The Dressel’s that finally debuted in late May looks both familiar and thoroughly transformed. The original pub and the newer dining room are now essentially one contiguous space (though they are still partially separated by a service bar and wall). Some of the restaurant’s signature music- and literature-themed decor has returned, but the arrangements are much less cluttered than before.

Most dramatically, inspired by a brewpub he visited in Ridgway, Colorado, Dressel has installed a small brewhouse in the restaurant’s basement. You can see the equipment through a large opening in the dining room floor. Dressel has created a separate brand for the brewery, the Rock & Horse Brewing Co., and ideally will launch the beers by Thanksgiving. In the interim, the restaurant serves a selection of local craft brews as well as cocktails and a few wines.

I might have waited until Dressel’s was pouring its own pints before filing a review, but a three-year hiatus doesn’t leave much time for patience. Also, after everything that happened to the restaurant industry during the pandemic, I don’t want to take Dressel’s return for granted, not least because the food at this St. Louis icon is as excellent now as it has ever been in the two decades I’ve been dining here.

Read the full article on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.