Much has been written about this pub by St. Louis papers, but since most of my Yelp friends aren't from St. Louis, I thought I'd pass along the tip. Â
O'Connell's excels by doing simple things very well. Â The burgers are homemade patties, they are cooked properly to order, and the only toppings are cheese, lettuce, and a full onion slice. Â
If you ask for rare, its cooked perfectly, likewise with medium and so forth. Â Order fries and you'll get fresh potato fries that remind me of those at In 'N Out Burger. Â
Wash it all down with an O'Connell's Amber lager, which reminds me of the malty goodness of Sam Adam's Boston Lager or Yuengling. Â Like I said, simple things are done well at this pub.
O'Connell's excels at simple American pub food. Â These days too many places overdue it and instead of making a homemade burger patty, use frozen ones with lots of sauces. Â Not here; the patties showcase quality ground beef.
By the way, last night we learned that the house salad is lettuce soaked in dressing with sliced salami and two pickled chili peppers. Â Who knew a salad could be so good?
I'm glad to live nearby it so its an easy option for evenings my wife & I aren't in Chicago and we don't want to cook. Â My only warning is that on Friday or Saturday night you're probably going to have to wait in line.
I went to O'Connell's for lunch the other day just to try the burger that so many people have said is the best. Â I came away very disappointed.
I do not care about the building, the interior, the service, or the stink. Â All I was interested in was trying this supposedly great burger.
When it arrived, I was optimistic. Â It looked great. Â Thick and juicy with just cheese and onions. Â Biting in I saw that it was cooked medium, just as I had ordered. Â Unfortunately, there was absolutely no taste to the burger. Â It was clear that the meat had not been seasoned at all. Â No salt and pepper prior to cooking, nothing.
Burgers must be seasoned prior to cooking. Â Just a quick dusting of salt and pepper prior to cooking brings out all of the flavor in the meat. Â No seasoning means no flavor.
No flavor means no repeat customer.
Three of us went to O'Connell's last night. Â Been going there since the 70's. Â We ordered three hamburgers, all to be cooked medium rare. Â All came out medium well. Â Sent one back and after 20 minutes the replacement came out, medium.
Now our server can't be blamed for the poor performance of the cook but he was terrible in his own right. Â In every imaginable way. Â Had to be asked to bring our salad after waiting 15 minutes. Â Never refilled water or asked if we wanted another beer. Â Obviously did nothing to move the replacement burger up in the grill order. Â Young guy who either needs some really good training or to find another vocation because he sucks at this one.
Not sure why I would want to go back.
i moved away from st. louis almost 25 years ago, but still return to visit friends, the zoo, the botanical garden and o'connell's. i was there when it was part of gaslight square in the 1970s and stayed with it after it relocated to south st louis. you never knew who might be there -- writers, musicians, academicians, dime-store philosophers. the place still only plays classical music and it still attracts an interesting melange of personality types.
newcomers to this iconic eatery will have missed the incomparable norah mcdermott, Â the waitress who reigned supreme. she was so wonderfully no-nonsense: peruse the menu, order up and don't waste her time. if you were a regular and she didn't upbraid you once for something, it meant she didn't much like you.
oconnell's was/is that kind of place. the faces have changed, and some are gone forever, but i know that when i order a salad and a chili dog -- or a medium rare hamburger -- the food will taste the same as it did 10, 20, 30 years ago. the vibe also remains the same -- warm, kind and no nonsense. if you don't get it, well, that's OK. there are enough of us who do.
i will be in st. louis again in a few weeks. if the weather's nice, i'll walk through the botanical garden, then adjourn to oc's for a pint and auld lang syne..
Just the best burger and atmosphere. Â I do NOT meant fancy ultra burger with foie gras i mean beef charbroiled. Â Asked for mine medium and it was perhaps a little on rare side but better than dried out. Â A burger with a black and tan on a cold day. Â c'mon try to beat that! Â Simple fair in a warm environment I am a fan!
Review Source:O'Connell's Pub is simply that, a pub. Â No fluff.. simple pub food, simple pub decor. Simple right? Â
The burgers are good. Â They're cheap, big, cooked to order (not always perfectly) and there. Â It is great if you're looking for a cheap tasty burger! Â Unfortunately, they were out of tomatoes on my last visit, and two of my tables burgers were grossly undercooked. Â That said, the server was friendly and prompt in replacing the burgers! Â
So if you're out with some friends looking for a casual place to grab a good beer and a good burger I recommend O'Connell's.
