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Category: American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: University CityMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Awesome root beer! The root beer is definitely five star and cravable. My nieces and nephew absolutely love this place.
Service is happy and the food is decent. You can dine al fresco but I am not a fan of the plastic chairs myself. Besides it is fun in the dining room, where on some days you can watch the root beer bottling line in operation while you enjoy your meal.
I enjoy the stadium nachos and the big variety of burgers. The tuscan chicken sandwich with sautéed portabella mushrooms, and roasted red bell peppers on a toasted foccacia bun with garlic aioli is very tasty. The asian chicken salad with mandarin oranges, red bell peppers, roasted candied pecans and mixed greens, tossed in Asian dressing and finished with chow mien noodles works. The artichoke chicken pasta which is Mediterranean dip mixed in a rich cream sauce, tossed with chicken, artichokes and penne topped with diced tomatoes was not half bad either.
Not health food but I like it well enough and man the root beer is incredible, both diet and regular. They also have their good cream sodas, ginger ale and orange, grape and strawberry sodas if you are not into root beer.
A month ago, I dreamed of coming to Saint Louis to meet my match. I fell in love in such a short time, I had to go to the birthplace of my new love, Fitz's root beer. So, what do I do to make that dream come true?
To my sister: Hey Sam. Want to go to Missouri?
Sam: Sure! What for?
Me: I want to get some beer....root beer that is. We'll just tell dad that I'm taking you to look at some colleges there.
Sam: Ha ha, sure!
A month later, I'm sitting in the actual place of where my root beer originated from, to um, research on colleges.
I knew the night was going to be sweet when the hostesses greeted us properly and we were then immediately seated. Instead of diving right into the root beer, I had an affair. I started off with cream soda.
Not so long after, our food was brought to the table. Again, the tourist in me takes out the camera (for my yelp friends benefit) and snapped some photos, proof of an amazing meal.
More goodness to top off the adventure; double high five to our waiter Drew, who kept us well entertained. Hi Drew!
And, we did end up seeing some colleges. Tourist like to prove that we did go to Saint Louis for college shopping.
We stopped into Fitz's on a total whim while moving my boyfriend into his University City apartment. We had heard that the root beer floats here are a St. Louis tradition, and as a self-confessed root beer float junkie, I just had to try one out.
The Creamboat Float?? Awesome. Definitely the highlight of the meal. The floats, as I had hoped, didn't disappoint in the slightest.
I was also really happy with our service at Fitz's. Our server was really friendly and helpful. He read us pretty well, and seemed comfortable joking around with us during the meal.
The food, however, was a bit of a different story. We ordered the appetizer platter and found it to be a bit of a mixed bag. I was really excited to try the pickle chips, but ended up really disappointed by how salty they were. Toasted ravioli and onion rings, on the other hand, weren't half-bad.
The burgers, unfortunately, were the biggest disappointment of the meal. We were appalled when we learned that they were all cooked medium-well. In my opinion, any burger cooked above medium is ruined...and the fact that Fitz's doesn't take temperatures indicates that the burgers were probably frozen in the first place. My Pepper Jack Burger was just OK (saved by the bourbon mayo), but my boyfriend absolutely hated the BBQ Burger.
In short, I don't think I'll ever go back to Fitz's for the food. I do, however, envision several carry-out root beer floats in my future.
DIET CREAM SODA....almost heaven. If they would only start making their orange in diet I would be tempted to bump this to five...tempted, probably wouldn't, but I do love diet orange.
People seem to have an attitude about this place, but it's a grill, it's not gourmet, and it's a family restaurant, so I guess I just don't expect my waiter to hover and be there constantly at this place. I like it, I always leave satisfied, and I never feel like I dropped far too much money on it.
Unlike most people, I don't get a burger here. I always lean to the fish and chips. Is it as good as anything you could get in London? Well, definitely not. I mean, how could you expect that? But it satisfies my craving for it, they never look at me funny when I douse my plate in vinegar, and I didn't have to drop $700 on a plane ticket to satisfy my craving.
