Next week marks the grand opening of Fat Freddie’s Pub and Grub, the new pub/restaurant located at 3834 Laclede, just west of the Laclede Street Bar and Grill.
Mark Michael, the owner of both Laclede Street and Fat Freddie’s hopes to create a place that provides great entertainment and that is both fun and exciting.
Michael bought what will soon be Fat Freddie’s about a year ago and has been working hard, especially in the last six months, to get the place ready for business.
Michael said that he is not trying to compete with local establishments such as Humphrey’s, Colorado or Laclede Street. His purpose is to create a totally different place.
One look inside and anyone will agree that Fat Freddie’s is a place of its own. The front room is a nostalgic room dedicated to the history of the building that is now Fat Freddie’s.
Fat Freddie’s began as Pastoria’s, then called the Billiken Bench, then the BBC, followed by Malarky’s and finally as it was most recently known-Shagnasty’s. Pictures and old signs representing all of these places are visible.
The main dining area is a room lit up entirely by neon signs. There is also a screen that pulls down and will show sporting events and other programs during the day.
The upstairs of Fat Freddie’s has been turned into a game room. There are pool tables and video games and also tables for people to sit and sample the menu.
Fat Freddie’s will be open every day. It will serve a limited menu of breakfast, lunch, dinner and appetizers.
However, the menu will be as unique as Fat Freddie’s itself. It will serve a variety of reasonably priced items from omelets to shishkobobs.
The bar will close every night at 1:30 a.m. and then open back up thirty minutes later to start serving breakfast at 2 a.m.
It will be a place to get a quick bite to eat and is sure to get lots of late-night business, especially on the weekends.
Not only will Fat Freddie’s feature a great menu, there will also be quality entertainment. The back door of Fat Freddie’s opens up to a large picnic and stage area. Michael plans to have local bands play Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoons.
The stage area is brightly decorated, and the fence surrounding the area is painted purple and lime green, and is decorated with all sorts of memorabilia.
The mixture of good food, fun and entertainment is sure to attract a large crowd.
Student Rich Sykora said, “The opening of Fat Freddie’s will be a refreshing change. I think most of us are tired of the same Humphrey’s and Laclede’s routine.”