Cheeseburger - Every time I have friends come in from out of town, O'Connell's is one of the top spots I take them. This is a great old-style Irish pub with killer burgers. I always get the cheeseburger - which has great white american cheese on it - with the grilled onions. Sides are simple with fries, onion rings and soups but I always go with the fried mushrooms. The horseradish sauce with the shrooms is great.
Make sure to try a pint of their O'Connell's Amber lager!
I came here a few years ago in an attempt to find the perfect burger. In a sentence that would summarize my entire experience: the burger was excellent, but the service could have been a lot better.
First of all, after waiting for 10 minutes for the waitress, we finally ordered our drinks. By the time we were able to order the main course, my soft drink was already gone and I was ready for a refill. The waitress rudely replied that they don't serve re-fills. First of all, what kind of restaurant doesn't serve refills on soft drinks? This is pretty much a restaurant standard nowadays. Huge negative. Secondly, the waitress was very rude and snappy throughout the entire experience. Another negative.
The burger I ordered came finally and it was excellent. I normally order well done and this was actually a well done burger. The fries that I ordered were very crispy and yummy.
However, I don't think I will be going back simply because of the rude service and the terrible soft drink policy. You expect people to pay $1-2 per glass of soda?
I don't even think I left the rude waitress much of a tip either.
Still the best burger in STL, though The Royale is a very close second. Â I like the brevity of the servers; it keeps the more demanding customers away. Â My favorite experience at O'Connells was one Friday night when I needed a place to grade papers for about two hours and every coffee shop was full of loud people. Â My waitress gave me a prime table even though I was just having a glass of wine, and she seated the louder tables away from me so I could read. Â I am definitely a fan.
Review Source:My last visit was about two weeks ago and I'm just writing my review, but the memory of O'Connell's good old-fashioned cheeseburger (swiss cheese) is still firmly top-of-mind because it doesn't get much better than O'Connell's. Â A side of fries and a pint of Schalfy's pale ale and I was good to go.
Not a long review but in this case less is more.
After seeing some Chicago band friends perform a nearby gig, we decided O'Connell's would be the perfect host for continued debauchery in its most primitive form. And you know what? The beer selection is terrible. The burgers? Greasy as hell. The furniture is old, the floors are sticky and the late night crowd was rowdy, smelled of eau de Camel Lights and swore like a bunch of drunken sailors.
Somehow - it all worked! Come to O'Connell's if you're looking for good ol'-fashioned tomfoolery in a no-nonsense, classic Irish dive bar environment but skip it if it's couture cocktails and craft beer you're after.
Words to the wise:
- If you attempt to split a tab, the bartender may just bark that what you're trying to do is 'too complicated'.
- Don't set your beer on the bevelled edge of the bar. It will topple over! #itwasntme #okayitwas
- The Jameson shots are very large. As in, obscenely large.
- And most important, they sell 6-packs of crappy beer to go for $8.50 a sixer up until closing time. Ahh, that's why I have an additional $17 charge from O'Connell's showing up in my recent bank account activity!
Can't wait for a reason to come back. Long live O'Connell's!
A great stop to get the night started. Our original plan was to try out The Royale, but it was packed. So we wandered on down to give O'Connell's a try. The wait staff was attentive. The beer was flowing. (Believe they had Guiness, Harp, and their own Amber Ale on tap). Go with a pitcher if you are with a group.
The food was above average for 'bar food'. The price was pretty much spot-on for what you get. Our group started with the Onion rings which were ginormous. Of course O'Connell's has excellent burgers, but their roast beef sandwich was tasty as well. Thickly sliced. Only complaint was that it could have been cooked a little more thoroughly. The waitress did apologize about that mishap but it really was no big deal. The burger was juicy and full of flavor. Not overcooked.
One of the better stops in the Morganford/Tower Grove area.
Would you go to a Mexican restaurant and order pasta? Not a good idea. Would you go to a steak house and order the baked chicken? Probably not the best thing on the menu. Would you go to an Italian restaurant and get the meatloaf? Nuh uh, not if you're smart. That's why, when I go to O'Connell's, I only ever get the cheeseburger. It's their specialty, it's what they're great at, and I'm never going to stray. In my opinion, this is the best burger in the city.
O'Connell's is no nonsense about their burgers. They come simple, with a slice of creamy American cheese and onions and pickle on the side. The burger just melts in your mouth with that awesome grilled beef taste that you don't get at most places. It will be juicy. Lean over your plate if you value that new pair of light khaki capris, my friends.
As for sides, their fries are ok, but I always get their stellar onion rings with a side of Mayfair dressing. You'll pay extra for the dressing. It's worth every cent. The flavor combo of the two is outrageous.