My family all love the burgers, and from time to time, I have embarked on a salad or two at this place. I even managed fine when I was a vegetarian. Also, they never give us attitude if we bring my little niece here and she decides she's in the mood to throw her food all over the floor. Gotta love that. (and leave a big tip after).
Root beer float was awesome, strawberry shake was good. Food, eh, it was OK. Fish and chips for our toddler were great. Burgers and fries for us were just OK. My hunch is the hamburger patties are frozen, not fresh.
Decent place for kids (they bring crayons and some paper to entertain them until food arrives), but I had hoped the root beer factory would be in action for the mini-me and it wasn't.
Takeaway from this post: go there for the root beer floats. They're awesome. Eat dinner somewhere else.
Now, I will agree, the root beer here is great. And if you're in the mood for a float, get ready. Numerous scoops of vanilla ice cream with tons of root beer.
However, I have not been impressed with their food at all. Their burgers are thin and over cooked. I would prefer going somewhere else on the Loop with better food and ordering a Fitzs root beer.
I have eight words for you - freshly brewed root beer in a frosty mug. Served ice cold. (Okay, maybe more like eleven.)
Sound good? It is. And Fitz's is where you can find it.
When I lived in MO, I used to frequent this place with my friends. Fitz's root beer is THE BEST, and after I moved to Chicago anytime someone would come visit it was just understood that their entrance into this city required a fee of a 4-pack or two of Fitz's.
Yet somehow, I hadn't been here in years. Shocking, I know! So as soon as my plane landed and my rental car was secured on Friday, I drove straight to Fitz's.
It looked a little different than I remembered, but it didn't matter - the ice cold root beer was still being served up alongside the classic burgers and fries which are pretty damn tasty. And while you gorge yourself on yummy goodness, you can actually watch the bottling company at work. I had a nice view of the capping and labeling section while I dined, and for a moment, all was right with the world.
On my way out I noticed they ship cases of Fitz's for only $23. Um, I might be taking advantage of that. They also have a small, but cool, selection of merchandise. I had to restrain myself and only bought a glass mug... but I wanted more.
I heard an ugly rumor from a neighboring business that Fitz's is closing up shop soon. This makes me very sad (devastated, actually), but with the gentrification of the once hip Delmar Blvd., it makes sense. It's a shame, though - this place is a real St. Louis classic, and was packed for lunch on a Friday so they clearly don't have any problems bringing in business. I just hope they relocate, or at least keep the bottling plant in operation somewhere. A girl needs her Fitz's fix, and next time I won't wait so long to get it.
Root beer? Microbrewery? I'm there.
The bottomless frosted mugs of root beer just plain make me smile. I'm probably going to singlehandedly support a St. Louis dental practice by guzzling this stuff down as frequently as I do.
I also thoroughly recommend the chili frito burger. It sounds kind of terrible, and I'm sure it makes my arteries cry a little bit, but it tastes SO GOOD.
So the decor is straight from an 80s flick (bright jewel tones on the walls do not a gem make) but Fitz's is a St. Louis institution. Ever try Fitz's cream soda or rootbeer? They have pretty decent distribution in the Midwest and they actually bottle it on-site here at the restaurant.
Order a bottomless frosty mug of the popular sugary soda for $2.25. A steal, as you'll probably down three mugs. Well, I did. I'm a fan of the burgers here and opted for the Quesadilla burger, which sat between two grilled flour tortillas and was topped with cheese, chipotle sauce and shredded lettuce. Delicious, and I was able to devour the entire sandwich without the bulkiness of the bun.
My brother tried the Breakfast burger-- grilled sourdough bread, cheese, bacon and a fried egg. He's super picky but absolutely loved it.
