Russell's on Macklind — Restaurant in St. Louis

Food was wonderful, per usual, but 90 min limit on dining, for table turnover. This info was not relayed when I called to make a reservation, 4 days in advance, nor is it noted on their website. Our server was subpar, and non-attentive, but made sure to let us know about their “strict 90 min” policy, encouraging us to place our order “soon” to account for “30 mins cooking time”, and told us we had “10 mins left” after we finished dinner. Normally 90 mins would be plenty of time for a meal; however I chose Russell’s to celebrate my husband’s birthday with friends and to have a casual kid-free evening out. We used to live in S. City (within walking distance to Russell’s) and were regulars. After moving to Ballwin 2 years ago, we frequented their Chesterfield location prior to their closing. Had I known our evening would be rushed, I would’ve chosen a different restaurant to celebrate with friends. I am not ignorant to the fact that times are different with COVID and have been more than supportive to small businesses during this trying time; however I have never experienced this with any other establishment. Unfortunately this one negative experience has tainted years of wonderful memories and could have easily been avoided with more upfront/considerate communication. I will definitely hesitate returning as it felt as though profitability of the business has overshadowed...

I've been to Russell's for brunch and heard dinner was great so my cousin and I went for the first time and we willk definitley be back for dinner again.

The caprese salad was the best I have ever had. Ripe tomatoes, pesto, cheese, basil, balsamic and in a word DELECIOUS! I'll come back for this salad this summer.

My cousin had a red snapper dish as her entree topped with a peach salsa. She did not prefer the peach salsa but everything else was outstanding. A side of couscous and swuash with corn as sides. YUM.

I had the Ricotta Gnudi Caponata. Eggplant, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Capers, Garlic, White Wine & Herbs. This dish was so flavorful and outstanding. The gnudi was something I have never had and was amazing. All the flavors of summer here, VERY VERY GOOD!

And of course dessert, we had a generous sampling of the cannoli cake, which was good, but not really cannoli esk. We of course took other desserts home. Russell's does desserts right.

The highlight of the night was our waiter, Bill. He made great recommendations, was knowledgable and super nice. He was attentive and overall fantastic.

Don't forget about their outdoor patio and how delightful it is! Last night was great weather wise and the patio has great ombiance.

Everything was fantastic from the moment we walked in the door. Thank you Russell's for...

Russell's is one of the perfect spots if you wish to celebrate a romantic occasion. They have the right kind of music, dim lights, and quick service. We were here for pickup else I'd definitely have had stayed back to enjoy one or two of their delicious sounding entrees.

We picked the original cheesecake with raspberry topping. It was dense, flavorful, but felt kinda heavy on the stomach. I expected the cream cheese to simply melt in my mouth. Nonetheless, the cake slice was moist, fresh, and big enough for two people to split.

We also got their chocolate torte and it was delish. It's gluten free given that there is no flour used so the flavors really shine. Deep in richness, slightly fruity in flavor, (blueberries and blackberry toppings too) a mouth-coating bitterness that's not overtly bitter and very pleasant in taste makes the cake decadent to say the least.

Last one was the gooey butter cake for the family and needless to say it was a hit. It was gourmet in every sense. Chewy and dense and so very smooth. It's crazy that it is a St Louis special and very few bakeries have achieved the taste that makes you go mmm. The base wasn't too crusty and made the cake extremely buttery which is what we'd expect from a MasterChef. Simply superb!

Will definitely be visiting to try out more of their main course dishes and...