Restaurants in Wood River

Though upgraded and modernized with new amenities, Sam’s Steakhouse is housed in an early-20th-century building and preserves an Old World charm while offering a selection of succulent steaks. Patrons can sidle up to a wooden bar or sit beneath soft track lighting at a table near a gently crackling fireplace. Large banquet settings and private party rooms are also available to host larger parties. Soft music enhances the atmosphere as appetizers such as lobster ravioli and shrimp fromage pave roads toward massive 24-ounce porterhouse steaks and fried lobster tails accompanied by delicate wines.

Its retro neon sign and green-trimmed brick façade give Crusoe’s a retro allure. The interior follows suit: antique Pepsi-Cola signs and vintage artwork pop against the backdrop of canary-yellow walls. Here, chefs prepare a menu of hearty American comfort food. They serve fried chicken with bowls of thick gravy, for instance, and slowly smoke barbecued pork. Additionally, they pile burgers with toppings such as fried pickles and sautéed mushrooms and showcase sandwiches such as the Reuben, philly cheesesteak, and roast beef au jus. The restaurant’s bar is open until 3 a.m. seven nights a week, allowing customers to drink, socialize, and listen to bedtime tales from wise old olives.

Inside the St. Louis Downtown Airport, travelers excitedly bustle about on their way to distant destinations or emerge from vacations rested and ready to return home. The constant stream of action is all part of the experience for diners at Crusoe’s on the Runway, which combines the spectacle of air travel with hearty American meals. Whether they’re traveling or just stopping by for a bite, diners fill their bellies as they overlook two of the three runways from the airport’s east ramp. St. Louis–style pizza, steaks, and pastas satiate hunger pangs, along with comfort food such as Mom’s meatloaf and country-fried steak. As they watch Airbus A320 jetliners and lightweight Boeing 757 aircrafts launch into the sky and gently touch down on the runway from their tables, guests can hold up score cards to judge the pilots’ form.

Founded in 1954 by James McLamore and David Edgerton, Burger King rapidly expanded from humble beginnings as a lone burger joint to more than 12,400 locations across 79 countries today, making it the second-largest fast-food-hamburger chain in the world. Its signature burger—the Whopper sandwich—consists of flame-broiled, quarter-pound beef patties crowned with a miniature fedora and a fully customizable array of toppings such as tomatoes, onions, and dill pickles. Focused on continual improvement, the chain recently reinvented the fries that accompany each value meal, outfitting the spud slices with a thicker cut of potato for a fluffier texture on the inside and crispier golden-brown exterior. A spread of decadent desserts including dutch apple pie and an Oreo sundae keeps sweet teeth from elongating into fangs, and made-to-order breakfast sandwiches clasp eggs, american cheese, and bacon, sausage, or ham between two halves of a flaky croissant to round out the speedy menu.

At It’s a Better Burger, staff focus on one thing: how to make the tastiest creations ever to fill slices of bread. Their entire menu can be broken into three distinct sandwich categories, featuring their gourmet burgers, chicken sandwiches, and specialty sandwiches, all of which showcase their love of this gastronomic genre. Burgers come in three sizes or with two patties, and can be topped with everything from barbeque sauce, pulled pork, and haystack onions to garlic mushrooms and sweet peppers. Their chicken sandwiches transfer the flavors of the burgers to a grilled or crispy chicken breast, while the rest of the menu is dedicated to classics such as the BLT and unique versions such as the chipotle salmon burger. They offer a select menu of diner fare with their burgers, pairing dishes with fresh fries, fried corn on the cob, hand-dipped milkshakes, and their famous cheesecake.

Globe lights hang from Delmar Lounge's red awning, beckoning nighthawks in to enjoy homestyle Cajun fare and live music late into the night. The kitchen churns out house-smoked barbecue ribs, southern-style shrimp and grits, and po boy sandwiches until 2 a.m. every night of the week, fortifying bodies and fueling feet in preparation for live DJ dance parties, jazz sets, and hourly potato sack races that sustain the convivial atmosphere until 3 a.m.