- The number of new local restaurants appears slightly up from 2018.
- Along with 48 new restaurants, at least six more have announced they plan to open soon.
The year 2019 served up a smorgasbord of stories about food and drink.
On the national stage, it was the year of the Impossible Burgerand the Popeye's chicken sandwich. Summer was dominated by headlines about White Claw,an alcohol-infused bubbly water.
In Springfield and southern Missouri, we had those things, but 2019was also a year full of new restaurants — at least 48 of them.
They included Red's Giant Hamburg, a nostalgic Route 66 dream, along withinnovations inspired by Asia, notably Lucky Tiger Sandwich Co. andLittle Korea. There were also hymns to culinary authenticity (e.g., that new Don Toñokiosk in the prettied-up dining pavilion at Battlefield Mall) and even celebrity family dining like Paula Deen's Family Kitchen,which made a buzzy debut this fall at Branson Landing.
Sad news happened, too. Fires claimed the iconicPapouli's Restaurant in Reeds Spring, along with Springfield's ownKrave (the much-mourned successor to '80s sensation Cartoons). They'll be missed, fans told the News-Leader.
Meanwhile, establishments for sale include downtown's Patton Alley Pub and White River Brewing Co. on Commercial Street. Both went on the market in July. In a recent social media post, a business broker handling both accounts said deals are in the works but are not yet ready to be announced. Expect news early next year.
Looking back at 2018:At least 40 new restaurants and breweries opened in the Springfield area
One eatery that sold was Pappy's Place. New owners Wayne and Susan Rader bought the place — one of Springfield's oldest restaurants —at auction for just $75,000 last month. To the delight of many longtime Midtown Springfield residents and fans from all over,they promised Pappy's Place would remain the storied barbecue joint it's been for decades.
Here's the recap of new dining and drink options in our regionthis year, with a smattering of tips about what's coming soon in 2020. This information comes from past and present reporting by the News-Leader and other outlets, along with social media and news releases provided by dining establishments. All businesses are listed in alphabetical order.
Looking back at 2017:20 new restaurants, and UberEats, come to Springfield
48 new restaurants and bars
Agave Neighborhood Bar & Grill
Agave Neighborhood Bar & Grill opened Jan. 9 at 3057 S. Fremont Ave. The Mexican place has a wide-ranging menu with a "really popular" poblano shrimp dish. As the name implies, the establishment has a full bar including margaritas, specialty co*cktails and tequila drinks.
Archie's Italian Eatery
Archie's Italian Eatery is the new restaurant replacing the short-lived OssoBuco Italian American Bistro at 1410 E. Republic Road,as of Dec. 12. The former general manager of Perkin's, which recently closed, wanted to set up his own authentic Italian place. Archie Donoho did just that, offering "tradition, passion, and luxury menu items" ranging from Italian-marinated New York strip steak to the "Italian hamburger." It serves lunch, dinner, a lengthy wine list and other items.
Basilico Italian Cafe
Basilico Italian Cafeopened in late August, according to a Springfield Business Journal report. It took over from Sisters in Thyme at 306 E. Commercial St., which had been open since 2011 but shifted to a wholesale-only operation once Basilico opened. Basilico's menu includes a range of Italian standard dishes, sandwiches at lunchtime and a series of desserts, salads and appetizers.
Best of Luck Beer Hall
Best of Luck Beer Hallis a Scandinavian-style beer hall at 313B S. Jefferson Ave., tuckedat the back of the parking lot that serves Zayka Indian Cuisine and A Hip Joint. It opened in February. Owner Josh Widner, an entrepreneur withestablishments including Scotch & Soda and Golden Girl Rum Club, equipped the place with 40 taps for beer and three chiller boxes to accommodate precise temperatures for keeping stouts, lagers, IPAs and sours. Best of Luck also serves a menu with sharable plates, sandwiches, fries, charcuterie and salads.
Big Al's Subs
Big Al's Subs was already operating in Nixa, but November 2019 saw a second location open up in Ozark, according to the Ozark Chamber of Commerce. It's located at 206 N. 1st St.
The Big Biscuit
The Big Biscuit added not one, but two locations, in Springfield this year: 2620 S. Glenstone Ave. and 3620 S Campbell Ave. The Kansas City-based chain sells breakfast, brunch and lunch — in big portions— and delights in asking its fans whether gravy or hollandaise is the ultimate breakfast sauce, as it did on Facebook recently. Gravy won hands down.
