Restaurants in O'Fallon

Yard-long lineups of glasses overflowing with beers such as Boulevard Wheat, Guinness, and Rolling Rock are a common sight at Maryland Yards. The party-size servings go well with this lively bar and eatery’s 16 TVs, arsenal of pool tables and dartboards, and stream of music and lost web crawlers flowing from an Internet jukebox. More than 20 sandwiches and wraps—such as a fried-pork-loin sandwich or a classic french dip—leave the kitchen alongside bacon-and-cheddar potato skins and spicy or sweet wings, each designated to refuel appetites after a round of trivia, karaoke, or poker.

What do a cowgirl, a rocket ship, and Mayan statues have in common? They're all painted on the side of Giddy Up Breakfast Bar's building. By night, the Atomic Cowboy bar inhabits the space, which is rife with stretches of dark hardwood and exposed brick. By day, Giddy Up spills forth with aromas of flour tortillas, chorizo, and melting feta. Sunlight pours in through the windows, cutting through the steam forming wreaths around freshly brewed Kaldi's coffee and espresso drinks with flavored syrups. While cruising Giddy Up's free WiFi in a cozy booth, guests eye the selection of freshly baked goods, which, like the weather, or the color of a dog's nail polish, change with the seasons.

The cooks at Paul’z Burgerz & Dogz, which nabbed a runner-up spot for the city’s Best Burger in the Riverfront Times restaurant guide, churn out an expansive menu populated by tongue-thrilling twists on two Americana staples. The Cockadoolemoo burger combines a patty, bacon, and fried egg, blurring the lines between meals, much like a caesar salad sprinkled with Cap’n Crunch. The Windy City dog includes classic Chicago--style ingredients—mustard, relish, sport peppers, and terms of agreement prohibiting the use of ketchup—accompanied by chips and fries, which are made fresh every day. Visitors chow down in Paul’z’s lively, welcoming dining room, whose vibrant orange and red walls are decked out in autographed photos and headlines and wainscoted in corrugated metal, adding a slightly industrial vibe to the friendly establishment.

As mixed drinks and frosty brews get to know each other on Phil's Bar & Grill's weathered wooden bar, the steam of fresh-to-order pub fare scuttles up its vaulted ceiling. The cozy dive seats roughly 75 people, with additional standing room suited for chest bumping after a big play shines down from wall-mounted TVs. Patrons can two-hand hearty sandwiches or sate omelet and gravy longings with a menu of all-day breakfast options. And with live weekend entertainment and daily all-you-can-eat specials, Phil's encourages lingering among all visitors, not just the regular who rents out the janitor's closet as a studio apartment.