Many years ago, not long after I first began reviewing restaurants, I came up with two rules of thumb that nearly always ring true: First, restaurants named after their numerical addresses (Think “Bistro 1234”) are almost always bad. Second, if a restaurant that seems like it should not have a fish taco on the menu has a fish taco on the menu, never order it.
I broke that second rule when I dined at The Key STL Burger Bar & Boogie (3225 Olive), a dual concept fast-casual restaurant and music venue in Grand Center that opened last October. Developed by the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, the restaurant is clearly a burger spot—it’s the entirety of its name, after all—and has all the trappings of the sort of place you’d pop in to grab a double smash and fries: black-red-and-white graphic-style murals depicting St. Louis-themed images, a vintage pinball machine, local sports regalia, tin ceilings, and ample TVs broadcasting a variety of sporting events. There’s nothing coastal about the space; the intoxicating scent of french fries and burger grease wafts from the large kitchen expo line.
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And yet, three weeks later, The Key’s Gulf shrimp taco is the dish I haven’t been able to get out of my mind. The plump, wild-caught shrimp were beautifully seasoned and flawlessly cooked, resulting in a snappy texture and deep golden sear. Mango salsa was equally well-textured; the fruit was softened without breaking down and had a subtle tingling heat that paired well with the mango’s sweetness. Avocado salsa and cotija cheese added richness—a symphony of flavor and texture that would have dazzled even if I was sitting on a beach in Baja, but left me positively gobsmacked in the middle of Grand Center.
That The Key exceeded expectations so significantly—not only by its shrimp tacos but in its food offerings overall—speaks as much to the kitchen’s talent as it does to St. Louis’ craving for great dining options in its stunning theater district. For years, I’ve argued that Grand Center cannot be a world-class arts and culture hub without a thriving dining scene. To be sure, there have been glimmers in and around the neighborhood here and there (Bulrush, Small Batch, and Turn previously, as well as The Fountain on Locust and Salsa Rosada presently, for example). Few could argue, however, that the neighborhood’s restaurant scene has ever really risen to a level that matches the grandeur of its performance venues. This has always felt like a missing puzzle piece.
The Kranzbergs appear to understand this and have recently been making efforts to bolster the neighborhood’s dining options. Earlier this year, in addition to creating attractive conditions for James Beard Award-nominated chef Nick Bognar’s forthcoming Khao Soi Cowboy (which will be located in the former Turn space).
With The Key, that intervention is more direct. When they took over the two buildings on Olive Street that were slated for demolition, the Foundation took a page from its well-honed playbook and established one of them as a music venue – the Boogie part of The Key. It’s an excellent venue; on a night I visited, the room was electric as local music legends hit the stage for a jam-style performance that showed why St. Louis is the home of the blues.
However, the Foundation knew that, in order to increase the neighborhood’s feeling of completeness, music could only be one part of the story. To that end, they converted the second building into a restaurant and bar that guests could experience on its own or as a compliment to the adjacent music venue—and to great ends. The “Burger” portion of the concept does not only fill a void by creating a sports bar-style burger spot, but it also gives the area a jolt of energy in the form of excellent fast-casual food.
In addition to the tacos, The Key shows its prowess with seafood in the shrimp dip appetizer, an excellent, Creole-inflected dish filled with generous hunks of shrimp and paired with house-made tortilla chips. It’s not spicy, but there is a warm backbeat to the dip that cuts through its bisque-like richness.
Chicken wings, The Key’s standout appetizer, are plump and juicy with – if you so choose – crunchy skin. I appreciate that the restaurant gives you the choice of having them fried extra crispy. Not only does it add texture, it helps the excellent, medium-spice house wing sauce adhere to the exterior.
Burgers are, of course, The Key’s calling card. The restaurant delivers a wonderful smash-style version that can stand alongside the city’s other delicious smashburgers. The restaurant sources its sustainable, pasture-raised beef from Troy-based Price Family Farms, resulting in a high-quality patty filled with robust, beefy flavor. The patties are pressed thin on the griddle, so they develop that characteristic crisp, lacy edge of all great smashburgers. They’re then paired with a choice of accoutrements. I opted for a classic double with gooey American cheese, dressed with lettuce, tomato, and onion and was so enamored by the beef, I could have made it a triple.
The Chimiburger pairs two patties with bacon, cotija and pepperjack cheeses, and a generous dollop of house-made chimichurri sauce—the star of the dish. The verdant sauce has a snappy garlic bite and generous spice, and its rustic texture makes it more like a tapenade than a sauce. This was a welcome sub-in for lettuce, sort of like putting cole slaw on a pulled pork sandwich, it added cooling crunch and a spicy bite that nicely countered the meat and cheeses’ richness. I also enjoyed The Breakaway, The Key’s answer to a patty melt, which paired two burger patties with the restaurant’s signature ketchup-mayo-based sauce, American and Swiss cheeses and grilled onions. I wished for more sauce and a little more cheesy goo, but otherwise it was a fine version of the diner staple.
A burger is incomplete without something to wash it down with, and The Key delivers a full bar, a nice beef selection, and a handful of creative cocktails some might refer to as “porch pounders,” such as the refreshing #19 made with muddled blackberries, Crown Royal and lemon, and a selection of fun Caribbean-inspired drinks like a mango margarita and the classic tiki Painkiller.
More crucially, it also serves fries, which are not merely delivered as an accompaniment; they are given equal billing. The hand-cut, Belgian-style fries are crispy and golden on the outside with a fluffy interior. Alone, they are among the top fries in town, but paired with garlic mayo and scallions (a.k.a. The Double Dutch), they are otherworldly. The aioli is almost the texture of a velvety queso and has a deep umami punch, as if they are using fermented, rather than raw garlic. Other excellent sauces, which you can pair with fries (or anything else you’d like on the menu) include a fiery Jerk condiment, spicy barbecue, and the addictive Joppiesaus, a creamy Dutch condiment made with curry, mayonnaise, and onions, which, if it’s not currently well-known in the States, will have a moment once people taste it on The Key’s outstanding fries.
The Joppiesaus was so tasty, I wanted to dip everything in it: the fries, the wings, my cheeseburger, even the shrimp tacos. I stopped myself, though. When you experience a dish that wonderful from a kitchen team and restaurant so clearly adept, you leave it as it is.
The Key STL
📍3225 Olive, Midtown
📞314-925-9774
⏰Sun-Mon, Wed-Thu, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.); Fri-Sat, 11 a.m. – 1:30 a.m. (kitchen closes at midnight)
