Compared to Golden Gate Park outside of San Francisco, CA this place is a complete dump; however, it has character. Â
Went here on a Saturday night in late June w/ my parents. Â The people we encountered were very diverse: Amish, Hispanics, Caucasians, etc. Â
The problem I had this the place was that there were only enough horses in a couple races to allow superfecta wagering. Â Get more horses entered!
My family has a tradition of going to the racetrack at least once a summer. This year we went to celebrate my brother and mothers birthday and reserved seating in the black stallion room where they serve a buffet and has its own betting room. It was horrible. It was like going to Walmart. Tons of loud old hoosiers and the food was horrible. Never again. I kept going outside to the track to get away from it.
Review Source:I've been here for a few Party at the Park's and it's always a great time. Â I spend most of my time playing the ponies, so I don't really take full advantage of the buffet and bars.
The folks who take bets are understanding and helpful to those that are new to placing bets, but the program gives you a brief primer on the lingo.
Let me state upfront that the 4-star rating (and price range) Â is solely based on entertainment - not food. Â I will get to that explanation shortly. Food-wise alone would be around 3 stars, and the price range would be moderate...just an FYI.
The gambling aspect is where it is at. Â This is a ton of fun, and you don't have to lose your ass participating. Â The minimum bet runs around $2-3, and the races are spread out across a few hours so it's a slow and pleasant way to lose money....unless you win, of course. Â You don't have to be a pro or genius in the realm of track betting, and they sell helpful and resourceful guides at the gate for a mere $3. Â Fairmount has live racing on Friday, Tuesday, and Saturdays (starting in May). Â The rest of the week is open for offtrack betting, which I know absolutely nothing about. Â Overall - it usually runs $1.50 or $2 to get in unless you go with the buffet level. Â
Couple of options as far as your Fairmount entertainment experience goes:
Horse Hooky Tuesdays
- Racing starts at 1PM
- $1.50 admission and crazy drink/beer specials
Party at the Park
- Every Friday - 6PM
- Live Music & drink/beer specials
If you are looking to eat, drink, and gamble - there are three options..
Top of the Turf (3rd floor)
- The seating is awesome and overlooks the track if seated on the outside, but the food is overpriced considering the quality. Â I sampled the lobster pizza, which was ok. Â My neighbors had steak and the slingers and both claimed they were overcooked. Â The big advantage here is that the seating is a bit more spacious and the level itself is not as crowded as the lower levels. Â Their drink selections are quite limited, though....esp. if ordering mixed drinks/cocktails. Â They have crappy Scotch (Chivas) and virtually no whiskey apart from Jack (yuck). Â
Black Stallion Room (2nd floor - Buffet!)
- Roughly $13 - 18 per person
- I have participated in this but has been a few years. Â I do not recall anything bad as far as the food goes, but it can get a bit crowded during peak days/hours. Â
First Turn Cafe (First floor)
- Basic dining - I have never dined here so that's all I've got on this level. Â However based on my previous experiences - it also seems to be one of the more crowded levels.
The folks who take your bets (I'm sure they have an official name) are usually very cordial and sometimes even helpful. Â If you don't like people - they also have automated machines where you can place your bets. Â I am by no means a high roller and gamble maybe once or twice a year - usually casinos where you blow through $100+ in no time. Â At Fairmount, you can go big or bet small and make the experience last. Â It's fun and far more interactive than any casino. Â Great place to do a group outing.
Honestly this might be the most fun I've had in any place within a 15 mile radius of St. Louis.  $12 all you can eat buffet with $1 buds?  $2 bets on a complete long shot  for the win?  And perhaps the best people watching in the entire Midwest.  I had never grown up going to tracks of any kind so this was a real treat for me...
Review Source:So...Fairmount is my once a year guilty pleasure. A group of us usually head out on a Friday for "Party at the Park." $13 gets you in for the night and this includes an all you can eat buffet which is really just a fantastically fried food feast. The food is pretty artery clogging gross and every single minute I spend enjoy it I hate myself a little more BUT what doesn't taste good fried? Really? So i fill my plate with all kinds of fried goodness and try not to look down at my plate to survey the damage as I indulge. They also have $1 bud products (bottles) and pretty cheap mixed drinks all night.
I am not a big gambler and my strategy is to pick a horse with a name I like and put down the minimum bet which is $2. Sometimes (not often) this works for me and it is pretty exciting when you see your horse cross the finish line first. It does get super crowded so if you want any shot at sitting down you have to get there early.
From the fried food to the fabulous people watching this is definitely an experience and I am sure we will continue our once a year tradition.
"Party at the Park" is so much fun!!! For $12 you get the all you can eat buffet which includes potatoe salad, fish, hot wings, meatballs, fried maccaroni, hotdogs, sloppy joe's, french fries, and $1bud light.
I love that Party in the Park is inside, but you must get there early to get a seat by the big windows to watch the race. They also had live music that sounded really good.
Since we got there around 6:42pm there were no seats left so we had to go in another room and just watch the races on the tv. Next time we will get there super early because i'm sure its a different experience when you are watching the race live.
Betting for beginners is pretty easy once you get the hang of it. If you be $2 per race it will go a long way. I had so much fun. I'll be going next week but getting there early so I can enjoy the race even more!
I realize that there are plenty of arguments about how horse racing is cruel...but I have to admit, I always have a really great time when I head to Fairmount. Â Unlike at the casinos, $10 will really last you quite a while here. Â Just bet $2 on every race, and see what happens. Â It's amazing how into the races you get too...it's like being at any sporting event, you just kind of get swept up in excitement.
Also, I just love going to Parties in the Park at this place. Â On Friday nights through the entire summer, you pay $10, and then you get to eat as much as you want from the buffet, and you get incredibly cheap drink specials. Â The buffet is what you would expect: a lot of finger foods, pasta salads, shrimp cocktail, and chicken wings of all varieties. Â After three hours of Parties at the Park, you are ready to head down to the ground to watch the horses race and place a few bets. Â If you don't like placing bets, you can always walk down to the stables and actually "meet" the horses. Â It's cheesey, I know...but I still like doing it. Â
So...for around $30, you can get dinner, see a band, gamble, and have 7 drinks...I dare you to find a better deal anywhere in St. Louis, even including the cost of gas to get there. Â Besides, if you are lucky, you might just win that back from your betting.
The Fairmount Park Racetrack is a place where if you are looking to gamble on having a good time and watch the horses, then you will most likely win. Of course, if you gamble or not with actual money, in no way do I promise that you will win, in that aspect, it is all up to luck and skill and knowledge about the horses and all those other technical aspects.
Fairmount Park Racetrack though, is a great way to spend some time and to actually enjoy yourself. I went there not too long ago and had a blast. When we went we had reserved a box to sit in but we eventually found ourselves right down next to the track where we could actually feel the ground when the horses blew past us.
Fairmount Park Racetrack is a nice change in pace when it comes to attractions that are around the St. Louis area.
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