St. Louis Restaurants That Are Closed But Never Forgotten

The Three Fountains

4306 Olive St.
Three Fountains was the most chic of all of the Gaslight Square establishments. It had multiple levels and a luxurious feel and it served expensive steaks to the always-wild crews that partied in the classic entertainment district.

Photo courtesy of Paul Sableman / Flickr

Al Baker's

8101 Clayton Rd.
The Tonys of its time, Al Baker's had an exclusive air. It wasn't just the kind of place that you took a date to impress them, it was the kind of place where you'd take a visiting dignitary. The business closed in the early 1990s and the building has since been knocked down to make way for a CVS. How very uncivilized.

Photo courtesy of STL Media History

An American Place

800 Washington Ave.
Located inside what was the Renaissance Grand Hotel (now a Marriott), An American Place was legendarily delicious. This opulent, bi-level beauty remained upscale in a time when many competitors were going casual. An American Place was fancy until the end.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Balaban's

405 N. Euclid Ave.
An anchor on the northern end of Euclid Avenue for 35 years, Balaban's is still much-lamented by its neighbors ten years after its closing. As the RFT's Ian Froeb would later write, "The chef statue outside the front door, the classic liqueur ads on the walls, the antique cash register on the bistro bar ... pushed primal buttons." But when the chef tried to change the menu in 2006 and (gasp) ban smoking, the writing was on the wall. It closed less than two years later. Balaban's still exists in Chesterfield, and it's apparently a lovely place, but as the "in Chesterfield" part makes clear, it just isn't the same.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

Audi-K's

235 N. Euclid Ave.
This bright, happy little cafe could always be counted on for great food at a small price. It specialized in hot dogs (including a delicious veggie dog) and shaved ice, which might seem like an odd combination but proved a great business model. This place only closed because the family who owned it moved out of town.

Photo courtesy of RFT

Kitchen Sink

255 Union Blvd.
Inside this small storefront hid a little restaurant with big flavor. Kitchen Sink took the best of Cajun and Creole flavors and mixed them with sweet treats, always creating new flavor combinations like these sweet potato fries covered in marshmallow goodness.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen