Review: The Precinct in St. Louis

Editor's note: The Precinct has closed.

The identity change from the space that was Jim Edmonds’ 15 Steakhouse to The Precinct has not been a smooth one. Most notably, the law-enforcement theme makes less sense since the St. Louis City Police Headquarters, scheduled to move nearby, continues to be delayed. The departure of The Precinct’s inaugural chef was an uh-oh moment, too. But now, with the help of new chef Ben Welch, the grub is respectable. The service, on the other hand, is far from ready for promotion to sergeant.

START ME UP
Dense and chewy, the warm baked pretzels with a beer mustard and spicy cheese sauce tasted delicious. A friend and I even saved the leftover sauce to slather on everything else we ordered. In the St. Louis of 2014, if a restaurant doesn’t have flatbreads on its appetizer menu, it risks being left behind. The Precinct’s winning contribution to this trend stars wild mushrooms, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, dollops of goat cheese, a lemon-porcini cream and a final layer of shredded fontina cheese. The plump veggies, warm cheeses, lemon notes and solid, doughy crust made for a creamy, crunchy and caramelized delight. The hot wings, ordered with a decent Buffalo sauce, retained their succulent juices. Eight other sauces are also available for the wings, including the spicier and punnier Stop Resisting and Hot Pursuit.

AVENUE 'CUE
The Precinct has staked much of its cred on barbecue, and the quality of what’s coming from its smoker was impressive. The smoked brisket was excellent, and the caramelized fat around the beef added a tasty touch. Truly, it needed no sauce, but the kitchen sent out three rather forgettable options: a sweet, St. Louis-style house sauce; a slightly spicier variant; and an Alabama white. The ribs had the pink, tender meat that results from a sure hand at the smoker, while the moist and smoky turkey was a surprise hit.

SANDWICHES AND SIDES
The roasted cauliflower grilled cheese sandwich sounded inventive, but the cauliflower was crunchy and undercooked. A side of barbecued baked beans was cooked to a questionable mushiness but salvaged by tasty bits of smoked pork in the slurry. The fries, sprinkled with kosher salt and white pepper, were crispy and worth the carbs. The red wine vinaigrette holding the pasta salad together was a tad too subtle. The Precinct has no dessert choices – adding a few might not be a bad idea.

THE ATMOS-FEAR
The Precinct is clotted from floor to ceiling with police memorabilia, and the clientele may very well include a few cops at any given time. If you have an outstanding warrant, just “maintain” dude – you can get through this. While you’re chilling out, have a drink; the pub offers free shuttles to and from Cardinals and Blues games. During games, the joint is hopping. Want to bring the kids? A Skee-Ball machine will keep them busy.

SO-SO SERVICE, NO SERVICE
Service at The Precinct was just OK on one visit and a carnival of apathy on the other. During the latter, we were encouraged to sit anywhere and then ignored. Silverware was eventually provided – after we stared at our food for some time. (The table next to ours endured the same treatment.) We received no plates to split appetizers and finally gave up and fetched them ourselves. Water was never refilled. Adding insult to injury, each time we did manage to locate our server and essentially beg for assistance, she rolled her eyes at the imposition. On the plus side, wet wipes for cleanup after eating ribs are available upon request.

THE TAKEAWAY
With tasty appetizers, flatbreads and barbecue, the viands at The Precinct are worth the trip. Let’s hope management works out the bugs in service, which currently tends more bad cop than good.