The Brass Rail Steakhouse continues to thrive at 4601 Highway K.
Not only did the transition go smoothly in the spring of 2022 when April and Ryan Hammer took over ownership of The Brass Rail in O’Fallon, Missouri, the neighborhood steakhouse loved by locals and newcomers alike is growing; and its new menu items have guests asking for more.
“So many times, guests worry about menu or service changes when there's new ownership,” April says. “The Brass Rail was a success story long before we arrived, and we intend for that standard to advance into the future. We waited several quarters before making any additions or changes to the menu. Our guest service is outstanding. Just ask our regulars. Many loyal guests come in for their favorite bartender or server, and they’re willing to wait extra time just for that server.”
Veteran St. Louis hospitality general manager Jamie Plohr oversees the TBR service team.
It's no secret that The Brass Rail, famous for its scratch-made foods and specialty drinks, sells hundreds of pounds of steak each week. But the steakhouse also sells some 15,000 wings per month. “They are insanely good with or without their delicious sauces,” says April.
A few exciting additions to the already beloved menu should have guests asking for new favorites. The Brass Rail staff already offered a diverse salad menu for its power lunch crowd, but this summer they introduced a summer berry salad that was hugely popular. “No contest, it was hands-down the best-selling salad of summer,” April adds. “Our menu now offers a new, scrumptious fall salad that leaves you begging for more. It’s fun finding that special mix of ingredients that seals the deal of incredible flavor.”
Also “new-ish” to the menu is a Brass-Rail-take on St. Louis-style gooey butter cake, April says. “This is our own house recipe, and it’s unbelievably good.”
Patron Wendi Adams had nothing but kudos for The Brass Rail in her on-line restaurant review, including the gooey butter cake. “Every entrée was perfect,” she wrote. A creative take on gooey butter cake was the high point of our meal. The pastry chef’s own recipe features a moist, buttery flavored concoction that absolutely melts in the mouth.”
The Brass Rail team also enjoyed the success of a new Southwest burger this summer. Now the steakhouse offers a TBR burger special that rotates between a variety of popular burger creations—one of which is the bacon jam cheeseburger. And yes, that means jam as in jelly, and there’s peanut butter, too.
Another new main entrée is the TBR bourbon-glazed pork ribeye. With tremendous, juicy flavor, the ribeye found its permanent place on the menu after selling out as a special within a couple of hours.
Signature items at The Brass Rail include the Cajun chicken pasta, steakloaf and Mediterranean chicken. However, the steakhouse is most famous for, of course, its hand-cut, wet-aged steaks. “Investing in a high-quality beef product differentiates from most steakhouses. Aging allows time for the muscle fibers to break down making our steaks more flavorful and more tender,” Ryan says. “Marinades and tenderizers do not do this, only time.”
While most guests know The Brass Rail for their generous and tasteful entrees, bourbon connoisseurs know TBR for their deep bourbon selection with a variety of allocated options, such as Blanton’s, Eagle Rare and Weller.
Additionally, The Brass Rail is considered to be a perfect place to relax with family friends or colleagues and enjoy a wonderful handcrafted meal in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. But it also offers a large variety of full-service catering packages in a wide-catering radius of 30 miles in any direction of the restaurant.
Ryan says his more than two decades in the hospitality industry before purchasing The Brass Rail taught him that “loyalty is everything and trying to make guests' visits special. It’s so much more rewarding to keep a guest than to find a new one. The food has to be on point, obviously. You have to be well-rounded and have the right product, but we want guests to feel like this is a place they can call home. That’s our value proposition: great food coupled with attentive service.”
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