Forest Park Cafe & Lounge

It is what it is and what it is, is a small café inside a Holiday Inn.
I was attending a training class in their conference rooms for work and on our second day we had a short lunch break, so the FPC was chosen for convenience. The service was friendly, but the food coming out of the kitchen was extremely slow. There was only one other table in the dining area and it was a single person having breakfast. Our party of three, continued to wait while he ate and our orders were taken back to back.
However, I will say once my burger and fries arrived it was well worth the wait. I enjoyed a Blue Burger which was topped with crumbled blu cheese and two crispy slices of bacon. I had no need to add any other condiments, the seasoning of the beef and the two toppings were enough flavor. The bun was fresh, soft and toasted just enough to give a thin crispness to the sides facing the burger. Then there were the fries — they were kick ass good. Seasoned with enough salt and black pepper that I did not even dip them in ketchup. When I have no reason to dip — that’s a good french fry.
To make the lunch complete, for my ice tea had «yellow» artificial sweetener — they had the entire rainbow of sweetness making everyone happy. Then one detail that I really enjoy — they had linen napkins.
Will I personally go back? Probably not, but I do recommend it to anyone who is staying at the Holiday Inn. For what they are and do, they do it well.
When: January 22, 2016
Why: Lunch

Great place!

My family of 7 ate here mainly because we were staying in hotel and kids are free. Didn’t know what to expect but after ordering was very pleased with the service and food!
First and foremost the kids ate free from a kids menu with 5 or so standard kid options. Two of my kids went with the Mac and cheese meal which came with broccoli that they loved and my two others eating ordered pizza which came with fruit, enjoyable as well. The meal came with a drink and ice cream sandwich for dessert as well. While the food wasn’t five star… it was free and the kids had a good time while I saved some $$$.
My wife and I each ordered two different burgers which were both awesome and huge and came with your choice of fries or rings (heavenly fried).
Overall great food considering the perks for standard diner food. Steaks were also on menu but did not try. Probably would only eat here if staying in hotel again but odds of that are slim as hotel is not as nice as food in restaurant.

Stuck around for breakfast, waiter was very thoughtful and conversational. There were 7 of us and all our orders came out fine. Food is good, simple menu and kids eat free (drinks not included).
Note: if you get the pancakes they are good sized and thick. Nice griddle cakes where the outside is a bit crisp and the inside is soft and hot. Had to be the highlight of the meal. Bacon was in nice big strips as well.

Nice little café!

This review is pretty much for any tourist who happened to stay at the Holiday Inn-​Forest Park or any other hotel in Italian neighborhood of The Hill. As many know, having a car in St. Louis is a requirement. Unless you’re near a MetroLink stop (AKA: Sticking to the «tourist attractions only, no culture» viewpoint), then a car is required. Well being that I was in St. Louis for a two-​week training and staying in the Holiday Inn, I would always resort to the Forest Park Café & Lounge for breakfast (and breakfast ONLY because there are too many neat restaurants and cuisines to explore around the city).
There is always only one waiter who is a air head. He is slow slow SLOW, forgets things, marks down orders incorrectly (caution: be specific) and is just not made for waiting on tables. Now with a city that has a lot of variety in cuisine, just don’t come here!
Forewarning…If you decorate a restaurant with monotonous butterfly art, steer far away! Oh and it’s also probably not a good idea to try the infamous fried ravioli here… just a suggestion being so close to The Hill (thank goodness I haven’t been tempted).