All in all a great late lunch on Christmas Eve. However, their service is filled with holes (um, waiting 15 minutes for the check as my server unabashedly flirts with his co-worker is annoying).
"This place is a typical burger joint that tries to draw more with their sodas, which are definitely really good, but soda isn't really going to draw me from across town."
That first paragraph's been sitting in Yelp's nifty save-review feature for months now. But man, as time has passed those juicy burgers and awesome sodas have been on my mind.
A LOT.
The first time I came here I had fish'n chips which were incredibly lackluster and didn't go for more than a year. However, recently I was in a burger mood and a friend with us was in a root beer float mood. Fitz's was an obvious choice. We split two burgers: the breakfast one (don't feel like looking it up) and the black and blue burger.
Dang that blacked burger with a mound of blue cheese and fried onions is freaking amazing. It is definitely one of the best burgers I've had in St. Louis. That coupled with some unlimited grape soda in frosted mugs provided for one awesome meal.
One thing that sort of annoyed was the root beer floats. We suspected that the scoops of ice cream were pre-scooped and left in the freezer and then just plopped on the bug of root beer. However they were so cold, they didn't "float" in the root beer at all, they were just on top of the mug. Now it might make sense to do that if every freaking table orders a float all the time, but scooping some ice cream does NOT take up that much time. That, and scooping up some ice cream and then leaving it in the freezer leaves for some ice chips in the ice cream. C'mon!
I've been here a countless number of times and have never had a bad experience. I just took my kids here for lunch and had another pleasant one.
We didn't get to see the bottle works running, but the food was well prepared and the service was great. The soda is, of course, excellent! It doesn't matter what flavor you get, but you have to have one. I order you to do so.
Ooooh how I miss Fitz's. Grape pop, orange pop, strawberry pop, cream soda, but most of all, ROOT BEER. A true St. Louis Original!
http://www.fitzsrootbe.../
I always make sure I stop here when I'm back home for a root beer float and some french fries. One of my favorites, other than a classic rootbeer float, is the Mississippi Mud Float. It's made with chocolate ice cream rather than vanilla and it's uber yummy.
In the heart of The Loop, you can go to Blueberry Hill for the best burger in town, and then stop by Fitz's to finish it off with a float.
Props to my hometown!
Though I have only eaten a couple of times at the grill, I am quite fond of it. The food is solid grill fare; I think I had the reuben last time I was there and it was delicious (and also GREAT BIG).
But the real star of the show for me is the root beer and cream soda. You can get a bottomless frosty mug of the stuff pretty cheaply, and it's some of the absolute best stuff I've ever had! Made with sugar, not high fructose corn syrup, so it tastes great and is a little better for you, too.
You just can't get that stuff down here in Springfield, Missouri (except at the Moxie theater for $3 a bottle!) and those rare times when I am in town, or know someone there is coming down to Springfield, I have them buy a couple of cases for me. I could order a pack shipped, of course, but the cost of the packing materials is way prohibitive.
It's also neat to watch the bottling machine in operation, when it's going full tilt behind the glass at the back of the room. I could just sit there and watch it for hours--as long as they kept the root beer coming.
Any time I'm in St. Louis, Fitz's is one of the places I make it a point to visit.
It's in a great spot, near lots of free parking. The place itself looks pretty nice, including the seemingly tucked-away root beer brewery.
There's distractions for adults wanting to have a beer or two, but drinking a beer in a place known for its root beer seems kind of odd.
The food is lackluster and was served to me a little cold. (We ordered a burger and a pizza).
It's not the best, but definitely not the worst. Maybe I ate/drank there on an off-day.
Memory 1: Ummmmm roooootbeer.
Memory 2: Rootbeer floats.
Memory 3: Artery clogging food.
Memory 4: Playing pool upstairs and drinking adult rootbeers.
Memory 5: My older sister maxing out her credit card here buying too many adult rootbeers.
We went in expecting middle of the road American food with the draw of the bottling plant. The food was better than I anticipated based on the reviews here. It was not amazing, but everything we had was pretty solid. The veggie sandwich was chocked fully of veggies that had been cooked just enough - which was a nice surprise.
We went early in the week, and our service was fine.
It was a good place with a small child. The soda was worthwhile and kept coming.
The food was okay. The pickle chips were too salty. The buffalo wrap was just okay. My burger, however, was good. Everyone else in my family liked their meals, but since I'm doing the review, my opinion is what sticks here.
The service was quick and it was a rushed dinner hour, so that was nice. Just getting there (parking) was a slight nightmare but I figured in this area at dinner time, that may be the norm.
It was my first time ever having Fitz rootbeer and I LOVED it! I loved the cream soda. Good stuff. My husband ordered a Java Float and he liked it. My son had the Fitz Float and he also liked it.
I highly suggest seeing the bottling process because everyone said it is really neat. By the time we got there, the bottling portion had shut down for the night.
Fitz's is a great place to go when you are visiting St. Louis. It is also great for the college crowd. Now, one thing that you have to understand is that Fitz's is slow, and has been every time I've been here, even on my most recent visit. The food has never been that interesting to me, but I recently ordered the cobb salad, and finally have a dish that I really like. Their cobb is good! The main attraction is the soda, because somehow it tastes even better here than it does bottled at the store, and we all know how good bottle of Fitz's is! The diet root beer is fabulous, as is the strawberry pop. They also have orange, grape, cream and a few others that I'm not remembering.
Every time I go, and my last was no exception, there has been a traffic jam at the door with people waiting for a table. Once seated on my last visit, it took 9 minutes before anyone came to our table at all. Once there, the girl was perky enough and everyone was having so much fun talking that it didn't really matter. It took a long time to get our drinks, but as I was talking I have no idea how long it took. Our food took an equally long time to get to us, but everyone that ordered a hot dish said that it was indeed hot, so we know that it wasn't sitting. I'm beginning to think that they have a very small kitchen, and I am not being flippant. As there has always been younger people in my party, I have not made it upstairs and therefore cannot attest to the coolness factor of the second floor.
Fitz's is cool, as long as you don't have any plans for at least the next two hours and you like to sit and talk, or if you are not starving and must gain sustenance in a few minutes time.
Fitz's is great for kids, particularly if they're running the bottling plant when you pop in. For adults, the upstairs bar is pretty fun for drinking and playing pool with friends.
I'm not a huge fan of the burgers, and would much rather go across the street to Blueberry Hill to grab my burger of choice, but I know people who swear by Fitz's burgers. As for the other food selections, I didn't think anything was very memorable, but it's all decent American bar & grill food.
The real selling point is Fitz's selection of their house sodas. The root beer and cream soda are favorites, but they are just 2 of many selections offered.
Fitz's is in the heart of the Loop, so parking nearby is likely scarce. There's a small private lot right next door (which is mainly handicapped spots), some street parking in front, and 2 lots behind the building, on either side of Leland.
As a U. City native, whenever I go to Fitz's, it brings me back to the days of my childhood, when we used to go to family dinners with my grandparents at the Lantern House Chinese restaurant, which was then located in the same warehouse-style building that Fitz's currently occupies. Now that was some yummy Chinese food.
Each time that I have gone to Fitz's no matter who I'm with or what I am eating, I must, at all times have the bottomless mug of root beer. Besides the bottomless mug of root beer, Ftiz's is a great hamburger and sandwich joint. Not matter what is going on I have always enjoyed my food each time that I have gone there.
Most of the time when I find myself in the Loop and my friends and I are thinking of some place to eat we tend to choose from either the other restaurants on the Loop or Frtiz's. What makes Fritz's stand apart from the other two when it comes to our decision-making, to me, is their root beer. Yes, their root beer is tasty, as is their food, but also as you eat you are able to watch the actual bottling process, which provides some great entertainment.