Everything is served on disposable plates, so be warned. I've seen some pretty messy situations with some of the specials (like the BBQ rib tips). Oh, and if you ask, your to-go container will be foil. Hahaha...I love it!
The only reason this isn't a 5-star review is that on very few occasions the temperature on my burger has not been completely correct. This is rare (no pun intended) - like 9 out of 10 times it's perfect. Also, sometimes service isn't exactly pleasant because they are so busy. That's rare as well, but it's happened.
I'll repeat, though, this is my vote for best burger in Saint Louis!
Talk about a Saint Patrick's Day mess.....
We walked in around 2:30pm when the line was out the door and it was down pouring outside. There were so many people here, it was insane! Tables of 7 and 8 in front of us, I walked up to the hostess who told me it would be a 15-20 minute wait. 15-20 minutes turned into 45 minutes, but we waited.
A lady in the line who was with a party of 8 turned around and said, "you're not cutting in front of us! We've been waiting this whole time to get seated and you're not about to take our spot in line." She immediately turned to a person in her party and continued on after taking a swig of her beer, "It must be the Irish attitude in me coming out." Being the smart ass that I am, of course I had to say something. I said, "Oh how interesting to hear you're from Ireland. I lived there myself, where abouts were you?" She simply gave me a deathly stare and turned back around. The woman was American and simply another one of those "kiss me! I'm Irish" types. They annoy me greatly, but anyway, it added amusement to the wait.
I was in a party of 4. After waiting, we were seated and got our food before the big group the hoosier Irish wannabe lady was in. Revenge!
I ordered the salami sandwich and a side of fries. As simple as the sandwich was, it was pretty tasty. The only downside is that the whole menu is a la carte and you must order the extras separate such as fries or their onion rings.
Jason got the Reuben. He was super happy with what he got. It tasted pretty good to me as well. A compliment coming from me involving a Reuben is definitely something not to be taken likely considering I hate sour kraut and marble rye bread.
My other friends got the chilled shrimp cocktail and a turkey sandwich. Both were equally satisfied!
I genuinely like this place. Despite the wait (which is to be expected), we really enjoyed ourselves. Service was great even though the crowd kept them busy and we didn't have to wait long for our orders once we put them in.
Recommendation -- come when it is not busy and grab a pint!
Stopped in for a friend's birthday dinner tonight, and all I can say is I expected much better. Why? Well, the place was decently busy, and only became more packed as the night went on.. Only reason I gave O'Connell's a second star is because the food I reviewed did in fact serve justice to what I'd read and heard from other's about the roast beef. It was excellent. The menu is small, somewhat pricey, and oddly arranged.. But, I won't go on much more about it,!since the place is merely a pub and grill....
The service? Horrendous. Our waitress was the worst part about my experience here. Although we were seated promptly, (because two of the party of eight arrived beforehand, mind you) we were greeted very rudely. The very least the woman could have done, the bare minimum, was acted pleasant enough to smile and not look like she would rather be slamming drinks than doing her job. Which, by the way, we actually got an eye full of, while we waited for our dinner. She acted as if we were incompetent when answering questions about the menu, which I found highly unnecessary seeing as how it was the first time for most of our small group.
By the time the food was served, I was surprised to see that our waitress was able to balance and pickup the tray holding our food. Again, when determining whose food belonged to who, she began to treat us to her lovely attitude; slamming food plates onto the table from behind our if, not shoving them into our hands from across the table. Terrible. And then, after receiving the bill (forewarning for bigger parties: they will NOT do separate checks) Â Â and trying to make sense of the messy chicken scratch, we noticed that another man had been sat at the end of our table? I suppose that was their que that they were ready for us to leave but wow, really?
Last thing I'll say is that they're lucky to have added an 18% gratuity charge, because I wouldn't have given her a dime! I certainly will not be back.
It is the corner pub you've always loved to go to.  The food is excellent, sides are served a la carte but the portion sizes are huge.  Not only is the food great but just the general atmosphere inside the place  The whole bar is wood and it is as if you walked into an Irish pub in Belfast.  There is no background music, just the small amount of kitchen noise and conversation from other patrons. Â
The roast beef and burgers are definitely excellent fare and they pour probably the best pint of Guinness in the area. Â I try to make it in at least once a month as I see some of my old friends from Harry's every once in awhile.
