Applegate’s

Pretty disappointed I didnt stumble upon this place years ago (first time last month). There is some really good BBQ here and some really good sides. They also have some very convenient hours unlike alot of other good BBQ places.
We went on Sunday and they told us that kids eat for free which is incredible. When he told us this I expected them to give my kid a piece of bread or something but it was a full meal that he couldnt even finish. Ironically we still got charged for it but didnt realize until after we left. But service and food was so good I wouldnt have cared if I did notice while we were there.
The guys working here are always really nice and appreciative of your business. Its not the best BBQ in St. Louis but its always very good for sure worth a try.

We stopped in here to try and avoid the crowd at Bread Co across the street, and we were so happy we did. The service was excellent, and the food was great. The employees were very knowledgeable about the menu and even offered us a samples when we inquired about the jalapeño baked beans (which were very good by the way).

I am a fan because this is my go to spot for lunch when I need to grab a quick bite and want to spend no more than 6 bucks.
I go in and get their chicken salad, served with either grapes or Gouda cheese and a large fresh brewed iced tea. It’s consistently good and easy peasy.
For those that don’t like chicken salad, they have sandwiches, simple salads, a variety of daily soups, chips, cookies, and on the other side of the shop is Dickey’s BBQ.

This was my first visit to this Deli. A little strange, all cold sandwiches are already made and are sitting waiting for you to take them away. I went with a smoked chicken salad wrap. The darn thing was delicous and plentiful. In and out in 3 minutes… can’t beat that. You can also order from Dickey’s BBQ, but I am not much of a fan.

Even though I drive by Applegate’s all of the time, the last time that I actually went was in sixth grade with my best friend (she lived behind there) when they were still a market, to buy candy and Jolt Cola. Now they have a huge soup bar, chips, drinks, a grab and go case with sandwiches, salads, potato salad, pasta salad, etc, and share the space with a Dickey’s Barbecue. When I heard that they had so many soups, I became intrigued, and decided to look up some reviews from my fellow Unilocalers. My friend Patt C. wrote a 4 star review, and I was about half way through when I saw the words «BIG PICKLE» and «FREE»…put together… in the same sentence. Oh yeah. Now I’m beyond intrigued. I’m going. ASAP.
So a day or two went by before I could make it, but I finally went today. And they really DO have a lot of soup choices! Out of about 8 soups, three were meatless, so I was pretty impressed. They had things like chili and lobster bisque and chicken noodle, and the three meatless soups were tomato with cheese ravioli, veggie black bean, and cream of broccoli. I decided to get a small cup (they have 3 sizes) of both the tomato ravioli and the cream of broccoli. I also swung by the grab and go case and got pasta salad (bowtie pasta with pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, and regular tomatoes) and potato salad (creamy dill). They were in really tiny serving cups, probably just the right amount for a side at lunch. And even though I don’t eat meat, because I wanted to check out the pickle situation, I swung by the Dickey’s side as well, and ordered a side of waffle iron fries and mac and cheese. The guy working there informed me that I had a few minute wait for the fries (Made to order fries? What a concept!) so I made a beeline for that glorious pickle bucket, and helped myself to one… or four. It doesn’t strike me as the most sanitary thing on earth, but the toppings bar was actually really clean (as was the soup bar-​I saw the girl checking it when I was there and another guy wiping and taking out the trash), and they had tongs. And if I had a nickel for every time I ate a pickle from a barrel in NY in very possibly less than sanitary conditions, I’d be a rich lady.
All of the little cups and sides added up to a perfect lunch, and everything was really delicious, and tasted homemade. Even the mac and cheese was really good, and didn’t taste boxed or frozen to me. And those fries… now that serving was too darn small! Sooo good. Seasoned with a little salt and pepper, and fresh, they were definitely worth the order. It was a bit pricey on the market side for what I got, and I don’t know if I’d get the ravioli soup again, but I would definitely get a much bigger cup of the broccoli soup, and a lot more sides. And you know I’ll be back to Dickey’s for their sides too… and of course, pickles! Thanks Patt!

