Broadway Oyster Bar

Broadway Oyster Bar is one of the oldest buildings in downtown St. Louis, yet most people are unaware of this fact when they stop in for Cajun food and live music. The building was built in about 1845, at around the same time as the Eugene Field House to its north. Unlike the Field House, which was built for middle class families, this small structure would have been built for working class residents who would have worked at one of the many factories and businesses downtown. By the early 20th century, this area had become part of Chinatown, which was often referred to as Hop Alley. During this time, the building operated as a Chinese laundry. By the 1950s, urban renewal had begun to erode the urban fabric surrounding the building, and in the early 1960s, most of Hop Alley was cleared for the construction of Busch Stadium. While many buildings in the area were cleared for stadium parking and highway construction, Broadway Oyster Bar survived, along with a handful of other buildings from the mid and late 19th century. Today, Broadway Oyster Bar is one of the more popular restaurants in downtown St. Louis.