Everything we had was absolutely superb. Filets are the best. The twice baked potato is simply awesome. Itâs a meal in itself. Eve, our server, makes a great Sidecar. Our favorite restaurant on the planet.
The service was super amazing, the scenery was perfect for date night. We reserved our table for opening so for the most part we were the only ones there. Very intimate, perfect 1st experience.
Amazing, we were the only people there
Our favorite restaurant and it never disappoints. Steak Romano and Al’s pasta are to kill for. The escargot is to die for. Portions are large so the prices seem high but they aren’t really. New diners beware, there are no menus. You do not know how much anything costs. If you have to ask you shouldn’t go. I’ve been going to Al’s since 1976 and there’s a reason for that. Al’s is the best!
Went there for dinner recently and found the food to be "meh"...definitely not worth the expense. Also....It. Took. Hours. We had to wait so long between placing an order and receiving it - the conversation would die down at the table while we waited, eventually, and it was just excruciating at times. This would be understandable if it were busy and/or a staffing issue - but - for most of the meal, we were the *only table* in the place. Another party came in later, and it only got worse.Apparently - this restaurant had a short documentary filmed about it, which won an Emmy award...making it one of - if not the only - the only restaurants in the world with an Emmy award.There is a lot of history to this restaurant, and apparently it's where celebrities go, when they come to STL, to have privacy while they dine. It was mostly empty when we were there, but our waiter provided ample details about the history of the place and the most recent celebrities to dine there.So - be prepared, there's no written menu. The waiter will recite the list of starters, salads, sides and main entrees for you. I would have preferred a menu with descriptions - but not a big deal.For cocktails, we had two martinis and two glasses of wine. One guest wanted a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (SB) and was told they only sell SB by the bottle. We were willing to go with a bottle, but the only option was Sterling Vineyards SB for $64. Having actually been to Sterling Vineyards and done a wine tasting - we were acutely aware that it is nowhere near a $64 value, so...we did not order the bottle, and our guest went with a Riesling, instead.The bread and butter service was really good. They mix the butter with blue cheese - so it adds some softness and flavor. Could easily be addictive!Our table ordered: shrimp cocktail, a salad with the "97 year old recipe Italian", and two of the "Al's specials" which included a fried shrimp, a bacon wrapped piece of tenderloin in barbecue sauce and some other forgettable thing. I had the Al's special and it was...."meh". The fried shrimp could have come from the frozen food section and the bacon wrapped morsel was so smothered in sauce I could barely taste the bacon/meat. The salad was shared and enjoyed.For the salad round, everyone who wanted one ordered another salad with the "97 year old recipe Italian" because it was so good.For the entrees/sides, the following items were ordered: NY Strip with sauteed mushrooms and Al's potatoes, Blackened Salmon with Al's potatoes, stuffed Filet Mignon with marsala sauce and creamed spinach, Chilean sea bass with lemon/shrimp sauce on top with amaretto carrots.The entrees were prepared for presentation table-side.I ordered the sea bass and honestly...my first bite was kinda "fishy". It was also a little tough. We have made it better at home. My order of amaretto carrots was sickeningly sweet - which I expected. I had ordered them for my mother, as she loves cooked carrots in sweet sauces. So, I took a bite to see how they were, and handed it to her. I also found the portion size of my sea bass to be quite a bit smaller than the one presented during the recitation of the main entree options. I was still satisfied at the end of the meal...but when I found out that our bill was almost $500....it made me regret my order. I would have enjoyed a salad much more than my entree, and it wouldn't have been so expensive.The two guests who ordered the Al's potatoes shared some with me and I found them to be super hard/crunchy and not warm at all. Both guests were disappointed in the potatoes and would not order them again. The rest of the entrees appeared to be enjoyed by their respective owners - so - but no one oooh'd and ahhh'd over anything.During the meal - I believe there were three more drinks ordered. Another martini, and two more glasses of wine.We had no dessert. So - for four people, the bill was $488 which seems like a lot for some drinks, some real
There were four of us. I had been there before but it had been years and I had an excellent experience so I was looking forward to it. Things have changed. We were the only patrons but it was early so that did not bother me. It should have. The room is dark, dingy and dirty. but our waiter was cordial and informative. I asked him about aperitifs. He did not know what that was. He wasn't kidding. I ordered a shrimp cocktail, a salad and a steak. The shrimp were OK, the salad soggy and the steak unpleasantly limp and bland. I also ordered Al's Potatoes. That is a dish that should not be found on a dining table. I am thinking it maybe belongs on a carpenter's workbench. Another group came in and was seated far away from us. Nobody else came in while we were there. We left, never to return. What has happened to this once fine place? It was awful and I later learned the check for four was $550.00.
Lobster bisque and steak
Great conversation, surrounded by amazing art work and a beautiful bar. Always amazing quality food.
As someone who has never dined in a restaurant of this prestige before, I felt a little out of place at first. Then our server came over and we were immediately like “phew”, she made us feel so comfortable and answered all our silly questions. The whole experience was incredible but my favorite part was when the manager (??) came to our table after our main course and told us the story about Al’s and it’s history. We were mesmerized; the whole atmosphere has this vibe (I don’t know any way other to describe it) that is so infatuating. The food was… there are no words that are appropriate for a review to describe how good it was. But the service??? The service was absolutely out of this world and we will never be able to thank Al’s for serving us and staying open past closing time just so we could still get dessert and hang out. 10000000/10 stars. If you’re in STL, you HAVE to go.
Went to Al's for the first time last night and it was incredible! From the food to the service, everything was exquisite. Our waiter Gary was amazing and went above and beyond to make our experience special. We ended up having the whole place to ourselves and it was a night to remember. One of the best meals I've ever enjoyed! I would give 10 stars if possible.