This past winter, I got the opportunity to visit Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works in St. Louis, Missouri. Fitz's is most famously known for their root beer
which they began making in 1947 and serving at a hamburger joint in Richmond Heights, Missouri. This drive-in lasted until 1970, when the owner retired and closed the business. Fitz's Root Beer seem to be gone forever. But in 1985, the recipe was brought back and Fitz's was available again for the public's enjoyment. The restaurant itself opened in 1993, in the Delmar Loop area.
The best reason to eat at Fitz's is of course the root beer. Nothing like a root beer fresh out of a tap and into a frosty glass mug. There is a freshness to it, that you can't experience any other way. Besides root beer you can also get diet root beer, cream soda, orange pop, and grape pop. I made sure to try every single flavor (minus the diet). They also offer some flavors only in bottles like their strawberry pop (best strawberry pop ever!) and orange cream, which you can buy to take home
Another great reason to come to Fitz's is the atmosphere. The restaurant was built in 1928 and still has some of it's original charm and character. But the best sight to see is you can watch them bottle their root beer and other drinks. There are large windows on the main floor, where you can watch the bottling process happen. This is a fun thing for kids. My 3 year old daughter enjoyed watching them make "daddy's tasty". They don't bottle at all times, so you have to come at the right time to see it. We were there on a Saturday afternoon.
As for the food itself, honestly it's nothing special. I had fish & chips and it was alright. The main draw of this place is the soda pop and watching it be bottled. I wish they would put a little more effort into the food to make it an all around perfect experience.
Fitz’s American Grill & Bottling Works is located at 6605 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130. Their phone number is (314) 726-9555. They are open daily at 11am and close sometime between 9pm and midnight depending on the day of the week or the season. Call ahead if you are coming in late.
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