Fried Brain sandwiches in St. Louis???
 

I wish I was joking.... :) So my 91 year old grandma lived in stl all her life and has very fond memories of meeting my grandpa for lunch at a "pub" or bar type place in south St. Louis for fried brain sandwiches. She has since moved away, but is going back next weekend for a visit with my mom. And she said she would love nothing more than to eat a brain sandwich.
Sooo.... google hasn't been very helpful. Is there a wonderful Fordorite that has any clue where one might find a fried brain sandwich is St. Louis?
Thanks a bunch!!!

You can buy them canned and fry it yourself--horrible to say. It is quite a southern "treat".

Oh yuk. I also googled it and it's apparently a St. Louis thing. Anyway, I did find some restaurant names for you at this link: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/121552

I am wondering if grandma is referring to Ferguson's Pub? Ferguson's Pub, 2925 Mt. Pleasant, St. Louis. Phone: 314-351-1466. Here's a bit about this place: http://midnightsnack.wordpress.com/s...rain-sandwich/

It's good of you to try to fulfill this little food yearning for grandma. Good luck!

I really don't think that they are served anywhere in St. Louis anymore. I would suggest you post on the St. Louis Post Dispatch forums at the "Eat at Joe's" forums. Joe Bonwich is the food critic of the Post Dispatch and would be the person in St. Louis who would know for sure where/if there is any place that still serves brain sandwiches. He monitors his forum carefully and I'm sure he would answer quickly if you posted the question.
http://interact.stltoday.com/forums/...18055fed4ddf4f

Nice of you to try to grant grandma's craving....

I'm STL born and raised and never heard of brain sandwiches being a "St Louis thing". Perhaps they were at one time but, like Liz mentions above, not anymore. I can't recall any restaurant that served them, but you got some good suggestions for how to go about finding the info.

Good luck!
Tracy

I would be pretty sure they aren't served any more because of the "mad cow" disease phenomenon.

tcreath - yes, I read that the excitement over Mad Cow disease pretty much shut down that niche market. Those who did continue to serve it moved from calf brain to pig (I have my own thoughts about whether that was an improvement).

In the late 80's, there was a restaurant on Gravois in Affton that had a large sign over the entrance that advertised brain sandwiches. Haven't been back in several years, so it's likely gone.

I am from STL and have never seen it on a menu! I do see pigs feet at the grocery and restaurants though - ick...

I hope she found one if she had a craving for one!!!

I wish OP would follow up and let us know if they found brain sandwich!

I've been away too long to be much help, but they really did have places in StL that had brain sandwiches. I don't think they were "southern". I lived down south too, but only ever saw them at home in St Louis (which does NOT consider itself southern!)

Most of the ones I had were at home. And they're very light and airy, thank ya very much. I do remember there was one place in Lafayette area that I'd been to and another on Market that was very close to Union Station and on the same side of the street. Both I knew of were taverns. Probably all sold and changed by now, but thought I'd point out that this wasn't a myth.

Oh boy, my mother served fried brains that I vividly remember as a kid...and it was in St. Louis! This is what I would call depression food along with other not so wonderful tidbits. I have never since liked liver or baked heart or pigs feet. Also might be kind of southern rural fare...like collard greens, beans, rice, or what have you.

Bill in Boston

Brains are still sold canned in supermarkets in the South. Just an FYI. I didn't equate St. Louis with the "south". Just that it is another part of the country that has it on the plate.

Brain sandwiches in south St. Louis?
Fergies on Lemay Ferry; friend had one May, 2011.

For another St Louis specialty, get a "St Paul sandwich" - egg foo young served with dill pickle slices, onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato on white bread.

Born and raised in STL I can tell you the brain sandwich was definitely a favorite at Del and Mary Carey's tavern in South STL, at the corner of California and Wyoming. And, this sandwich was delicious deep fried, served on white bread with a slice of white onion. I think this sandwich was more tavern food than "restaurant" fare. There was also a place on Park Avenue in South STL that sold them and they also had the sign which you may have seen..."Brains 25 cents".

Hey, you know I do remember that sign! Who could ignore it? We lived in St. Louis in years past and often visited.

There is a high end restaurant here in Nantucket that offers brains on its menu, though in black butter like the French, not in a sandwich. I know the chefs, and they tell me that they may sell one order a night during the busy season but it is part of being that kind of restaurant.

I thought beef brains were banned because of Mad Cow disease. Are fried brains pork, lamb, human?