Fitz's is a nice place to go for lunch or dinner. I have always enjoyed my meals there. Sometimes I might have to wait a little bit for a table because it is busy, but that never really bothers me because soon I will be eating one of their Pico Wraps or one of their Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches.
I can't vouch for the food because we only came for root beer floats. However, it seems like the same boring American food that you can get at 90% of restaurants and bars in St Louis.
The real draw here is the bottling plant behind a set of plate-glass windows. You can watch the Fitz specialty-soda operation in action. Our whole group is about 30 and we watched for ten minuted, transfixed like little kids. Today it was some kind of pink soda. Raspberry?
The root beer is really, really good, but the float was mediocre because of the crap ice cream that they use. Come on, Fitz. For $4.60 I expect at least Breyer's-level scoopage.
I was also told that there was a store here where I could buy the sodas to take home, but alas that was not the case.
This place was packed on a Sunday mid-afternoon and seems like a decent place for kids. I wouldn't eat here, but I could stand to watch the bottling plant and eat my rootbeer float for a while. That was fun.
After eating at Fitz's half a dozen times, I have yet to find an entree worth repeating. Everything I've tried (burgers, pizza, pasta, salad) is just middling. I'm a big root beer fan, and Fitz's is sweeter than I like. It's good as an ingredient in their famous (mostly for being gigantic) rootbeer float, but not really for sipping.
The bar upstairs is never crowded at night, making it one of the better spots on the Loop for a quieter evening watching sports or shooting some pool.
Fitz's is a local landmark, and if you're from the St. Louis area, you probably know Fitz's because of its famous Root Beer and Cream Soda. But what you may not know is that Fitz's also has a full service restaurant and bar. Fitz's started in 1947 as a bottling works and drive-thru, known for the classic combination of burgers and root beer.
Now Fitz's is located on the corner of Delmar and Leland in the Delmar Loop. They still serve up a mean burger and great root beer, but they have many other specialties which are worth writing home about. After a day of shopping on the Loop, I like to unwind on Fitz's patio with one of their specialty cocktails (I like the cream soda and vanilla vodka), a chili burger, an order of onion rings, and reflect on the history of this place, the history of my city, and whether or not I'd like another cocktail.
I like Root Beer. But there is more to life, and dining, than root beer. We all know that Fitz's is everyone's favorite soda microbrewery. The soda is good. But at the end of the day soda is soda. Actually, I am going to make kind of a snobby comment. Fitz's is like the AB of soda. We like it because it's local, but in the big picture it is kind of bland.
For it being so local I feel as if I am walking into a Hard Rock Cafe or something. It could just be the size of the place.I don't know. It could be that it is in the loop. I just don't get that warm, cozy, local feeling there.
The food is mediocre. I am a vegetarian, but that is not to say that I don't have a palate.
The cheese pizza. Boring. Simple as that.
Their veggie burgers can not be made in house. Which I mean, is fine. High volume, I get it. But come on, splurge and at least get ones that taste good. I have had quite a few from here and they are always dry. The seasoning is ok but I am assuming that is how they are out of the package. I had one burger, I forget the name...typical onion straws, cheese, bbq, mayo and that was ok.
I am not trying to say that I would avoid going to Fitz's. I actually took my mother there the last time that she was in town. I guess I just view it as middle of the road.
This is a great family-friendly restaurant with a fun atmosphere.
I love that you can watch the soda being bottled...this place is perfect for kids. The menu is kid-friendly--they even serve kids' meals in paper cars. Adorable!
The patio is really nice; it's another great place to people-watch on Delmar. The last time I was there, we watched two guys in a "dance-off." Very entertaining!
The food is decent. Not bad at all, but not amazing, either. Pretty much your standard fare. I have had the spinach artichoke pasta, and as a major fan of the dip, I have to say it was pretty delicious! I am a huge fan of their soda, and I always get a strawberry one when I visit. This is definitely a great St. Louis landmark.
