First Look: Hi-Pointe Drive-In in downtown St. Louis

Hi-Pointe Drive-In will open its next location in the former Porano Pasta space in downtown St. Louis tomorrow, April 11.

The original Hi-Pointe Drive-In at 1033 McCausland Ave. is constructed of colorful shipping containers and caters to those grabbing a bite before seeing a movie at the Hi-Pointe Theater or heading to Forest Park.

The restaurant’s second location at 634 Washington Ave., is a prime roll-thru spot for meandering sports fans, urban explorers, and intoxicated partiers looking for a dank burger. To accommodate the late-night crowd, Hi-Pointe chef Adam Prichett said there’s an “-ish” included in the restaurant’s closing times. As long as the door’s unlocked, Hi-Pointe staff will be slinging food.

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With the opening of the downtown location, Hi-Pointe will roll out an updated menu at both locations that includes many of its popular sandwiches and salads, and also features new dishes like the massive Arch D-Lux, an Impossible Burger, a Frisco Melt and a Rye Felicia (essentially a patty melt, complete with a double burger, Swiss, grilled onions on seeded rye bread).

Pritchett said he also expects the new location to offer the same level of wild (and often collaborative) daily specials. “We’ll collaborate with anybody we can. Anybody that wants to hang out and have a good time, we’re down,” he said.

The Hi-Pointe will feature an array of alternative sodas, as well as an onslaught of boozy shakes, including a rotating Strange Donuts shake, vanilla, strawberry, butterscotch and dreamsicle.

A Big Shakes menu includes selections like Totally S’more-tified, Children of the Cornflakes and Jungle Love Ore-Oreo. An assortment of soda floats are also available.

On the boozier side of the drinks menu, look for three Urban Chestnut brews on tap, including the Hi.P.A., an original IPA made exclusively for the Hi-Pointe. The eatery will also have cans available from local breweries.

Hi-Pointe Drive-In will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Here's a first look of what to expect at Hi-Pointe's newest location.

Adam Rothbarth is a staff writer at Sauce Magazine.