In Praise Of Krieger's, the Good Bar and Grill

The words "bar and grill" are attached to establishments on every other corner, it seems. Open a joint, serve beer and a fried burger, slap a "bar and grill" sign above the door and open for business. But what makes a good bar and grill? What separates the gristle from the meat?

The answers are as varied as the customers who patronize the establishments, but there are several criteria that make a bar and grill a good one. First, a customer should feel comfortable and welcomed. Service should be attentive and the food better than average with a large selection and variety. There's gotta be a decent selection of beer available, and happy hour should feature great deals on drinks and food. Most importantly, prices need to be fair.

These conditions have been met on every visit to . The wait staff has always been friendly and attentive, and from the very first visit there is a feeling of familiarity. There's a good variety of beers available too, so if you want to experiment, the choices are there.

The menu is another example of variety. With varied selections, you will find something to your liking. There's many appetizers to choose from, plus soups and salads, wraps, and pizza, including the interesting and tasty Bianco pizza, which has garlic butter instead of sauce and St. Louis' own provel cheese.

The burgers are a half-pound of tender and juicy Angus beef with plenty of toppings to choose from. A bison burger—another favorite, turkey burger and veggie burger are also available. The sandwich menu also offers some interesting choices like Chicago beef, Philly cheesesteak, blackened tilapia club and honey dijon chicken. And the seasoned fries are step above the fries available elsewhere.

Entrées are available for every taste. Bourbon-glazed salmon, Cajun chicken pasta, cavatelli con broccoli, rib eye steak, chicken enchiladas or a chimichanga are just a few. Mac 'n' cheese and spaghetti and meatballs are comfort foods not usually seen on menus these days, but are always welcomed. Several vegetarian dishes are offered to those so inclined.

The happy hour—or hours in this case—is generous. All domestic beers are $1 off, house cocktails are $1.50 off, and domestic beer by the bucket is only $12. All appetizers are $2 off and a one-topping, nine-inch pizza is $5. Happy hour specials are offered from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday.

Lunch specials are available every day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and frequent drink specials are offered during Cardinal games. If you have a ticket to a Cardinals game, bring it in on game day and receive 15 percent off your total bill. Plus, kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal on Tuesdays.

Will Krieger's food win any awards? Probably not, but it likely won't get any complaints. The worst thing that could be said is that the food is not spectacular, but the prices aren't for spectacular food, and the portions served are large. The food is good. Real good perhaps. Looking at the entire bar and grill experience, Krieger's is hard to beat.