Applegate’s is a little hidden gem in Brentwood. It’s completely overshadowed by the neighboring Bread Co but hey this place is a local place and carries local foods (The cup, Billy Goat chips, etc) which is nice. The positives about this place? The soup selection (I’m a soup guy and St Louis generally sucks for soup), it’s quick and easy to grab something made daily and not fried, and now they’ve added Dickey’s BBQ. The last positive is personal preferrence but they have recently dropped Jilly’s as their cupcake for The Cup… Just my personal preferrence.
The negatives? For as good as things are, the selection is limited when it comes to the premade sandwiches and wraps. I mean I understand you’re a local deli but eh. Perhaps a little station where you can change things and they can make them to order? Another is that Dickey’s and Applegate’s are two seperate entities so you have to pay seperately. It sucks when you are there during lunch and have to go stand in line for both sides.

First time today. Close to work. There’s actually lots of seating in here, which is not what I deciphered from other reviews.
We went early. .. . 11 a.m. Probably four people were already having lunch in there. .. two singles and one couple.
I walked around for 15 minutes to get the lay of the land. Where are the soups, where are the premade sandwiches, where is the barbeque?
They carry cupcakes by The Cup, Dad’s scotch oatmeal cookies and Billy Goat chips. .. supporting the locals.
The homemade soups are along the front wall. Today’s offerings were chicken noodle, chicken and rice, chicken and dumpling, tomato bisque, lobster bisque, garden vegetable, and broccoli and cheese.
You scoop your own. There are three sizes.
The premade sandwiches, wraps and salads, along with fruit cups and parfaits are in the cooler case. The salads looked spent. The sandwiches and wraps looked OK, but I just imagined the moisture from the meats oozing into the bread or wrap to make a wilty, soggy mess.
Most of the fruit cups proclaimed fresh pineapple was included. Ok.
I opted for the Dickey’s barbeque. Got a two-​meat meal for $ 10.99. Selected polish sausage and pulled pork. My two sides were green beans with bacon and fried onion tatters (which I had to ask what they are. .. and they’re like onion straws).
My dining partner got a one-​meat meal for $ 7.99 with two sides. She chose pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, and fried okra.
They cook your sides when you order them, so they’re not sitting under a heat lamp, or getting lame and limp.
We told them we’d never been there before, and the guys on the barbeque side told us everything we needed to know. Very friendly and patient until we were ready to order.
I also got a medium size container of the lobster bisque and a medium of the chicken and dumpling soup (totaled $ 8).
Nothing comes with barbeque sauce on it. There are three self-​serve sauces you can pick, and they’re all heated. One is Dickey’s original, one is sweet, one is hot and spicy. Containers and tops are all right there, if you’re on a carryout, which we were.
Also at that station are the huge whole pickles like the ones you find at the butcher shop in the barrel! I speared two and packed them into my to-​go vessel. They’re free.
Further free, with every order, help yourself to the frozen custard. Cone or cup! Cups have lids, so you can take it to-​go.
Interestingly, there are two registers. My barbeque meal had to be rung up at one. The soup had to be rung up at the other. Querky!
Finally to the food: the polish sausage was moist diagonally cut coins of lucious flavor. The pulled pork was a little dry, but with great flavor. I opted for the Dickey’s original barbeque sauce but I’m not much of a sauce person, so I used it sparingly.
The green beans with bacon were not green beans. .. they were pole beans. Yes, the bacon was there, but pole beans don’t have the same flavor that green beans have — they’re more earthy. The fried onion tatters were a huge portion (lunch by itself), lovely crisp greasiness with great flavor.
Dining partner really liked her pulled pork. I tried a bite of her macaroni and cheese. It was creamy cheesy deliciousness (I think it’s five-​cheese). And she raved about the fried okra.
The lobster bisque was quite sweet, very flavorful of lobster, no chunks but little pieces. Nice and creamy.
The chicken and dumpling soup was full of plump and lucious dumplings with carrot and celery in a grand thick creamy sauce with beautifully and perfectly diced chicken. Just delicious! No major taste profile here, just comfort food.
Both of our meals came with an interesting roll. I don’t even know how to describe it. .. rather flat, a little sweet-​tasting, dense. I was going to bypass it, but after one taste, I ate the whole thing.
Now with all the food I got. .. and for a nearly $ 20 lunch. .. I brought home enough food for at least three more meals!