Searchable database:Find the latest inspections for your favorite restaurants
Bigfoot Subs
Bigfoot Subs is Dannie Wright's dream. The military veteran used to dream about remaking a group of stone buildings at 2204 W. College St. that used to be a Route 66 motel court into something new. She opted to open a sandwich shop on New Year's Day of 2019, thinking the holiday might bring luck. It turned out thatBigfoot Subs' first day was a very busy one. The place offers a variety of sandwiches, espresso, salads and bowls of chili.
Billy Yates' Choices Concert Hal
Billy Yates' Choices Concert Hall opened this year in north Branson at440 State Highway 248, near the intersection with Highway 65. It offers dining, beverages, dancing and concerts, according to its website.
Branson Boardgame Cafe
Branson Boardgame Cafe opened in March in downtown Branson, according to a report by Branson Tri-Lakes News. Customers pay a cover charge of $5, then play board games — any of 650 of them that the shop owners have on hand. The place also offers sandwiches, salads, snacks, coffee and espresso drinks.
Bricy's Kitchen
Bricy's Kitchen offers tacos, chili, French toast and other items on a very wide-ranging menu at its location in Hollister. It opened in August, according to its Facebook page.
La Cabaña
La Cabaña began serving "classic Mexican cuisine and yummy desserts" in Ozark this year, according to the local chamber of commerce. Its website states that the menu includesfajitas, tacos, burritos, hamburgers and other items. Find it at 1769 James River Road.
Cafe Dhibs
Cafe Dhibsopened at 918 W. Commercial St. — slightly west of the historic section of the street — in November. It's a creature ofColleen and Ryan Sundlie, owners of The Date Lady, an international award-winning company selling gourmet date syrup and related products. The Date Lady is next door to the cafe, which has a menuwith date-based entrees, date shakes and Colleen'saward-winning fruit cake. The Sundlies got into the date business after a stint living in the Middle East, where they developed a taste for the sweet, sticky fruits.
carGO
carGO, a local version of smartphone ride-hailing and deliveryapps like Uber and DoorDash, opened its downtown Springfield headquarters and began offering services this year."The big boys don't care about Springfield, Missouri," said carGO's president during a press event in May. "We do."
Cesar's Old-Mexico
Cesar's Old-Mexico moved Dec. 4 into a larger, more colorfulspace at 2627 E. Sunshine St. Itinitially openedin2015 andserves food from both the Mexican and Salvadorian traditions. Fun fact: Its Facebook motto, "vive ama sueña," means "live, love and dream" in English.
Char
Char, a steakhouse, replaced its Mediterranean-style predecessor, Touch, on Republic Road in early 2019.
Don Toño
Don Toño, which has had a food truck on Glenstone Avenue since 2011, added a spot in the Battlefield Mall Dining Pavilion over the summer. It serves corn on the cob, tortas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, dorinachos, tamales and other dishes. The place alsooffers authentically searing salsa — served on the side for those who worry about spicy food.
Dre's Kitchen
Dre's Kitchen, a new Branson food truck, made KOLR TV news this fall when ownerDre Irawan gave away 1,000 hamburgers and 1,000 hibachi-style chicken dishes in exchange for donations to support the Skaggs Foundation Cancer Center Meal Program. It is located at 1818 State Highway 248, according to its Facebook page.
Farm Fresh Steakhouse and Bakery
Farm Fresh Steakhouse and Bakery opened a Nixa location at 701 N. McCroskey St. in November. Its menu includes grilled meats, flatbread pizzas, salads and many other items.
Flat Creek
Flat Creek, known for all-you-can-eat crab legs, catfish, broasted chicken, burgers and sandwiches, opened a third location in February, setting up shop in Republic at738 E. Highway 60. Its two older locationsare along Table Rock Lake, but Flat Creek's owner said Highway 60's bustling flow of commuters in and out of Springfield made it an ideal road for a new restaurant. The place has 30 draft beers along with eats.
Frank n Steins
Frank n Steins, a hot dog restaurant,left downtown Springfield to open up in Nixa this fall at 105 Sherman Way.
Coming soon: Guy Fieri’s Branson Kitchen + Bar
Coming soon to Branson: Guy Fieri’s Branson Kitchen + Bar, inspired by the spiky-haired Food Network star famous for evoking "Flavortown.""Shut the Front Door," commented the Riverfront Times in St. Louis. It may be open "perhaps in time for your summer vacation," reported the Kansas City Star.“I’m all about great food, good times and big fun so to be able to partner up with folks like FACE Hospitality is a perfect opportunity to bring it all together in one place … Branson!” Fieri said a news release.
