The Rack House Kitchen Wine Whiskey — Restaurant in Cottleville

We recently celebrated my wife’s birthday at The Rack House Kitchen Wine Whiskey and the entire experience exceeded expectations. Living right nearby in the Cottleville Trails, it’s incredible to have a restaurant of this quality so close to home. A neighbor of mine, who also happens to be the owner of STL Bucket List, recommended the place highly, saying, “You won’t go wrong if you love cigars and quality bourbon.” He was absolutely right. We started with the Crab Stuffed Pretzels appetizer, which was nothing short of amazing perfectly seasoned, rich with flavor, and a great way to kick off the night. For dinner, my wife ordered the Steak & Fries while I had the Pork Porterhouse cooked medium well. Both dishes were cooked to perfection and full of fresh, high-quality flavor. You can tell the kitchen puts a lot of care into the ingredients and preparation. The service was excellent from start to finish. Our main waiter (Maven) was attentive and professional, and helped us select amazing meals! The bartender was spot-on with drink recommendations, even showing me their rotating monthly list of special last pours (some at nearly half the usual price). Later, in the cigar lounge, the server (Marika) went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. She even mentioned she wished she’d known it was my wife’s birthday so they could have surprised her with a slice of cake. That small gesture of thoughtfulness really stood out. The cigar lounge itself is a hidden gem. While smaller than some might expect, it’s stylish, intimate, and set up with a great man-cave vibe with cigar box walls, bourbon crates worked into the décor, and a staircase design that makes it feel unique. The couches were comfortable, the ventilation was solid, and the whole space encouraged conversation. We ended up meeting and chatting with some really great people while enjoying our cigars and drinks. The cigar selection was well curated top 10 to top 20 brands, priced very reasonably compared to what you’d find online. The staff makes it simple by asking you to note the number of the cigar you want, which they then add to your bill. Beyond cigars, the lounge also sells accessories like lighters, cutters, and even car ashtrays. I actually bought one on the spot. The owner had already left for the evening, but the waitress didn’t let that stop her; she messaged the owner directly, and he was incredibly quick and responsive, sending back the exact pricing for the ashtray. That level of attentiveness and communication really impressed me. Overall, this place delivers on every level: Fantastic food and drinks. A welcoming, well-run cigar lounge. Staff who go above and beyond even after hours. A clean, comfortable atmosphere perfect for both celebrations and casual nights out. It’s rare to have such a high-quality experience so close to home, and we left already planning our next visit. Highly recommended if you love great food, bourbon, and cigars in a relaxed yet...

I find your response to my friends honest review of his experience at your restaurant on Saturday very disappointing. I have celebrated many occasions at both your Cottleville and Main Street restaurants and he was there for my birthday at my suggestion. I find it admirable that you so passionately want to defend your establishment, but I am not sure where you received your narrative, as what you described is totally inaccurate.

1. The lady you reference is my wife..and we never asked to wait to order until our last friend arrived because we knew he would be late. We started with wine and oysters, then we ordered dinner at the first opportunity offered.
2. My wife and I were the ONLY ones to switch seats and we only swapped for a moment and immediately told that to the food runner upon arrival of our food.
3. I think we all understood the food would not all come out at the same time..but 30-45 minutes later for other entrees is a bit much. The waitress also had to come back and ask us for other selections as you were out of certain menu items.
4. We only had one extra guest arrive later and he did not order food. One friend was late but we had already placed the larger order so not sure how that affects your "process".
5. I have been to your restaurant many times with groups the same size and it was never an issue..when I arrived at 7pm for our 7:30pm reservation (on Saturday, not Friday by the way) there were plenty of open tables and I saw no wait time.
6. I was one who enjoyed my food and I did leave your waitress a nice tip because I have worked in the industry and could see she was trying with no help from your manager. Who by the way didn't once come by and try to help the situation..I actually heard him complaining loudly to your bartender that it was all our fault because ONE person showed up way after our group ordered. Very unprofessional.
7. You didn't comp him a desert. Your waitress brought them out for myself and two friends celebrating birthdays.
8. I wouldn't shake your rude manager's hand either after he brushed me off and acted like your shortcomings were my fault. Would you like me to record that on video?
9. I can assure you no one apologized for my friends "actions". To even suggest that is hilarious.
10. I find it odd your immediate response is to place blame on the patrons..when you obviously did not witness it first hand. Have some accountability.

My two star review is not because of the food or waitstaff, but for how unprofessionally you and your manager handled this. I understand mistakes happen and I have no desire to see a locally owned restaurant that I enjoy go out of business, but I also have no desire to see excuses made and fingers pointed at my guests who were just trying to have a nice dinner out...

I took my wife here as a surprise for Valentines day. After reading all the reviews, I was very hopeful that it would be a great night out for us. We had paid for a babysitter, and this was the first date we had had in a long time.

From the start, the experience was a complete nightmare. I made reservations for the Valentines 3-course dinner a week or two ahead of time. The hostess attempted to seat us in the back room of the restaurant, where a TV with a basketball game was playing, rather than the front where the live music and special tables were set up.

After she reluctantly got us a table in the main dining area, it took 20 minutes for a waitress to come over, and another 5 to receive our waters. Each course of the meal was supposed to be paired with a glass of wine. Each time, our wine came out 10-15 minutes earlier than the course, meaning we had to wait to drink it in order to pair it..

The service was the most AWFUL I have ever experienced. It took about an hour just to get to the entree portion. It took an hour and 30 minutes into our meal before the waitress realized she hadn't brought the dessert course out, and then another 20 to get the dessert. By this time, we'd already been finished with our entree for about half an hour. The waitress then told us that they were out of the chocolate cheesecake my wife had ordered at the beginning of our meal. However, not 5 minutes later, the table next to us received two slices of the cheesecake. Another table hadn't even received their entree by the time we finished ours, yet they still managed to receive their desserts and check before we'd even had our dessert.

I normally would have been a little more proactive in catching our waitress's attention to see why the meal was taking so long, but our waitress was almost non-existent the whole night. When I approached the manager about our long delay, he was very unapologetic and made no attempt to remedy the situation outside of refilling my wife's dessert wine, which had been finished 20 minutes prior to receiving the dessert.

In terms of food, the shrimp bisque was good; the shrimp were cold, but the bisque was good. My wife's steak, requested at medium, came out well done but she still liked the flavor. The "Chilean Sea Bass" tasted like a thick piece of tilapia with grocery store pesto on top. The lobster mashed potatoes were literally just mashed potatoes with tough lobster claw in them; I guess I was expecting more. The plates were very plain; presentation was obviously not a concern. We were given paper napkins.

Simply put, this was the worst possible experience I could have had for Valentine's day with my wife, and it ruined the rest of the...