The hus and I went here last night after a 30 minute tour of the city (started out trying to go to The Wicked Lady Pub only to find it had been turned into a deserted bar, our bad), so maybe we were a *little* bit cranky by the time we got there. Â But anyway, the atmosphere was nice other than the bison head on the wall that stared me down the entire meal. Â It had the dark old pub feel, which I actually like. Â My husband enjoyed the Guinness on tap and said he would return just for that. Â The burgers were in the, "It was good but I wouldn't get it again" category. Â We have places walking distance from our home that serve up better. Â We loved the onion rings (I think the mark of a good onion ring is when the whole onion doesn't come sliding out of the breading when you take a bite). Â The fries were crispy and good, too. Â
In closing, I can appreciate the minimalist approach but a nicer, cleaner updated menu and real plates would also go a long way. Â I think this would be a great place to sit at the bar for a few drinks and then maybe head down the road for dinner.
Disappointment was the name of the game a few weeks ago at O'Connells. I had read lots of reviews about the burgers and the roast beef sandwich so I was excited for a lunch out and finally trying one of the places I drive by on a daily basis. It was a chilly Saturday around 1pm and it was fairly busy inside. The décor is oh so "traditional pub" - dark and dingy but yet somehow not actually dirty.
The roast beef had potential. It was cut so thick though that there was no way you could bite it without looking completely savage. Not a 1st date sort of dish! And it was so chewy that I threw in the towel and just gave up. I think it could have been really good if it was sliced thinner or maybe we just got a poor cut. The burger wasn't anything to write home about for me. The other half liked it, but there just wasn't anything notable about it for me. Â Too bad given all the good reviews.
We had read so many plugs for O'Connell's burgers recently that we wanted to give it a shot and see what all the fuss was about. Â We stopped in on Saturday afternoon and it was pretty packed which is always a good sign in my opinion. Â Upon walking in I knew I was going to have a burger, but after we sat down I saw the roast beef sandwich and it looked so darn good I was in for a hard decision. Â My better half, being the brilliant woman she is suggested we get both and split them. Â So we did.
I ordered the burger and she the roast beef. Â Both were ordered medium rare and came out cooked exactly that way. Â We cut the sandwiches in half and traded. Â I dug into my burger immediately and I tasted what all the fuss was about. Â It is a simple burger with minimal toppings, but man it was good. Â Must be their secret recipe or something. Â Unfortunately I could not say the same about the roast beef sandwich. Â Now I love a good roast beef, and if I see one on the menu, I usually have a hard time passing it up, but if I make it back I will not be ordering theirs. Â I'm not sure if it was just a bad cut of meat, but it was so tough that I literally could not bite through it without totally looking like a caveman and making an absolute mess. Â It came out looking so good, but just fell flat for me. Â
My son ordered the grilled cheese and it was pretty good as well. Â I know I'll be back to give their wings a try on a Sunday, and I'd even go back for their burgers. Â All in all an A-OK experience, but it would have been better had I just stuck to the burger.
Went here because Abigail C. promised me the best burger in St. Louis. Reveal your sources, Abigail C.!!!!
I was loudly telling a dirty story to Abigail C. that involved a lot of F words as we entered what appeared to be an Irish pub. We walked in and it was SILENT. Like... LIBRARY silent. But was half full of frowning people. Everyone stared at us. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwkward. I want to say it was like an episode of the Twilight Zone, but I've never seen the Twilight Zone.
We awkwardly seated ourselves and got decent service from a waitress with a section the size of a small country, or of Texas. Sort of felt sorry for her.
Super excited to dive into the burger menu, I realized the menu was a white laminated piece of paper. The options were "Hamburger" and "Cheeseburger". Â ARRRRRGGHHH!!!! Â Fine, I can appreciate that. Some of the better burgers I've had were at places like that. But seriously. I want toppings, Goddamnit. I want peanut butter and pickles and freaking bacon and mayo and whatever else you can find in the kitchen to throw on there. She was like we have lettuce, but no tomato. Â Fuuuuuuuuuuuck. Fine.
Had to order fries separately. They came out soggy.
The burger came on a paper plate, which you would think would excite me, but kind of pissed me off. I really don't know why, because the best burger I ever had was served to me on a paper towel.
The burger... Too big. Like, too thick. It was like eating ground beef by itself. Valiant effort to cook the burger to order, but medium came out medium rare, which in a burger that thick made a big difference.
The bun was toasted, which was nice.
Abigail C. ate three bites of her burger and left the rest, but then later practically cried herself to sleep with regret at not having eaten the whole thing.
ANYway. Meh, I've had better, and probably wouldn't return here. 2 burgers, fries, and Cokes for 22 bones. I think you can do better at a dozen other places in STL.
I've been quite a few times lately. Had a great salad (There is only one salad dressing, and it's Mayfair.) and cold turkey sandwich (with lettuce and tomato) on wheat that was so full of juicy, flavorful turkey I could only eat half of it. I've gotten this three times. Dining partner usually gets salad with grilled chicken breast and enjoys it immensely.
