Bulrush StL Restaurant, St. Louis MO

Delicous perfection with every bite! Just make the reservation and you will be in for one of the best meals in your life - right here in "the Lou"! Yes that is a big statement but the Bulrush team will live up to it. The meal was extraordinary - the service was awesome - the knowledge and stories about the food made it even better - (if that was even possible). My ony regret.that I waited so damn long to come here. Long live Ozark cusine!

Out of this world experience to be able to hear from the chef before each course is served. As a fan of Missouri history, to learn and taste recipes that are over 100 years old is a gift. Restaurants like this usually only exist in New York or overseas. You must come to this restaurant to experience Michelin dining in the Midwest.

My short review does not do this experience the justice it deserves. The food is amazing. Missouri is blessed to have such a talented chef make it his home. He has done a remarkable job of incorporating history into his art. I'm particularly impressed with the flavor and texture combinations. I also have high regard for his business practices. Nicely done, Chef! I'm very impressed. Anyone reading this review, please consider visiting Bulrush and see for yourself.

Every course was amazing. The alcohol pairings were also very well done and delicious. I would have loved more of each course but also at the end dessert course we were full. Perfect evening.

For any sober foodies out there…last night my SIL and BIL treated my husband and I to a really special dinner at Bulrush (in midtown) …it’s a cool restaurant with a food course tasting and beverage pairing. As soon as we sat down to wait for our table, they brought over a heated cider in a tea cup (I immediately called the bartender back over to whisper that I’m sorry but I don’t drink alcohol - and he kindly replied…we know, it’s NA, we’ve got you). I got to enjoy sipping a unique, fun beverage with my entire group! Then, we were walked over to the tasting room. With each course, they presented me with specially crafted NA beverages to complement the food. They were unique and so refreshing. The owner came over to introduce each course and after one of them I thanked him for preparing these special options for me - incredibly rare experience in STL.

He said that he wants each of his customers to have the same experience - whether you’re sober, in a wheel chair or 300lbs like one of his regulars. The tasting takes 2 hours and he wants everyone to be comfortable and relaxed.

He is also super involved in the culinary program at Normandy HS, he has a no waste restaurant, everything is locally sourced and before every meal and beverage you get a history lesson on where it came from. Needless to say, if you have a very special occasion to celebrate (and you want to feel fully included with your group or special someone), Bulrush restaurant in Midtown is worth the splurge! I cannot wait to go back!

My husband humors my enjoyment of expensive tasting menus but even he 1) loved the food and 2) felt full at the end of the meal. I had the vegetarian option and appreciated getting a protein replacement versus more vegetables which is often what happens. The gravy for one of the dishes was over salted (+blackened tempeh) but food was otherwise so good. The last course was one of the best desserts I've ever had.

Service was efficient if somewhat impersonal and a bit rushed. But I can't imagine having to repeat the same stuff every twenty minutes all night long, either.

Only suggestion - chef mentioned they had gotten rid of videos? But we are nerds and loved the reading on the history of the area and the food research. We definitely would have read more stuff like that. I also loved hearing about the various orgs being supported and the pro-environmental aspects of the food service, even if I am adding to our end stage capitalist hellscape by browsing the container store.

Chef Rob and team were amazing. The food was like none other that I have ever had- and just the most delicious, too! Wow. What an experience!

This is the best restaurant in St. Louis. Probably my favorite restaurant of all time. Chef Rob and his team are creative, talented, and engaging. The food is absolutely delicious every time, but it also goes much deeper than that. There’s a bigger purpose to the work that Chef Rob does here and it’s special to be a part of it when you visit.

This was (and I’m not exaggerating) the most unique and fun fine dining experience I’ve ever had. Prepare for exciting and amazing dishes with a cool little story behind each one. We were there for over 2 hours and were sad when it came to an end. The head chef is very personable and is open to any questions you have, which was awesome to see. I’ll leave you readers with this, come here and you will leave thinking of when is the next time you can come. 10/10

Chef Rob and his staff are absolutely amazing! Sydney and Dalton do a fantastic job with the drinks! Chef Rob, Zack, and the rest of the culinary team are extremely talented with the Ozark inspired flavors and ideas. We wholeheartedly LOVE this restaurant!

One of the best tasting meal I’ve been at. Visiting St Louis, the connection to the history, the presentation along with delicious food and atmosphere is just a wonderful experience!

This was the best eating experience I’ve had and I’ll be back. Every course was amazing and I love the care, dedication, and passion that goes into the both the food and the overall theme of the restaurant. I do not know of any other restaurant that’s doing what this one is doing.

The alcohol pairings weren’t our favorite but we thought the apple cocktail was incredible.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and cozy. The service is top notch.

Update: over a year later and it's still 5/5!

This experience was so unique, educational, motivational, and delicious! If I could, I'd eat here every month.

What an amazing resturaunt! The atmosphere is wonderful and the food is delightful. We will likely go again before we move out of town. Fair warning about the parking though: you must pull in backwards to park or you will get a ticket. There is signage but it is worn and can't be read.

My boyfriend and I came to this place during our visit to St. Louis after reading rave reviews about it online. We went in well-dressed and excited with high expectations, but unfortunately were left feeling extremely disappointed and underwhelmed.

Dining at the restaurant definitely taught us a lot about the ozark history. I have a lot of respect for the time and enthusiasm the owner put into researching the history, arranging youtube videos, and conveying this information to the guests. His concerns about the environment and zero-waste efforts are also very laudable. His direct interactions with all of the guests and attempts to answer questions were refreshing. The food, however, was very lacking and mediocre.

The concept of watching your food being made is fun and exciting. Understandably, they can’t make everything and plenty is prepared in advance. Except they really didn’t seem to make much of anything at all. A few grilled mushrooms here, and a delicate but also pompous plating there… and that’s it. I know there’s probably a kitchen in the back and they work throughout the day as most kitchens do, but this gaudy element of pseudo showmanship missed a serious mark. Again, that’s fine. It’s an aesthetic and part of the bulrush experience. What annoys me is the price tag and the faint whiff of haughtiness that comes with it. The kitchen hands also looked apathetic, disinterested, and lacked focus. They didn’t look like professional chefs, just professional food assemblers. I did not trust that they knew to prepare food properly and that was evident in what was eventually served. The food was either too plain, too sour, too salty, or overall a very big disappointment. The steak had so many big chunks of fat in it that I was only able to eat about half of it. The poissants were cute but definitely not something I would pay that much money for, especially given that there were only about two small pieces of it on our plates. The beets, brussel sprouts, asparagus, fried onions that we were served, I can find and reproduce in my own kitchen. For the amount of money we paid, I expected a lot more flavor, unique ingredients, and creativity. I asked the owner why Ozark and he admitted it was an entrepreneurial strategy to stand out. He loved to repeat to our audience that night that “no one else” is doing it! Well when you taste the food you can kinda see why…? I can’t deny though that the chefs know how to make something look appetizing in pictures. That’s what initially attracted us to the restaurant. The pretty platings and colorfully spectacular arrangements were what got us in the door. The experience has been worth it in the sense that for all that we paid for, we got a good lesson to not eat with our eyes, and a funny story to tell our friends back at home.

Incredible staff and a most memorable dining experience! 11/10 would recommend. Will be back. Thanks
9/23/2023

I don’t have words to describe the amazing and beautiful experience. The drinks are outstanding