Flavorless BBQ and the meat was dried out.
I’ve given them two tries and both times were a total disappointment.
No need for the third strike, I’m done.

This gets a Meh, with a capital M. Now granted I had only a premade wrap, but the premade wraps/​sandwiches are about 50% of the options. The chicken bacon wrap was overall unappealing, but I didn’t try any of the soup or the 5 or 6 BBQ options they had. I’ll probably give this place another shot since I’ll be living within walking distance, but until then overall underachieved.

I thought this place was lame. It does not have much to choose from, and half the shelves were empty. Reminds me of a place that just opened, but apparently it has been there for years.
They do have a huge soup selection, but I’m not a big soup person so I didn’t really care. I don’t like the fact that all the sandwiches are premade, as I am picky about what is on my sammy or wrap.
It is very clean and has some booths and tables to sit and eat.
I don’t see myself going here much eventhough I will be living right up the street. I could make a better and less expensive deli sandwich or salad at home.

I popped in one day for a quick lunch and was pleasantly surprised. The Applegate’s menu might be limited compared to some, but what the have they do well. The barbecue and sandwiches are simple and delicious. The soup is also fantastic and they have Jilly’s Cupcakes!
What really makes a great impression on me is the service. They’re always warm, friendly and welcoming. The only drawback I’ve ever experienced is that they’ve sometimes closed sooner than the advertised time. Other than that, I love Applegate’s!

This is a generous 3-​stars because I’m really not a fan of this place. But, I did just try their BBQ for the first time and it was pretty good, so I bumped it up a notch. My main complaint is that it is pretty pricey for what you get. All the sandwiches and salads are already prepared and sitting in the cooler. They are probably made that morning, but still. Bread Co. is right across the street and about the same price.
They usually have about 6 different types of soup and the usual variety of chicken salad, tuna, turkey on bread or croissants. Those I’ll pass on. But the pulled pork sandwich was very substantial and, while not the best I’ve ever had, it was pretty good. I think it cost around $ 5.75 just for the sandwich. You can add 2 sides for like $ 7.25ish.
They also have Jilly’s cupcakes and Dad’s cookies.

I don’t like getting my soup out of those giant soup pots that everyone else and their mother has dug into. What do you eat when your sick? Chicken Noodle Soup. So, do you want grab that chicken nooodle soup lade and dig in? Ok, I’m clearly overly germophobic and I know it’s completely normal to have soup pots out but my point is, I haven’t tried the soup and apparently that’s one of the «must haves» here. Nor have I tried their BBQ, the other reason people love this place.
But, their deli sandwiches are good and simple (two pieces of good bread, a slice of decent cheese and some slices of good, thick-​sliced deli meat). They’re great if your’e in a hurry because they’re pre-​packated and ready to go. I take mine home and put some good horseradish honey mustard on the bread and it’s a nice, easy lunch.
A huge plus is that they sell Dad’s cookies and Jilly’s cupcakes along with other baked goods so it’s a great place to go when you want to satisfy your sweet tooth. They used to share the space with MacArthur’s bakery but unfortunately, as of this year, it’s no longer there.
Coffee is pretty decent and they have a good selection of bagged chips, fountain soda (and I think bottled, non-​alcoholic beverages) if you’re into any of that.