Went another time just for a quick couple beers before moving on to another dining spot. Bartender is nice and attentive!
On one visit, we weren't ready to order when the server came to the booth. So she punished us by not coming back for 15-20 minutes.
Last visit was Friday. Had a couple Hefeweizens and a burger. I ordered medium. She said "Right, pink," and walked away. Pink? Medium? Doesn't compute. And that's exactly how it came. It wasn't too pink, though, so I was able to eat it. Nonetheless, the taste was quite disappointing. Service was attentive, and water was replenished pretty quickly. The pickle was amazing!
Their fries come out of a bag.
I will learn to stay away from the burgers.
I have a bone to pick with O'Connell's and it's a chicken bone. Why do you only offer the best wings in the city only on Sunday?
Big Dramatic Pause.......
Never mind I figured it out. If you offered these everyday of the week, they might over shadow your fantastic grilled burgers and put other wing places out of business.
Those of you who have not had their wings, go this next Sunday. You'll experience spicy hot, burn your lips, meaty, moist and juicy wings.
We went last night, forgetting O'Connell's would be the perfect place to take dad for his special Hallmark Day. They were packed to the rafters, but the wait staff was working the room and turning the tables fast and still giving attentive service.
I also need to give a big shout out to the kitchen staff at O'Connell's. They prepare the "perfect" burger. No matter how you order it, they do it right.
They're so thick, that I have a hard time getting my mouth around it and I have a big mouth. They only offer two cheeses; American and Swiss. No provel at O'Connell's, that one is worth an additional star.
Had the Onion Rings last night and they were better then my favorite place for rings. I'm beginning to believe whatever O'Connell's offers, they've perfected it. I swear O'Connell's is like a good wine, it seems to be getting better with age.
First time dining here last night....we are big fans!
I loved the atmosphere in this place: animal mounting, large whiskey promotion mirrors, dim brass(?) chandeliers, and large framed artworks. It was packed at 8 PM on a Saturday but we got a table right away. Â
All of us had the cheeseburger, which was big (I can't fit its cross section in my mouth) and juicy (we ordered it medium rare), for $6 = cheap and delicious! The coleslaw were creamy. I didn't care for the fries. They could be more crispy. Service was efficient.
I will definitely return when in the mood for burgers again.
Really disappointing. We went last night. I called first to make sure they had gone smoke free and they had so off we went. The place was empty when we arrived and NO SMOKE to deal with, what a treat.
Maybe it was an off night, but everything we ordered was sub par. The roast beef was drenched in soggy mess bread and the beef was tough, very tough, my teeth are still bothering me. My daughter ordered a burger med.well and it came out rare. I wanted her to send it back but she said she would try and eat it. Her BF also ordered roast beef and had the same tough roast beef as I got. The service was quite slow, also.
I'm not going to write them off just yet, I'll give them another try and hopefully it will be better because this was unacceptable.
The beautiful wife and I visited O'Connell's tonight. Â Yes, my hidden agenda was to add another establishment to the Guinness list, but I was also in a burger and a beer mood.
We arrived around 5:20, so fortunately, we were able to grab a table right away -- as we would discover, by 6:00, people were literally lined up (though seats at the bar were still available).
Our server came over after a little bit and took our drink orders -- Guinness for me, a Jack and Coke for the wife.
The Guinness was really good -- good temperature and pretty smooth, though they bring it out to you while it is still settling. Â That's OK -- it's mesmerizing to watch.
We placed our orders -- despite others mentioning the roast beef, we both went with cheeseburgers (when in Rome...). Â I also ordered some onion rings, again, based on prior reviews.
Now, I can't say I was blown away by the food -- it was decent, but nothing amazing. Â The burger was cooked correctly (medium rare) and covered with a fairly big layer of American cheese (thankfully, I guess you have to cross Kingshighway to enter the Provel Zone). Â The onion rings were crisp, but again, nothing amazing.
Service was friendly and recognized when we needed more drinks.
And despite an initial perception/vibe of this being a "cheap" place, the bill (though split fairly evenly between food and drink), came close to $60.00.
I was pleased to see that they have pitchers ($16 for a pitcher of Guinness? Â Hold on, I'm getting weepy), so I'd gladly go back for a group drink-a-thon. Â But beyond that (and the potential delights of the roast beef), there wasn't that "wow" factor that drives me to make a quick return visit.
