Readers Pick Urban Chestnut As Favorite St. Louis Brew Pub
The votes are in and Urban Chestnut is the favorite St. Louis brew pub among UrbanReviewSTL readers, with a comfortable lead over 2nd place Tap Room. Results at end.
Congratulations to everyone at Urban Chestnut!
Here are the results/links:
- Urban Chestnut 73 [20.86%]
- Tap Room 55 [15.71%]
- Civil Life 50 [14.29%]
- 4 Hands 31 [8.86%]
- Square One 29 [8.29%]
- Bottleworks 24 [6.86%]
- Six Row 24 [6.86%]
- Perennial 20 [5.71%]
- Morgan Street 10 [2.86%]
- Trailhead Brewing 7 [2%]
- Ferguson Brewing 6 [1.71%]
- Kirkwood Station 5 [1.43%]
- Augusta Brewing 5 [1.43%]
- Buffalo Brewing 3 [0.86%]
- Cathedral Square 3 [0.86%]
- Other: 3 [0.86%]
- Alpha Brewing 2 [0.57%]
I was glad to see the newly opened Alpha Brewing received some votes, I was afraid it wouldn’t since it’s so new. I’ve been to too few of the brew pubs on this list so I need to get out more.
Here are the three “other” answers supplied by those taking the poll:
- i dont drink
- Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour!
- AB
One doesn’t have to drink to enjoy a brew pub, I’ve been to the Tap Room many times without drinking. Sorry, Anheuser-Busch is not a brew pub.
— Steve Patterson
As with any poll, everyone has their own reasons for selecting their “favorites”. I’ll repeat the concern that I’ve expressed before, that there is a significant grey area when it comes to defining a “brewpub” – someplace that provides just cold food is a significantly different operation / business model than one that is a full-service restaurant, yet both fit the broad definition of a place that makes their own beer and serves food. And when it comes to voting, some will favor the brew part of the equation (who has the better beers?) while others will favor the pub part (who has the better food and/or physical environment?). Finally, if a place doesn’t serve their own food (Alpha, most days) or isn’t open to the public (Cathedral Square), are they really “pubs”, or are they, more correctly, just microbreweries?
I agree, AB is (currently) not a brewpub. Once their new beer garden opens, however, that will likely change – if it’s open to the public (without having to take the tour), serves food that patrons have to pay for and serves their own beers, what makes it NOT a brewpub?! Size, alone, big or small, shouldn’t be a disqualifier. And when it comes to winners, as with other poll results, wouldn’t the combined vote count of 79 put St. Louis Brewing ahead of Urban Chestnut’s 73? Spin is spin . . . .
Do you mean the combined Taproom + Bottleworks? Sure they’re the same beers, but they’re definitely different places with completely different atmospheres. I’d say it’s fair to separate them for the purposes of this poll. After all, it’s not asking beer, but beer pubs.
The rest of your argument, though… legit.
I agree that the two locations are different. My point was that Steve tends to spin whatever the results may be to fit whichever narrative he wants to put forward, instead of letting the results stand on their own merits. From last week: “The pro-Trailnet crowd combined with the “do nothing” group total a whopping 72.38% that didn’t select the built it option.” From two weeks ago: “When we simplify the results the contrast becomes even stronger: two-thirds are opposed.” From a month ago: “nearly 82% favored some change in Missouri with respect to marijuana laws . . .” Most of the readers of this excellent blog aren’t stupid – we can draw our own conclusions from the data presented . . . .
Once again you presume I have a narrative and that you know what it is. I suppose I could do a post that has nothing but the question and the results, but that would be boring. My goal with this blog is to stimulate discussion, I try to reserve my comments when I open the poll so the results are when I can express my views.
The Tap Room & Urban Chestnut were both in the lead while the poll was ongoing, it wasn’t clear early on which would be #1.
I do like Urban Chestnut’s space — indoors & out, but I’ve been a huge Tap Room fan since the day it opened. I first met my boyfriend there for dinner, so it is special. We’ve not yet visited Urban Chestnut.
My intent was to show the many brew pubs we have in St. Louis, and how they all received votes — even one that opened just weeks prior.
I assume you meant to say you’ve “not yet visited Civil Life” at the end there. You should definitely remedy that soon, Steve — it’s a great place for a few craft brews and some simple sandwiches/snacks.
That’s actually one of the (many) main reasons I’d like to see the North-South Metrolink line run down the De Soto right of way…get off at Chippewa** and you’re just a block from Civil Life!
(** though it’s probably more realistic that the station platform would straddle the right-of way between Gravois and Meramec… But still, only 2-3 blocks if some TOD accounts for it!)
“My goal with this blog is to stimulate discussion, I try to reserve my comments when I open the poll so the results are when I can express my views.”
Anyone who reads you regularly knows this, don’t worry. If I wanted raw data, with no verbiage to lighten it up, I’d go someplace else. Anyone discouraging you from blogging about your passion for STL, whatever view you take, is misguided. This city needs more people with the passion and interest you have.
Thank you!
Any poll results can be interpreted to support any view. As one that has taken Steve to task on some of his views all I can say is….it’s still his blog.
Having said that….I’m not a big beer drinker (prefer wine), I’m happy to see so many new and (key word) Local establishments. There truly is something for everyone.
My #1 is (and probably always will be) the Schlafly Tap Room. It does pretty much everything right and has for all of its 21+ years now. The beer is full, flavorful and varied. The food is consistently good. The events and live local music are always top-notch and fun. Their marketing department and social media presence is, for my money, the most responsive and inclusive of any St. Louis business. And you can’t overlook its trailblazer status — over two decades centering a growing population, establishing a market for microbrews, and encouraging further business/property development in Downtown West around its own beautifully-rehabbed building.
With that said, Urban Chestnut and Civil Life were my 2a/2b selections. I wonder how the results would have checked out using, say, baseball’s MVP ballot system, where your readers would be asked to rank their top three selections for the poll, allocating set point amounts for those ranked first, second and third…
I wish Poll Daddy had the ability to rank!
I might as well just drink a pound of hops steeped in fizzy water instead of going to Urban Chestnut. Yuck. This poll makes me question the taste of St. Louisans! Their venue does have a very nice atmosphere, however.