Blueberry Hill

Sure, the song “Blueberry Hill” might give a thrill — artists as varied as Fats Domino, Glenn Miller, Gene Autry, Andy Williams, the Beach Boys, San Remo Golden Strings, Ricky Nelson, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Bruce Cogburn, the Everly Brothers and the Rolling Stones are just a sampling of the many musicians who have recorded a version.

Ah, but the landmark restaurant in St. Louis’ famed Loop, that Blueberry Hill — now beginning its fifth decade — still thrills with its great food, eclectic décor and many varieties of beer, both bottled and draft.

Founded in 1972 by Joe and Linda Edwards, Blueberry Hill has become nationally known for the acts who play in the establishment’s Duck Room — including monthly concerts by rock ’n roll  legend Chuck Berry. Blueberry Hill is just as funky as you’d expect from the colorful entrepeneur who did so much to revitalize The Loop.

Sure, there’s a mounted deer head, but there’s a mounted hippo head in the dining room. The restaurant boasts cherry-condition vinyl records, dolls, lunch boxes and keepsakes of every description depicting popular culture from the 1950s on. There’s a deer trophy head mounted on one wall — and a hippo, too!

There are Sergeant Pepper-attired Beatles dolls in one glass case, and Peewee Herman dolls and collector’s items in the adjacent one. Old-time baseball players look out from overhead, while lighted Disney figures take up another wall. Blueberry Hill is not so much a restaurant as an experience.

As inspiring as the musical acts are, the food is pretty inspiring as well. To begin, don’t miss out on Blueberry Hill’s excellent Mayfair salad dressing, an anchovy-accented mayonnaise dressing made fresh all day long. At least once, you need to sample Blueberry Hill’s famous hamburger, available in both five- and seven-ounce sizes ($5.25 and $5.95), char-grilled to order just the way you like it.

Other specialties include the Trout Almondine ($8.75), the spicy Jerk Chicken ($7.95) and their award-winning spicy, cheesy chili ($3.95 for a cup or $5.25 for a bowl). Vegetarians can enjoy Blueberry Hill’s Anaheim chile-infused Veggie Burger ($5.95) or grilled cheese on Marble Rye, sourdough, cracked wheat bread or Kaiser roll ($4.95) with your choice of Bleu, soft-spread cheddar, Swiss, American, Provel or Pepper Cheese.

You can check out the Full Menu, which is served daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. After 9 p.m., you can order from the Late Night Menu, which includes some of the favorites of the Full Menu, including breakfast items. The Late Night Menu continues until midnight except on Sunday, when the kitchen closes at 11 p.m.

HelloSaintLouis Tip: As hard as it is to decide on your meal, you’ll find it just as hard to settle on your drink. Blueberry Hill stocks 60 bottled beers — both domestic and imported — and 18 beers on draft. You can check out the list here. The bar also sells wine by the glass and several champagnes by the glass or bottle. There’s a full bar in case there’s some other libation you’d rather.

- by Ivonne Rovira, Saint Louis Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Ivonne Rovira

A graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.