Since I was in high school, whenever I go into Fitz's, I do the exact same thing. I tell the person I'm with "Man, I get the same thing every time I'm here. It's really good, but I want to get something different!" And do you know what I do? I order the same thing anyway.
I'm a big fan of the Bottler Burger. It's actually just the burger without all the craziness to it. No sauce, no chili, nothing. I get it with cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. I get a side of fries with it and a Fitz's root beer float.
The burger has a great flavor to it, the cheddar is delicious, and the fries are always crispy. Each time I visit, I leave with a full stomach, and a smile on my face.
I would suggest mixing it up a bit and asking for chocolate ice cream in your float instead of vanilla!
The restaurant is in the middle of a bottling factory! I have yet to go when the bottling machine is turned on, but I secretly hope each time that it will be turned on.
Fried food and soda. I enjoy their fried pickles and fish. Rootbeer was nice. The atmosphere was fresh.
For your basic burger and fries kind of place, Fitz's is the best in St. Louis. What I really appreciate is that their house-made soft drinks CONTAIN NO CORN SYRUP! which is a total relief for anyone trying to avoid the stuff. Their salads are great too, as is the patty melt.
This was some damn good American food! I only wish they were open late enough to cater to the after-the-bars-close crowd from the night before.
I had a quesadilla burger. No bun, flour tortilla shells! What a great idea. I didn't miss the bun at all...it had some tangy sauce on it and it was very cheesy!
Agreed. The floats are wonderful.
20/52
Bottomless mug of root beer. First off the word bottomless is fantastic. I mean is there anything that is attached to the word bottomless that isn't great? Well the root beer is good, it's not the most fantastic I've ever had by any means, but it's good. The fried pickle chips were a pretty interesting appetizer, but I think we all wished they were a little crispier. I was in the mood for a burger, but unfortunately medium well is the only way they cook anything which is a big loss of a star for me. I ended up with a chicken club sandwich that was decent.
Root beer on tap? You can't go wrong. YOU JUST CAN'T.
They have a great vegetarian selection, and you can even watch root beer being bottled! Too freaking cool.
I miss Fitz's.
The floats are fantastically impractical.
We're talking seven scoops of ice cream completely obscuring an icy mug of soda.
The food is so average, don't even bother, it just means more room for floats: root beer, cream, dream boat (orange), even grape (we think)!
We brought a group of five-year-olds and shoved a float in front of every one of them. Amazing. Ice cream, soda, and tummyaches everywhere. You really should have seen it.
All I can remember about my three visits to Fitz's (the last was about a year ago) is that they serve completely average grill food and that their service is absolutely terrible. Even if you try very actively, it'll still take you at least 20 minutes to get your check, no matter how empty of diners and full of staff the floor is.
There's nothing I like about Fitz's. The food is mediocre and the atmosphere feels like a chain restaurant, about the quality of a TGI Friday's.
Pretty much fantastic American food and hands down one of the greatest bbq burgers I've ever tasted (and would taste, considering I don't think their meat quality is extremely high...) Also, they have a fantastic dessert called the neopolitan brownie. SO good. And great rootbeer of course, and floats. And cheese fries. Fun environment too.
Great casual food. Great root beer, and great root beer floats. I'm particularly fond of the pool table area upstairs. Spent way too many nights there instead of studying.
Good prices, fun place with the bottling plant within, and the best root bear around. Something for everyone, regardless of age or palate.
I remember the Smiley fries. :) I'd go for floats if I were there, then walk around Delmar.
Best. American. Food.
Not a bad little burger place. I enjoy the food and the service and the delicious frosty mugs of soda. Its a good place to grab lunch. It gets a little old if you go there all the time (as, being a Wash U student, you sometimes do) so save it for a few times a year. Great atmosphere, great layout, great food, great prices. Definitely give Fitz's a great big smile.
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