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Categories: Spanish, Tapas Bars, Basque
Neighborhood: The Hill
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Damn tapas get you every time. Never get out of a place for less than $70.
Mosesto is in a really cool looking spot on the hill.
I was impressed with the variety of dishes here, loved the arroz con pollo especially.
Really fun place to come with a group.
Modesto just keeps moving, tweaking and re-inventing. Just because you've got a good thing going, you can't rest on your laurels. And these restaurateurs get it-- from menu redesigns to new tapas, evolution is the word @ 5257 Shaw Ave.
I met up with my longtime bestie from Buenos Aires for a night of girl talk, sangria and our favorite small plates. The restaurant was full and we didn't have reservations, but you can reserve a table in the bar area... 10-minute wait, score!
Can't-miss:
Mussels steamed in hard cider with chorizo and peppers
Lamb skewers with yogurt and herb salsa
Baked goat cheese in spicy tomato sauce
Hangar steak with port reduction
Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Cabrales cheese
Pass: Flatbread with caramelized onions, olives, garlic and Manchego cheese. Just a bit too sweet.
Service is always courteous and professional, and the sangria... oh the sangria! If you haven't tried sangria made the authentic way with brandy, well then just you wait. It's the champagne of buzzes... exquisite!
Modesto is my hands-down favorite restaurant in St. Louis. It's a warmly hip, high-spirited eatery… Read more »
It's my favorite restaurant in St. Louis. A Spaniard told me it's not that authentic but I don't really care because it's so delicious.
I haven't had a thing on the menu I don't like.
My absolute absolute absolute favorite is the Salpicon. It's a seafood medley and so delicious. I want to bathe in it. Next favorite is the Spanish Omelet. It's probably really fatty, but really good. The olive platter is amazing, and the cheese platter is really good, too.
Granted, I feel a bit sick every time I eat there, but it's more than worth it. Beware, the tapas add up in price.
Get the scallops. 'Nuf said.
We just went this weekend. Great staff. Nice menu. We are vegetarians so we were limited with selection but there was enough to choose from. good ingredients and tastes but a bit of a fried theme to our meal. I would recommend trying at least once or twice.
First trip to Modesto Tapas last night, and I have to say I had a great meal. Although I also have to say that my head is splitting right now due to a pitcher of Sangria (for me, not the table, thus the colorful haze surrounding my computer screen right now).
Had quite a list of food so I'll dive right in:
Jamon Serrano, Manchego Cheese - Let's face it, these aren't the most exciting of ingredients but to start a meal I can't imagine much better. Their Manchego cheese was perfect by the way, strong and nutty (like me) without being overpowering (not like me).
Datiles Rellenos (Bacon wrapped dates) - Stuffed with a cabrales cheese, a spanish blue cheese, these are extremely addictive. FYI, one of the easiest and most impressive things you can make for a dinner party appetizer. Just remember to render the bacon a bit first before wrapping or you'll end up with fatty bacon and burnt dates.
Albondigas Caseras (veal and pork meatballs) - Had these by the piece off of the happy hour menu. I immediately said to my wife that they desperately needed some sort of punch and a sauce. On the real menu I noitced they are supposedly served with Manchego and tomato sauce which would be great, but came out plain for us which made them good but nothing special.
Prawns A La Plancha - The only real disappointment of the night. For multiple reasons. First, they were called "prawns" and going to be served with their heads on. Now I don't know about you but when I hear this in a relatively upscale restaurant I'm envisioning huge shrimp (or, god forbid, what is actually known as a PRAWN) and sucking of heads in my future. So I'm immediately excited as you simply can't find this around here. Unfortunately what I received were basic gulf shrimp whose shells were extremely fragile (a sign of not great quality shrimp). Secondly, and more importantly, they just weren't very good, one might say bad even.
Bistec A La Cabrales - This was a grilled hanger steak with port reduction and some crumbles of Cabrales blue cheese. And it was simply phenomenal.
Bunuelos De Bacalao - (Salt Cod Fritters). Served with a little lemon aioli I really liked these puppies. Creamy and moist inside with a hushpuppie crispness to the outside of the fritter. Yum. If I could do anything to improve this dish it would be to go through one more change of water on the salt cod to remove just a touch more salt. Otherwise perfect.
Tortilla Espanola - This was my wifes daily favorite when she lived in Spain. She thought it was just ok, but not worthy of her memories. I'm not a huge fan simply because I don't like dishes like this served cold so I can't really judge.
