Redbirds Sports Café & Billiards Strikes Out for this Foodie Fanatic

Okay, I'll admit it – I'm not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination. I'd much rather watch paint dry than suffer through an evening of Sunday night football. Hockey just confuses me, and I don't understand the appeal of basketball; March Madness just doesn't interest me.

So when it comes to sports bars, much of the appeal is lost on me. However, that didn't stop me from making a visit to , as food can be delicious no matter where it's served. Apparently, the lure of food is enough to get me to go just about anywhere.

I stopped by on a quiet weekday afternoon for lunch. The place itself is easy enough to find, with its larger-than-life billboard outside of the building. I walked into the expansive building, not exactly sure what to expect. I was prepared for the worst: loud blaring TVs, raucous fans watching the latest sporting event, waitresses wearing next to nothing while serving platters of hot, sizzling food.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) I experienced none of that while at Redbirds Café. No, it was the complete opposite; the establishment was mostly empty. I heard a quiet murmur of voices. There was one flickering television that was on, and it was sitting directly over the bar. However, the most interesting thing about Redbirds Sports Café was how dark it was. Mood lighting, this was not. It was dark.

"Is this place open?" I wondered to myself.

And then it hit me: a fairly large cloud of smoke wafting toward the bar. (Whatever happened to the St. Louis smoking ban?) Redbirds Sports Café was indeed open for business.

I seated myself and was presented with a menu. One thing the place has going for it is its expansive menu. Everything from mozzarella sticks ($5.95) to Redbirds Ribs ($10.95) was offered. An impressive selection of burgers, sandwiches and entrees filled the menu.

I settled on the Classic BLT ($5.95). This decidedly American mainstay came with all of the classics: crispy bacon, green leaf lettuce and fresh tomato. It was served on your choice of bread – Texas Toast, Kaiser bun, or pretzel roll – I went with the pretzel roll, and was served with waffle fries.

The sandwich itself was good; the roll was soft and chewy, and the bacon was crispy, just as the menu promised. The waffle fries were crispy and paired wonderfully with the sandwich.

However, the sandwich was just good; not great. Everything was served at just above room temperature; a few degrees hotter and this mediocre meal may have been transformed into something great.

More than anything else, however, the atmosphere at Redbirds Café left a lot to be desired. There was the aforementioned smoke and the surroundings itself. It was all very drab and made for a somewhat depressing dining experience.

My advice when it comes to Redbirds Sports Café? Order your food to-go. You'll be doing yourself a huge favor.