Yeah I thought it would be more stars too. I love soup. In the winter, I swear I could live off of soup. So, when I heard this place had the best soup in town, I was all over it.
First, when I walked in, there was seemingly no one working. There was one person sitting at the bar-​thing and one person sitting at the tables, but it was dead quiet and I swear I didn’t see either of them move. No one was behind the counter, no one was wandering around. It was kinda twilight zone-​esque.
I check my watch to make sure they weren’t closing. Nope, only 4:00. Should have another 2 hours.
I make my way to the soup station and check out the options. There are many, but no little sample cups. So here I am pacing back in forth between all the different soups dying for someone to see that I clearly need help. But no such luck. I even try loudly messing with tops of the soup containers. Nothing. I think how easy it would be to walk out with all the Jilly’s cupcakes…
But I don’t. I try to choose a damn soup and settle on chicken and wild rice. I have been obsessing over soup for about 10 minutes and still no one has appeared!
I then walk over to the deli to order a chicken salad sandwich to go with my soup. And I wait. And wait. And wait.
Finally!!! Someone emerges from the back all «can I do something for you?» Uh. Yeah. How about, oh I don’t know, actually working! So, I order my sandwich and he picks up a pre-​made one and hands it to me.
I’m sorry. This is a deli isn’t it? It’s not an airport kiosk or a Quick-​Trip. Plus it wasn’t like it was crazy busy lunch-​rush with 400 people behind me. Why the hell couldn’t I have a fresh sandwich?
But, I don’t know. Maybe that’s how they roll here. Very hands-​off in the service department.
The soup was really just decent. My best soup vote still goes to Straub’s. And the chicken salad? Pretty tasteless actually and the bread was cold from being in the fridge.
Not a great experience overall. Can’t really say I’m dying to go back as much I would like to support a place like this.

The soup is good and they had a lot of choices. For me, if I am going to make a satisfying meal out of soup I want great bread. Their bread is below average. It comes in a little bag so it is not crusty at all.

I can’t believe I’ve been going to the Bread Company across the street, when I could have been going to this little gem of a place!
The service was SO friendly. I believe the manager was working today, and when my boyfriend and I told him it was our first time here, he gave us each a sample cup and told us to try the soup. I’m SO glad we did.
I settled with the chili, which was wonderful and flavorful. I rarely find a chili that I like more than my mom’s, but this was VERY close. Meaty, rich, and flavorful.
I also had the chicken salad on croissant bread. YUM. The chicken salad was VERY fresh, and the bread was wonderful.
I wish I had saved more room for some gooey butter cake or some other confectionery item (they have Jilly’s cupcakes there, too… among other sweets!).
I will DEFINITELY be back. I’ll try the BBQ next time.
BreadCo? Psssssh. When I’m in the area, it’ll be Applegates every time.

This is a great place for a quick BBQ lunch. The other day I was drawn in by the pit going in the parking lot in the morning. Unfortunately, BBQ was not being served yet, so I bought a chicken salad sandwich which was fine. I came back a few days later at lunch time and had the pulled pork sandwich along with green beans, baked beans and frozen cookie dough custard. The pork was a little dry, but the excellent BBQ sauce made up for it. The green beans were great, and the baked beans were average. The custard was excellent.
Today I went back for the 3^rd time in less than 2 weeks and got the lunch special of a 10oz pork steak and two sides for $ 7 and some change. The steak was amazing; perfectly smoked, fall apart tender, with a deep pink smoke ring and smoky flavor. The steak was served smothered in another great BBQ sauce (different than used on the pulled pork) on top of a big slice of bread. I also got the cole slaw and potato salad and again the cookie dough custard. All were excellent.
I’m definitely telling my friends in St. Louis about this place and will probably go here each time I come back to St. Louis.

Applegate’s is a great place to get lunch on the go they have at least six soups everyday. In addition to the soups they have pre-​made sandwiches my personal favorite is the chicken salad on a croissant. Small seating are my recommendation is to get the food to go. Fat Toney now has a spot in the same building, the ribs are good but thats all i’ve had yet.

I always wanted to go into a restaurant or bakery and say, «This reminds me of the good old days.» But since I’m still fairly young, can’t exactly say that with much credibility. I can say that I think a place reminds me of the simpler days. The sweeter days when things weren’t so frenetic and chain-​based and people took their time. People savored and had old-​fashioned values. Okay, so maybe no one except the characters on «Little House and the Prairie» actually possessed such values, but a girl can dream.
Applegate’s is the sort of place where simplicity and originality reign supreme. It feels old, in a good way. It’s not like Bread Company, though you can get the same kinds of things here. I never see crowds or people checking their watches to make it back to the office on time. Here, the pace is slower. They’ve got tons of great soups from which to choose and even barrels of penny candy. I’m just glad this place has survived as long as it has. Proof positive that deep down, we’re all looking for a bit of simplicity, the way it was back in the good old days…

Really good soup for takeout!