Patatas Dos Salsas - Crispy fingerling potatoes in tomato sauce and a bit of aioli over the top. OK, two things here. 1) They are NOT "crispy" 2) It doesn't matter because they are still surprisingly very, very good.
Churros Y Chocolate - This on the other hand, met all my wifes expectations. And also illicited some of her anger as I kept reaching across the table to steal some.
Pastel De Tres Leches - My first taste was a bit of a disappointment as I like my spongecake to be absolutely soaked, and this wasn't. But if I'm honest I have to say that it was great as it just might have been the most tender spongecake I've ever put into my mouth.
There was also bread brought to the table with a olive, anchovy, olive oil tapenade that was extremely good.
As you can imagine, I'm still stuffed 12 hours later.
Here's the thing. It was amazingly cheap all things considered. What did all of the above, including the pitcher of sangria, cost my wife and I? Between 60-70 dollars. How? Couple of tips. We went during happy hour and sat in the bar area where they let us order off both the happy hour menu and the main menu. Several of the items are available by the piece (and cheap) on the happy hour menu so we ordered those from there. Pitchers of Sangria were half-price. And by signing up on their website they send you a coupon to get one main menu Tapas free. So basically the whole meal was virtually half what it should have been.
Will I go back? You can bet your sweet culo we will. Now, where'd I put those aspirin and pepcid....
(FYI, noticed on the menu that they carry Alonso del Yerro on the wine menu. If you've never had it you really do owe it to yourself to find a bottle)
Our first trip over here was a triumph of my will to battle driving in conditions which I hate: construction, pouring rain, nightfall, and cities in which I don't regularly drive. Unfortunately my battle was in vain because one of my dining companions had something come up and we had to leave. However, we were able to make a reservation for the next night, and the host didn't even think I was retarded which is nice.
On attempt number two, we were seated and plowed through a pitcher of sangria while we waited for our piles o' tapas. The red sangria was very nice.
Our first course was the hangar steak in port sauce. One of my faves of the night, I could have handled that little plate all by my lonesome. The mussels in hard cider with chorizo and paella mixta were also winners. I wasn't that impressed with the bacon wrapped dates, mainly because I sort of thought the cheese inside tasted a bit like a foot... not that I'd know what a foot tastes like, really. We tried a pitcher of the white sangria, which was also good though it tasted a little like sprite and pineapple juice mixed with wine. Not that a homemade wine cooler is a bad thing. My pal did just finish singing the praises of Bartles and James before drinking this.
I'm wavering between 3 and 4 stars on this one, but I'll go with a four because it was a fun night, and I didn't have to eat toooooo much foot cheese.
I must say, I'm a bit skeptical to eat at a different tapas place other than my norm. I've tried many other places that just seem to be a let down. On our trip to St. Louis, my boyfriend really wanted to have tapas and found Modesto on Yelp so we made our way there, not knowing it'd be so busy!
We waited around 20 minutes for a table, which really wasn't too bad especially since the host said it'd be around 30-45 minutes!
I NEED to start off with the bar ... I ordered a white wine which was fantastic, but I can't remember what it was! My boyfriend ordered a Grey Goose dirty martini and omg, this was probably the best dirty martini I've ever had. I wish all places made it this tasty.
We ordered so many dishes at our meal that I can't remember exactly what we had. There was seafood, lobster, squid, croquettes - everything was superb. This places beats out my fave tapas bar, hands down - too bad it's in St. Louis!
For dessert, the 3 of us shared a Flan, Tres Leche cake and their special of the night, a Hazelnut flourless cake. I didn't really like their Flan too much, I found it to be kinda boring and not smooth enough. Their flourless cake was good but I'm not a fan of these cakes because it's just so rich. My favorite was the Tres Leches. It was really moist and not too sweet. I'd take a whole cake home if I could.
Great place, great food, great service - the host was more than welcoming, extremely friendly!
Modesto is the best restaurant in the Hill!
If you are from somewhere that makes real authentic Italian food, the Hill will surely disappoint you (like it did to me).
But forget about italian, how about tapas?
Modesto is the best tapas in St Louis. Been to others in Clayton, boy were they bad or what?
Modesto has a full bar with excellent choice on spanish specialty drinks. Food is always great with distinguish flavors.
One complain: I hope they change their menu more often.
I love coming here! It's a great place for friends and it can also be very romantic and special.
I have yet to find a dish here that I din't like. All of the cheeses were great and the meats were wonderful too. There is a mushroom dish that was wonderful (can't think of the name) and a meat plate with great blue cheese. The Sangria was very yummy and they had a great wine selection.
The service was great!