Hard Knox BBQ
Hard Knox BBQ is a creation of prolific chef and restaurateur Pat Duran, of Metropolitan Grill and Great American Taco Co. fame, along with pitmaster Jeremy Smith, a co-founder of City Butcher. The new barbecue place opened at2937 E. Battlefield Road over the summer, offering pecan-smoked meats (brisket is the signature) along with sides including Mexican street corn, coleslaw with Brussels sprouts and amac-and-cheese made with smoked cheddar.
Hepcat Jazz Lounge
Hepcat Jazz Lounge opened earlier this year, named for a 1938 jive dictionary that was popular in the realm of jazz. It offers craft co*cktails and plenty of jazz in a historic building at 220 S. Campbell Ave., but also a menu featuring comfort-food dishes like fried olives and smoked fried chicken intended for late-night consumption, according to an Augustreport from Feast magazine.
Hold Fast Brewing
Hold Fast Brewing opened earlier this year, becomingthe first craft beer brewery exclusively owned by women in Springfield. Sisters Carol and Susan MacLeod converted a 20th-century firehouse sold off by city government into a modern brewery located not far from Hammons Field and the Shrine Mosque at235 N. Kimbrough Ave.Instead of serving food, guests may bring in their own eats. Hold Fast also hosts a rotating selection of food trucks from time to time.
Indulge
Indulge opened in November, according to a Battlefield Mall news release. It's located in the mall's food court (ahem, Dining Pavilion). It's a sweets-and-snacks shop offering pancakes (both keto and "regular"), sweet and savory crepes, shakes, ice-cream cones, coffee and other items.
Coming soon: Inner Circle Vodka Bar
Coming soon to Walnut Street in downtown Springfield: Inner Circle Vodka Bar is expected in early 2020 after a Kickstarter campaign this year.
LandShark Bar and Grill
LandShark Bar and Grillbills itself as "the ultimate waterfront full-service restaurant and bar." It opened on Branson Landing in February, according to the Branson Tri-Lakes News. According to a press release, the menu features “American beach food with a fresh coastal twist and, of course, cold draft LandShark and those fabulous frozen concoctions.”
Little Korea
Little Koreabrought hot pot dining to Springfield for the first time as the central focus of a localAsian restaurant. On a restaurant-development spree, ownerHong "Jay" Jung already opened a ramen shop, Omo Japanese Soul Food, in 2017. He openedKuma Japanese Ramen & Sushi last year. In July, he opened Little Korea. Itshot pot experience is a little bit like French fondue or Italian bagna cauda: You get a variety of vegetables, meats and seafood, all set around vessels ofpiping-hot broth. Then, you dip. Find it at 3354 S. National Ave.
Lucky Tiger Sandwich Co.
Lucky Tiger Sandwich Co. conjures a range of sandwiches and salads from the inspirations available from severalAsian countries, with Vietnamese-inspired banh mi sandwiches at the core of the menu. It also reinterprets American classics through this lens, like a flaming-sweet take on Nashville hot chicken. With craft sodas, hard ciders and sides like house-made Korean-style kimchior tater tots dusted with Japanese togarashi spice. This one is a creation of Cody Smith, one of the co-founders of City Butcher. Both City Butcher and Lucky Tigerare located in the same shopping strip at3654 S. Campbell Ave.
Luna Bar
Luna Bar,a youthful nightlife hotspot,opened in August in the downtown space previously occupied by Studio Bar & Ultralounge at 300 Park Central East.
Coming soon:Margot
Coming soon to Commercial Street: Margot is a pop-up French-inspired bistro by chef Drake Tillman expected to be active inside the Artisan's Oven location in early 2020, Tillman told the News-Leader Dec. 20. Tillman is also tied to Elkhart & The Robberson, a full-fledged restaurant to be located at 300 E. Commercial Street in a 146-year-old building with a quirky underground spacethat was discovered during renovations. Opening for Elkhartis expected in 2021.
Coming soon:Maria's Mexican Restaurant
Coming soon to south Springfield: Downtown classic Maria's Mexican Restaurant announced earlier this year that it would bring its offerings to a new southside location at4601 S. Campbell Ave., across from the Library Center. It is expected to open in January or February, staff told the News-Leader Dec. 20.
