Fast Eddie's Bon Air in Alton, Illinois
photo by: Aimée Knight/Flickr/CC BY-20
Adorned with nearly century-old original beer memorabilia, Fast Eddie's is a mandatory stop for beer lovers in the St. Louis area.
Are you such a beer enthusiast that simply drinking lager isn’t enough and you want to experience beer history? If so, then the historic, nearly 100-year-old Fast Eddie’s Bon Air in Alton, Illinois, is the perfect place for you.
In 1921, a yellow brick building was built by Anheuser-Busch in Alton, Illinois, on the Mississippi River to serve as a watering hole. The establishment was called Bon-Air. Ten years later, however, the beer potentate sold Bon-Air to Sam Balaco as a result of changes in the law that prohibited breweries from owning bars. Bon-Air was owned by the Balaco family for half a century.
photo by: Aimée Knight/Flickr/CC BY-20
Fast Eddie's sells shrimp fished from the cool waters of Mexico at just 29 cents apiece.
Fifty years later, Eddie Sholar purchased the Bon-Air, which was renamed Fast Eddie’s Bon Air in honor of its new owner. Sholar quadrupled the size of the bar, increasing the number of seats from 80 to 400. In 2008, Fast Eddie’s was expanded to make it even bigger, and now it features 800 seats, some of which are on a new outdoor patio. Today, the bar is the number one volume bar for Anheuser-Busch products in the Midwest.
A visit to Fast Eddie’s is a must for beer enthusiasts. It is replete with original signage, including a Busch Bavarian sign over the bar, which is one of just three known such pieces. One of the signs features the St. Louis Arch, yet was completed before the arch was. In addition to this beer memorabilia, another historic relic on display at Fast Eddie’s is a case featuring the shoes of Robert Pershing Wadlow, an Alton native who at 8’11” was once the world’s tallest man.
photo by: Aimée Knight/Flickr/CC BY-20
With its original Anheuser-Busch signage, Fast Eddie's is a place where beer history comes to life.
If you’re a sports fan, there’s a good chance that you might run into some professional athletes at Fast Eddie’s. Major league athletes from St. Louis teams such as the Blues, Cardinals, and now-defunct Rams have been known to frequent the bar, as have mixed martial arts fighters.
If the personal trainers of any of these athletes knew they went there, they would probably give them an earful, as Fast Eddie’s serves dishes that generally aren’t known for being heart-healthy (which doesn’t stop them from being delicious), such as French fries, bratwurst, burgers, and Cajun chicken on a stick. Everything is homemade, including the bratwurst.
On the weekends, St. Louis rock bands grace the stage. This coming July 4th, live music will start at 1 p.m.
Location: 1530 East Fourth Street, Alton, IL 62002.
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 1 p.m.-1 a.m.; Friday-Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
You're Having: The half-pound "Fat Eddie" burger or the "Big Elwood on a Stick," a beef tenderloin kebab. These treats are as cheap as they are deliciously unhealthy, with "Fat Eddie" selling at just 99 cents and the "Big Elwood" at just $1.99.
Best Yelp Review: "Fast Eddie's is just the best! Be prepared to drink a lot because the food is super salty... on purpose! But the food is sooo cheap, it's awesome—I highly recommend the chic on a stick, it's sooooo good! Seriously some of the best wings I've had. And the fries are pretty addicting! They always have live music which adds to the ambiance. Just such a fun place!" -Sarah L.
