who runs the café alongside Megan King-Popp. The restaurant serves Blueprint coffee, and the staff is trained firsthand by Blueprint. “We actually have customers who come in just to drink the coffee.”
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
The breakfast menu includes savory and sweet stuffed croissants, quiche, muffins, bagels, pastries, and a yogurt parfait. Lunch choices include paninis, chicken salad on a croissant, salads, soups, and seasonal specialties.
“We’d also like to expand to an early evening dinner menu, possibly to include beer and wine,” Croke says. “Megan and I are both foodies, so developing the menu will be fun. We see it as a time that parents can pick up their children after work, have a relaxing dinner, and go home with tired and happy kids.”
For children, there’s also a pyramid of kid-tested, parent-approved snacks: Goldfish crackers, Cheerios, bananas, string cheese… Kids can also choose from several varieties of milk: chocolate or plain, dairy or almond.
Child-friendly sandwiches include grilled cheese, turkey or ham with cheese on whole wheat, and a WOWBUTTER sandwich with jam or served Elvis-style with honey and banana. (The soy peanut butter alternative’s is 100 percent peanut free, nut free, gluten free, and dairy free, and it’s made in an egg-free facility, so it’s safe for kids prone to allergies.) All pint-size sandwiches come with a side—sweet potato chips, carrots, string cheese, or Goldfish—as well as milk or apple juice. Looking for a gluten-free option? The Fingerfood Platter includes meat, cheese, carrots, hummus, and a banana.
Of course, beyond the food, there’s a dedicated play area for tykes. (Admission fees are listed on Urban Fort’s website.) Aspiring thespians can dress up and perform on a small stage with a mirror. Future entrepreneurs can pretend they’re serving up frozen treats in a faux ice cream store. There’s also a small tree house, jumbo LEGOs, and a toy town and train.
Each Thursday, Urban Fort hosts story time from 10:30 a.m.–11:15 a.m. There are also occasionally special events; check social media for details.
This summer, the co-owners plan to add an attractive fence around the front patio. “We’ll have seating for parents with a play area in the middle,” says Croke. As with the rest of the cafe, the two co-owners—both moms themselves—are paying close attention to the details, ensuring parents can relax while remaining close enough to supervise the little ones.