Mellow Mushroom
Mellow Mushroom opened in Branson Landing this year. The Georgia-based pizzeria chain has "humble roots, born out of the free-wheelin’ hippyculture of the Seventies," according to the company website. Menu options include appetizers, pizzas, hoagies, calzones and salads.
Mochas and Meows
Mochas and Meows opened in November at 3265 Falls Parkway in Branson. It's a cat cafe, thought to be the first in southwestern Missouri. The cafe portion serves coffee drinks and smoothies, while patrons can cuddle and hang out with a dozen or so feline friends in the cat lounge for a small fee. Most of the cats are up for adoption.
Morning Day Cafe
Morning Day Cafe opened in Nixa in early 2019, with plans to expand as of last month. It offers modern takes on American food including a dish simply called "#Bacon," acaramelized gouda cheese-potato cake topped with two poached eggs and very nice bacon. The owner has a similar restaurant in Liberty, Missouri, but the Nixa one is located at 105 S. Main St.
Neighbor's Mill
Neighbor's Mill, a bakery-cafe with roots in Arkansas, arrived in Springfield in 2016 with a location on south Springfield's Independence Street. They added a second, smaller locationat the edge of central Springfield on May 1, opening up shop in a newly-built commercial plaza at1301 E. Sunshine St. Married owners Lauren and Clif Brown said their customers simply told them the southside location was sometimes a bit far to travel. Both locations share the same menu.
One Drop Coffee Co.
One Drop Coffee Co. replaced The Press Coffee & Juice Bar at the Farmers Park mixed-use development in August, a Farmers Park spokesman told the News-Leader. It sells coffee from Arkansas-basedOnyx Coffee Lab.
Paula Deen's Family Kitchen
Paula Deen's Family Kitchen at Branson Landing has proven to be considerably controversial on the Branson social media scene, but on grand opening day long lines formed at sunrise to get a chance to meet Deen at a special book-signing event. The restaurant offers "family-style" dining with comfort foods served from large platters. The company also has Family Kitchens in Foley, Alabama; Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Two Florida locations and two Texas locations closed thisyear.
Pizza Ranch
Pizza Ranch recently opened in Battlefield Mall. It's afast-casualrestaurant chain that offers a buffet that includespizza, ranch chicken,salads and desserts. The first-in-Springfield location is in a 12,000-square-foot addition at the south end of the mall, facing Glenstone Avenue, just north of Dillard's.
Post Game Pizza
Post Game Pizza opened a Marshfield location in 2016, a Rogersville store in 2018, and this year, an Ozark location at 509 N. 21st St. Pizza, subs, salads, pasta and wings are on the menu.
Queen City Soda & Sweets
Queen City Soda & Sweets recently opened at 301 Park Central West in downtown Springfield. It's a retail spot selling craft soda and vintage candy treats, according to information provided by Downtown Springfield Association, with plans to add ice cream in early 2020.
Red's Giant Hamburg
Was Red's Giant Hamburg the most-anticipated Springfield restaurant of 2019? Probably so, judging by the crowd on opening day. (Two men got in a shouting match over their place in line at the door.) The new Red's is a throwback to the old Red's. Said to be the first drive-through restaurant on Earth, the old Red's was demolished in 1997, 13 years after Sheldon "Red" Chaney closed up shop. The Red's established in August 2019 nowcelebratesthe obsession with Route 66 nostalgia in a hundred ways, from smash burgers and shakes to atomic age decorations placed all over the interior. Note that the new Red's is not located on Route 66 proper: Find it at2301 W. Sunshine St.
The Rock Food & Friends
The Rock Food & Friendsopened over the summer at 4018 S. Lone Pine Ave. in Quarry Town, a mixed-use development that's part of the big surge of new activity in the Galloway neighborhood. The place serves "all the traditional bar favorites like pizza, burgers, wings and tacos," according to Feast magazine, though with lighter twists like optional cauliflower crust on your pizza.
Rove Coffee
Rove Coffee added a location at306 W.McDaniel St. in downtown Springfield this year, according to Downtown Springfield Association. It also has a location on the secure side of the Springfield-Branson NationalAirport. According to its website, Rove roasts its own coffee and stocks food items from Missouri purveyors like Gardener's Orchard and Bakery in Brighton, Askinosie Chocolate and Tea Bar & Bites.
Saint City's Sports Bar & Grill
Saint City's Sports Bar & Grill opened in early 2019 in Branson at3265 Falls Parkway with a range of pub foods including burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and more. It's the sort of place that calls nachos "the Cheese andthe Chip," according to its website.
