Burgers, A.I., and a Birthday make for

An Interesting Combination for Dining Divas

By Lisa Kampeter

The search is always on for a good burger joint, and once again, the Dining Divas found one in the DeMun neighborhood of Clayton, appropriately called Barrio.

The Birthday Diva requested we go to a place with a good burger, and if we did, she’d bake her own birthday cake and bring it for all of us to share. Having luckily been the recipients of her fabulous desserts in the past, we knew making this choice was literally a piece of cake.

The carpool ride to the restaurant sent us winding through lovely neighborhoods rather than sitting in the awful 170 and 40 rush hour traffic. The Teacher Diva said her commute to the restaurant brought back memories of her college days when she’d take the backroads to college (Fontbonne), the same route she took that night. The Reminiscing Divas remembered the restaurant Jimmy’s on the Park, the place they’d first tried flash-fried spinach, that once was located on Demun. What a great, fun restaurant that was.

When asking about the possibility of reservations, the manager said, “we’re not that kind of place, but just give me a call about an hour or so before you arrive, and we’ll figure something out.” And he did. Luckily we got there early as the crowd started arriving about 90 minutes after we’d gotten there, and indoor seating isn’t abundant. Now when the weather is consistently warmer, their patio would be great for outdoor dining.

The month before, the Dining Divas went to Dado’s Cafe, a Greek restaurant on Hampton in the St. Louis Hills. Although I’d made a reservation, the person who took it must have forgotten to tell anyone we were coming. However unexpected a group of our size was, the waitstaff sure was accommodating and attentive to us.   They worked really hard for us. We had such a great time, and it was great food. I know it was Greek, but I had the best French Dip I’ve probably ever had.

I bring this up because the folks at Barrio were the same way. They were so accommodating, playful, and we found ourselves entertained. When a “well-served” female patron kept coming to our table and giving us advice, the manager felt the need to apologize. “Stay off social media until after the election, it’s not good for you,” said the drunk woman. I had to agree with her, but I feel that way about social media regardless if there’s an election. “What is your leadership style…for women?” I don’t believe she ever gave us her answer for that one as she continued to tell us about the amount of work she was doing and how Apple laid her off in 2017.   “Watch out for AI. And facial recognition. And eye scanning.”   She was loud and random, and we had a few laughs from it. I wanted to invite her back to our table to see what she thought of “Alexa”, but the ladies nixed that idea.   Barrio’s small kitchen and storage space meant a small menu, but what they had was fabulous. We tried an order of their fried cheese as an appetizer and immediately had to order another one. The manager said he first served them at a Super Bowl party, and they were a hit. He should keep serving them up.

Oh, and his buddy makes different flavors of sangria. This night, a plum-flavored one was featured. It was probably the best sangria I’ve ever had, and several others agreed.

The majority of us ordered either a regular Cheeseburger or the Outlaw Burger, what we burger afficionados refer to as a BBQ burger. I’m a barbecue sauce snob, and this one was deliciousness with a little kick. Everyone agreed. These are really good burgers.One Diva tried Street Tacos, with chorizo, birria, and chicken. Yum! And the Quesadilla special, off the menu, should be considered for being a regular menu item. Another great choice.

Barrio also serves hand-dipped shakes, Fitz’s floats, and Hank’s cheesecakes, but the Birthday Diva had us covered for dessert. She brought a layered banana cake with Nutella frosting. “Let me know when you’re opening your own bakery,” said one Diva. Not surprising, it not only tasted great; it looked professionally decorated. And so as to not upset the manager that we brought our own dessert, we gave him a huge slice. Everyone was very neighborly. Add in some commentary by an intoxicated stranger, that’s entertaining. Throw in a good burger, and that makes for an all-around great night in the barrio

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