Considering the outstanding reviews of Modesto, my experience was kind of a let down.
We were seated promptly for our 8 o'clock reservation and our server was very nice and helpful in recommending an appropriate number of dishes. We tried a red and a white sangria, I preferred the flavor of the white, however, there were only chunks of fruit in the red! BOOO! We had a hangar steak that was very nice as well as an extremely enjoyable paella. We got some mussels, green beans, and bacon wrapped dates that were just ok.
Perhaps it was due to faulty choosing, but my dinner at Modesto was lackluster.
Even after finding many great Spanish restaurants in the country (mostly NYC), Modesto is still one of my favorite Spanish place to eat. This place is really good! Too bad I don't live near St. Louis anymore since this is one of the places that I miss.
My first time in St. Louis and I love tapas! Scouring through the internet, I actually found this restaurant on Yelp and decided to try it. Wow...it was worth the 45 minute drive from O Fallon!
The atmosphere is fantastic, very trendy and hip. I like that it's a bit dressy, makes you feel like you're hitting the town. I also really like that they had outdoor seating with great big umbrellas. It was the perfect evening to sit outside in beautiful balmy weather sipping on my mango sangria after a hard day of work...yum yum yum...that's the way to relax.
The tapas were out of this world good. I went with a friend from Portugal and he even said the beef short ribs reminded him of his mom's cooking. Now that's a review! The waitress was attentive but not overly so.
We spent about $40/pp but that was because we had about 3 drinks. The tapas themselves ranged around $8/plate.
Modesto is out of place on the mainly Italian influenced "Hill Neighborhood," but this rustic jeans to semi-dressy hangout has a fresh seasonal selection of spanish inspired tapas and killer mojitos!
It is one of my favorite tapas restaurants in St. Louis. And ordering tapas style is a great dining experience!
If you're by yourself or with one person, I highly recommend eating at the bar. The barstaff have been there a long time. They give the best service and if you've been there a few times, they usually remember what you drink.
They have unbelievable food deals in the bar during happy hour, all night on Tuesdays and late night on Wednesdays. These deals are not usually available in the restaurant.
As with most tapas restaurants it is recommended that you order one or two things at a time so you get a feel for what you're ordering. It will come out hot and fast. So, no worries about waiting for food at Modesto!
This place has some pretty decent happy hour finger foods for great prices. Recommend it
Tapas are hard to do well. It either works or it ends up just being really overpriced appetizers. Unfortunately Modesto tends towards the latter. A quick rundown.
Pulpitos - Way too much vinegar made these nearly inedible.
Lamb skewers - good but barely enough for two or three bites
Papas dos salsas - a lame interpretation of papas bravas. there was no spice and thus no reason to continue eating them
Queso de la cabra del horno - probably the best dish of the night. great cheese
Churros con chocolate - a good churro but the chocolate was too ordinary.
I don't think I would have been as disappointed though if the staff had had any idea of how to pronounce the names of the dishes they were serving. I almost felt like getting in the car to drive to Cafe Iberico in Chicago.
Modesto is a great tapas bar that has been exceedingly lively and full of fun on all four of my visits. Patrons attire ranges from ultra snazzy to jeans, so I think everyone will feel at home here. If you enjoy alcohol, I highly recommend the sangria, the mojitos [yes, they can make them here], the long islands and the margaritas - in my opinion, the sangria and the mojitos is really where it is at here.
I've liked all of the tapas dishes that I've had, but due to food allergies there are a good number that I am unable to try. My favorites are mostly the hot tapas, and I highly recommend the fried lobster with sauce. The paella marinara is wonderful, and reminds me of my time in Southern France where Spanish food was a heavy influence on the local cuisine. Be aware that it is one of the most pricey items on the menu! The zarzuela de mariscos is delicious as well, but these dishes may be a little out there for some people.
Modesto Tapas Bar and Restaurant is a nice little place that stands out in Hill. It stands out for many great reasons. For one the place has an awesome atmosphere and everyone is really nice. The place is relaxed and easy going. I could easily see myself hanging out there a whole lot if I lived in the area.
Modesto Tapas Bar and Restaurant is a great place to go with a friend. Since you would be eating tapas it would probably be best to have a smaller group of people to go so that everyone can eat, though order more food would not be a problem and since it is good, everyone would welcome it, so groups of any size would be cool.
Modesto Tapas Bar and Restaurant is a wonderful little tapas place that I truly enjoyed.
Can be a bit loud, but the atmosphere and service make this a great place to spend a very long time.
More importantly, the food (though not a bargain) is delicious across the menu. Try everything.
No, it doesn't exactly fit into the Hill, with its Spanish flair and sexy design, but somehow it works. The location is perfect, the building elegant and the interior perfectly subdued and romantic.
The sangria is lovely and the selection of tapas is good. I always go for the shrimp. It varies in terms of what it's marinated in or served with, but it's always been good.
I also NEVER go without ordering the Plato de Quesos - a plate of Spanish cheeses with walnuts, honey and grapes.
Arguably my favorite restaurant in St. Loo. I studied in Spain (years ago though) and these are the best and most authentic tapas in the city--WAY better than Barcelona in Clayton (with nicer staff and without a claustrophobia-inducing setting and nausea-inducing customers). I do remember being disappointed in their tortilla espanola, but then again, I have yet to find one that I like outside of Spain itself that's not homemade. I am a BIG fan of the potatas bravas (called something else here)...just the right amount of kick.
I prefer tapas with one other person other than the whole group thing, but people seem to dig that and it's certainly a good place for it.
I strongly recommend the red sangria over the white-just a novelty without any improvement in flavor.
Great for celebrations, nice dates, or a girls' night out.
When you go to "The Hill" in St. Louis, you go for Italian food. Then along comes this anything-but-modest Spanish Tapas restaurant and your whole world changes. This is a great restaurant. And they make killer martinis (Hendrix) and bartender handmade mojitos (they actually use a muddler and no mixes). The paellas are exceptional, the small plates are amazing. My personal tapas faves are the smoked trout with Serrano bacon and lemon, the grilled lamb skewers, and the Serrano ham cups with avocado, goat cheese and basil with a beet vinaigrette. But it's all excellent. This place is great for a drink and a couple of small plates, or few drinks and a full dinner. When my friends come here from San Francisco, this is where I take them and they leave full and raving about this spectacular place on "The Hill."
Modesto is a good place to spend a long (which will become) expensive dinner and drinks with friends, trying as many plates as possible and drinking as many mojitos as you can. Well, maybe not the last part, but one or two is a must. I'm not the biggest fan of sangria (I can't get past the name), but my friends rave about it. There are a lot of choices here, and tapas are so much fun to share. This place gets very loud, but its fun, the energy is good, and the atmosphere is colorful and cute.
I tried Modesto on a recent trip to Saint Louis. It was good and I would probably go back. I do have to say I enjoy Jaleo a little bit more in DC. My husband tried a "famous" drink there I don't remember what it was called, but it was half red wine and half coca-cola. I had a glass of the Sangria of the day and the white sangria and it was okay. The tapas was good. I enjoyed the pureed chickpea dish the best.
I thought this place was Cute, kind of like Cha Cha Cha in San Fran without the snooty wait staff and all the bums outside asking for money.
The food was good, the service could have been better but I really liked that they requested that you order one or two things at a time so you get a feel for what your ordering. (one up on CCC)
Sangria- for sure
flan - could use some work
Really really good food. Kind of pricey, but definitely worth it. I've been here several times and have been satisfied every time. The paella is great. And the Tapas are wonderful. We also went on Valentine's day and got free pistachio rolled truffles.
devoted to tapas, this restaurant pulls off small portions for sharing like few other restaurants in saint louis. it's perfect for a long meal with friends or a romantic partner, chatting over sangria, and sharing a variety of courses and flavours.
their menu is suitable for everyone, carnivorous, vegetarian or dessertarian. if you're up for the racket, visit for the live music and flamenco dancing.
Not the most intimate setting, but it fits well I guess with the Tuscan cafe kind of theme. Great food and service. I particularly like the Plato de Quesos, Albndigas Caseras, Bistec a la Cabrales, Queso de Cabra al Horno, and...heck I like everything on their menu! If you really want to complete the meal, enjoy a Mojito or some Sangria.
A bit loud, and hardly a value, but it's a great place to go and have some messed up woman rip your heart to shreds while still enjoying the food.
This place is great if you're looking for a nicer hang-out spot. They have mojitos that are to die for and the sangria ain't bad either. The small plates include an interesting variety of choices...some hot, some cold, some tasty, some so-so. My only real issue with Modesto is that the food isn't always consistent. I've had things that taste amazing and things that are just blah. It's a fun place to visit with a group, for food or just for drinks, and I have never left disappointed with my experience.
I like this tapas place, food, atmosphere, service are all great. Enjoyed the menu variety. I liked it like Mirasol...Not as noisy as BARcelona, which is another good place--trendy hangout in Clayton.
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