Shepherd's Mill Restaurant
Shepherd's Mill Restaurant opened in September at the Shepherd of the Hills adventure park, 5586 West Highway 76 in Branson. It serves comfort foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner, some of them named for characters featured inthe iconic American novel and its touristy offspring (e.g., "Old Matt's Chicken Fried Chicken.")
Coming soon:Skully's Food Truck
Coming soonwith brick-and-mortar locations in Rountree: Construction is underway on the former Josh Mitchell Art Gallerybuilding where Skully's Food Truck will locate its ramen/pan-Asian restaurant along with The Royal, a small music hall serving drinks and food. Skully's is running its food truck from the west side of the gallery building while construction is ongoing. Nearby on Pickwick Avenue, Culture Counter, a neighborhood market with a dining area, plans to open in the former Homegrown Food space.
Sugarfire Smoke House
Sugarfire Smoke House announced Dec. 16 that it expected to open Dec. 22 at its location, 1730 E. Republic Road. The barbecue restaurant is part of a St. Louis-based chain that emerged in 2012. The company's chef, Mike Johnson, trained under Food Network star Emeril Lagasse, and developed a menu "to reflect a variety of barbecue styles, techniques and influences found throughout the United States." Brisket, pulled pork and ribs are stars, according to a news release.
Table Rock Area71
Table Rock Area71 announced its full menu was available as of Nov. 28. It's located at 5439 State Highway 165, across from Table Rock State Park. It serves breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, desserts and baked goods, including an American Honey apple bread with a Jack Daniels glaze that was being promoted on social media the week before Christmas.
Coming soon:Taco Habitat
Coming soon to Springfield and Branson: Taco Habitat, a purveyor of fast-casual tacos, burritos, tortas and nachos, served in buildings made partly with recycled shipping containers. The Springfield store in the Glenstone Marketplace is close to opening, according to the company Facebook, while site work is underway in Branson.
Tacos No. 1
Tacos No. 1 opened in September at986 State Hwy 76 East, in Branson across Lake Taneycomo from Branson Landing. It straddles the distinction between food trailer and brick-and-mortar restaurant. Managers Ricardo Vargas and Monica Gomez prepare authentic Mexican street tacos and other itemsin the trailer, making their own fillings like carnitas, barbacoa, chorizo, lengua and al pastor, but you can sit down in a brightly decorated dining roomwith a sign that urges you to "regresa pronto," or come back soon.
Team Taco
Team Taco built buzz about its opening day for months in advance. The taco place, tucked in a small building once used as a French patisserie, is located at1454 E. Cherry St. in central Springfield's Rountree neighborhood.It offers a menu of gourmet tacos with a rotating specialty taco, the ⚡️RINGER⚡️. A recent example was the Pineapple Pig, a $5 taco withsmoked pork shoulder, topped with tangyfried pineapple, house-made verde sauce,pickled onion and cilantro all stuffed in a corn tortilla.
Coming soon:Tequila& Mezcal Mexican Cuisine and Bar
Coming soon in downtown Springfield: Tequila& Mezcal Mexican Cuisine and Bar at 431 S. Jefferson Ave., replacing Yoselin's Mexican Cuisine & More.Sofia Pavon-Wilson told the Springfield Business Journal in mid-December that she expects the rebrand to be completed by Jan. 3. The new place "will be a more upscale concept," the Business Journal reported.
Tonik Sweetwater Saloon
Tonik Sweetwater Saloonopened this fall in downtown Springfield, with a selection ofsmoothies, smoothie bowls, wraps, salads and other items. It also has ayoga studio inside the building at 310 S. Campbell Ave.
The Workshop at Finley Farms
The Workshop at Finley Farms, a new coffee bar serving breakfast and lunch at 604 N. 9th Street in Ozark, recently opened, according to the local chamber of commerce. According to Feast, "the menu stars five toasts with locally sourced ingredients likePersimmon Hilljam,Artisan's OvenBread andEdgewood Creameryfromage blanc." Feast also reported that on Thursday afternoons and evenings, The Workshop serves wine and craft co*cktails.
Vantage
Vantage opened atop V2, the section of the Hotel Vandivort newly built this year. It offers a full bar with a craft co*cktail menu and select eats. No artificial flavorings are used in any of the items served in the luxe space, which includes a rooftop patio with dazzling downtown views and an indoor penthouse with a skylight and plenty of succulentsamid plush furnishings.