Full disclosure: I have never eaten anything at O'Connell's except the burgers, fries and onion rings, nor will I likely ever eat anything else there. Â You don't go to a chinese restaurant and order a burrito; Â ordering chicken or god forbid salad here misses the whole point.
And oh what a burger it is. Â To give you some perspective, I was a vegetarian for several years and still don't eat a lot of meat. Â However, O'Connell's has possibly the only meat based dish that I crave on a regular basis. Â When my stomach says "gimme burger", my brain says "O'Connell's ASAP." Â And my stomach and brain do a happy dance together with the first bite; one of the few places that can actually cook a burger to order correctly---order medium rare without fear here. Â Combine this with a draft Guinness (perfectly poured) and fries or onion rings and you are set.
Only issue---yes, the absent tomatoes. Â My husband is bugged by this. but hey, it's their place, they can do as they like. Â Anyways, a burger this great isn't going to suffer for want of a tomato. Â Also, ketchup has a better bioavailable lycopene content anyway. Â Cheers!
Having grown up frequenting dingy Irish Pubs, I found myself right at home the first time I walked into O'Connell's. Yes, it's incredibly smokey, but somehow I find that to be part of it's charm. It's an Irish pub, if you're expecting fresh air, you're just confused... or clearly not Irish.
I know not everyone thinks their burgers live up to the hype, but to me, they are perfect. Thick patty, onions, no frills. Perfection. The first thing I thought after taking my first bite was, "dear god, this tastes exactly like the burgers my dad makes!" And my dad makes a good burger. This was comfort food at it's finest. Add to that a pint of beer and fries and you're in for a treat. Oh, and onion rings. Definitely get some onion rings. (I suggest sharing sides amongst the table, it helps curb the glutenous feeling you get after devouring the burger and one too many pints). Â
Moral of the story, if you're craving no frills pub food, hit up O'Connell's.
I was in town to visit my best friends from grad school, and one of them is a St. Louis native who suggested we come here to satisfy my desire for an authentic St. Louis experience. Apparently O'Connell's is a St. Louis institution, so of course I said yes.
There was a bit of a wait for seating, but the hostess was so friendly it was ridiculous. Time just flew by. The burgers, I was told, earn awards, so of course I had to get one. My cheeseburger was thick and juicy without being too greasy. Definitely satsifying. My boyfriend's roast beef sandwich au jus was freakin' HUGE, and quite tasty too. Fries were the thin, Mickey D's kinds and very munchable. I LOVE the fried mushrooms stuffed with cheese. Squeeze a little bit of lemon on them....I could not stop eating them!
The gooey butter cookies were the only disappointment. In grad school, my friend had often made homemade gooey butter cake, which was amazing, and I was looking forward to the cookie version of it. These cookies were way too sweet, and seemed to lack flour or something, because the texture was less cookie and more flourless cake. Flavor was pretty good, but overwhelmed by all the sugar inside and outside (a whole white coat of powdered sugar). I'll definitely stick to original, homemade gooey butter cake next time.
Vegetarian nightmare! I have fond memories of coming here as a kid and having a yummy grilled cheese and cole slaw. After I got my one and only tattoo at the tender age of 18, I celebrated here. Maybe my smoke-o-meter has become more sensitive as I've gotten older, but the last time I was there, after a day at the Botanical Gardens, it gave me a migraine.
The food was nasty.
It was thick with smoke (at lunch) and smelled like cigars.
I don't think I'd ever consider going back, even if it went smoke free.
Double ick.
First Off, I love going to O'Connell's after the 1 a.m. bars close and hanging out by the bar and watching the show.
However, I am reviewing the burger, which is, in my opinion, MASSIVELY OVERRATED!
My last visit was March 16...the eve of St Patty's.
We were directed to the table in the bar area closest to the kitchen. Â We had a bird-eye view of the massive softball-size scoops of ground beef that are subsequently molded into MASSIVE patties, then cooked with choice of Swiss or American cheese.
Personally watched my burger grill for an appropriate time (ordered medium). Â Food arrived...looked awesome. Â At this point, I will flashback to my only previous burger experience here. Â Looked great. Â Mouth-watering anticipation. Â Guess what?... Flash Forward!!!!!
The burger SUCKED! Â Raw to bleeding rare in the center. Â ABSOLUTELY 1000% FLAVORLESS! Â Not even a hint of seasoning or grease or pepper or FLAVOR! Â What the hell? Â How can you have a burger with that much meat and taste NOTHING?????
I swear, even a little sprinkle of "Meat Magic" or Lawry's special seasoning or something would have been welcome. Â NADA, ZIP, NOTHING....'cept for a bloody hunk of tasteless, bloody flesh.
I had to add Grey Poupon mustard just to give it any flavor at all (not a fan of drowning in ketchup...but I had to do this too to breath some semblance of flavor...although given the impossibly rare innards...it was practically still mooing).
Now, I know that this burger sat on the grill for a good 25 minutes because I watched it cook and watched the cook flip it and watched him mash it down at least a couple times, so why didn't it cook? Â The griddle is obviously not hot enough. Â Plain and simple. Â Would it have rescued the flavor? Â Hell, even charred meat tastes better than unseasoned raw ground beef/chuck.
Come on. Â Now I'm gonna rant on St Louis taste buds. Â You people do it to yourselves by accepting mediocre meat. Â Your steaks are bland and your burgers are bland, for the most part.
So, in conclusion, if you are going to O'Connell's for the burger, you will get a lump of flavorless ground beef. Â It will make a turd (or worse), but as far a tasty burger. Â No. Â
Note----I tried the rare roast beef a couple years ago based on glowing praise and found it to be absolutely flavorless. Â I'm talking, if you blindfolded me and asked me to identify the meat, I would have guessed wet paper towel. Â That bland...that flavorless.
For all the folks that are going to pile on and tell me I don't know what I'm talking about...I say...Try eating sometime when you're not blind drunk. Â Flavor matters. Â This place needs a new recipe.
You could go wrong with Burgers, has happened before . You could go wrong with Roast Beef Sandwich, many a times. You could never go wrong with either at O'Conn's. They know how to make it right if you had it all wrong before. Â A Real Burger and an Honest Roast Beef.
Rainy Saturday night, 10pm, we arrive to an almost empty pub, and freely sat ourselves. It wasn't as smoky as I had expected. The lady was very polite, unusual for a dark-smoky pub places. Menu is very small for a reason. Ordered Guinness, Irish pub standard. A Hamburger  topped w/ grilled onion and a side of Onion Rings, and my partner in crime had A Roast Beef Sandwich w/Fries. Prices are very affordable for the quality and quantity.
Let me tell you: the Burger was grilled to medium with that woodsy smoky flavor not greasy at all. A lettuce and grilled onion (they don't have tomatoes) top was just the right condiment for me. But this burger could be eaten as it is! Wow, each bite was just unbelievable. Roast beef- hands down-the best I have ever had. I kid you not. The bread smothered in butter and grilled- you can't beat that. CHEAP EATS but definitely not greasy or nasty... Â Aint no White Castle, it's THE CASTLE!
Really chill place. I heard that the rowdy crowd come here for their late night happy hours way past 1am... Luckily, we beat the crowd. Next time when I get drunk I will be here gulping down one too many burgers!
Bon apetite.
No parking, incredibly smoky inside, dirty tables, super tiny bathroom, extremely slow service, and cash only. So, why the four star rating?
The burgers are incredible. Easily a "top 3" burger experience, no matter who you compare them to. Â Go with the cheeseburger, add the grilled onions (trust us on this one), share an order of fries, and you'll be hooked.
Two burgers with grilled onions, 1 order of fries, 1 order of deep fried mushrooms and an iced tea: $22. Nice!
Things to note:
1. This is a purist's burger. Â Nothing fancy, just a quality hunk of ground beef, fried on a well-seasoned flattop, and without any fanfare. Â No stuffing, no special seasonings, no fancy dinnerware. Â Burger, bun, add some cheese, and serve it on a paper plate. Â You're welcome.
2. The burgers are cooked on the "rare" side, no matter how you order them. Â If you don't like any red/blood - order it well-done and let them know that they can char it pretty good. Â "Medium" and "Medium-well" at O'Connell's = medium rare at any other place.
3. The grilled onions are amazing. Â They're not "cooked to oblivion" - they're done in some type of wine/broth, which really adds to the carmelization. Â They're delicious.
In summary, we left smelling like a big 'ole ashtray, felt sticky from the table, and aged a year or two due to the slow service, but we'll definitely stop here as we pass back through town again.
Most people will tell you how awesome O'Connel's burgers taste, and they are absolutely right. However, O'Connel's also has the most amazing ham sandwich that I've ever tasted! No joke.
On Monday nights, you can get a $5 ham sandwich that will knock your socks off. They baste it with brown sugar and cloves...it tastes just like the holiday ham your grandma used to make. The sandwich is huge and can feed two people if you're on a budget. That and some french fries and you've got a meal!
I cannot rave about this sandwich enough- when I mention it to my boyfriend, our automatic response is "Ooooh, that sandwich!".
My cousin from Florida grew up right by this place, and told me it's the "best burger you'll ever eat." Â Yeah, right. Â We went to this place, a group of about 10 of us, and I was pretty disappointed. Â They have very limited selections...ie. only one dressing, limited appetizers, no bacon for their burgers...come on. Â Oh yeah, no free refills for sodas, either. Â
The service was TERRIBLE...after my cousins (10, 12, and 13 years old) ran out of their first sodas, we flagged the lady down, and asked for refills. Â She said "alright, hang on," and about 10 minutes later, brought back a bunch of waters. Â We asked her about refills for sodas, and she said, "Oh, we don't do that here," in a real snotty voice. Â So, after waiting for our food for about an hour, it came out and nearly every burger that was cooked medium well was practically still moving. Â My paper plate, yes...PAPER plate, was soaked in cow blood, and the lady complained again when we asked for it to be cooked more.
The burger itself was okay, but definitely not the "best burger ever." Â I don't know what kind of standards the rest of you have, but mine are certainly higher than what O'Connell's gave me. Â
I will say that the food was pretty cheap, and the atmosphere was alright. Â The bar was pretty crowded too, and it seemed like they had every kind of whiskey known to man. Â I certainly won't be going back.
The food here is pretty so/so bar fare. Some claim the burgers to be a gift from God, I pretty much see them to be burgers. Reubens are pretty much what you would expect and so on. It's bar food, good quality, but nothing special. The one exception is the fish and chips on Fridays, which is probably the best cod I have eaten in the city. Absolutely delicious and a huge portion for the money. All the food here is good portions for cheap actually, just don't expect 5 star cuisine or a lot of trad Irish eats.
What I don't understand is why you would come here for the food when they have one of the best whiskey selections on the south side of town! O'Connell's might be right down the street from my house, but even if it wasn't, it would still be one of the best bars in St. Louis. They have all of what you would expect from an Irish pub, from Smithwick's and Guinness (which admittedly always tastes funny here) to a massive selection of premium Irish and Scotch whiskeys. The prices aren't bad for what you get, a hefty snifter of my personal favorite, Lagavuilin, is $9, which ain't shabby when you consider the price of the bottle. The drinks are always stiff and the place stays open until 3 am.
The biggest benefit that O'Connells has though, is probably the voluminous seating capacity. This is definitely a place you can go with 10 or 15 of your closest friends and find enough seating without much problem. I'd recommend going slightly later than peak hours for that, but overall, whether you have two or 20 in your party, comfortable seating is not hard to acquire, especially off hours.
I loves me some O'Connells, and although it's not quite my favorite bar in the city, it is a damn gem and worth the trip nearly every time.
Ordered a medium cheese burger with onion rings. The "medium" burger was the rarest/bloodiest burger I have ever gotten. I'm not 100% against it being on the rare side, if it tastes good. I ate half of it, and gave up. I nicely asked the waitress if it could be cooked more, and she actually said "oh, so medium well" with a straight face. I'm not one to argue semantics, but when my paper plate is soaked with a red liquid commonly referred to as blood... whatever. I guess that this place is so cool that they can make up their own cooking ratings that only a regular knows. Awesome.
This review is based on one and only one time I ate here. But, I am also not giving them a free pass because they are in my neighborhood, they been around for a while, or because they have Irish charm. Sorry to the fans of this place, but giving an honest review of my burger experience.
You want a burger and a beer at a classic pub on a rainy Thursday night when you don't feel like changing out of your t-shirt and jeans? Â Go here. Â No question.
I can't help but share a funny story involving O'Connell's now. Â My brother's fiancee was in St. Louis playing for the St. Louis symphony and after one of her concerts she mentioned that she was in the mood for a burger and a beer. Â Of course, I suggested O'Connell's. Â As we were driving there, I actually convinced her that we were driving to the ghetto and made a wrong turn and ended up underneath the bridge nearby at a dead-end road near railroad tracks. Â Scary, yes. Â Funny? Â Not to her.
Two words: Cheese. Â Burgers... Onion. Â Rings.
Okay, okay, so that's four words--but good gravy, this place has some good grub. Â Apparently, my husband's been coming here since his high school days and has a soft spot for O'Connell's reubens, but it's the cheeseburgers and onion rings that tug at my heartstrings (although it's probably just the cholesterol clogging my aorta or something).
O'Connell's has been fattening up St. Louis' citizens since 1962 and I don't know that much inside the place has changed since then. Â It's dark, it's odd and it's got an interestingly mixed clientele--down-home "Missoura" folks eating next to upper-crust, well-suited capitalists. Â Never underestimate the power of a good onion ring and its ability to unite people across disparate socio-economic lines.
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