Wild Crush — Restaurant in Town and Country

Updated (2024) Finally came back to try this place again and it has GREATLY improved! They have waitstaff and table service and a well-rounded menu. Cocktail selection is nice. Wine variety is nice. Our group especially loved the Frosé slushies. They updated the patio furniture and it is much more inviting. The wait staff was welcoming and attentive. My glass was never empty! I appreciate that the owners took customers' reviews to heart and were interacting with the guests during our most recent visit. We will most definitely be back!

Original (2022) Granted this place had just opened so I can forgive some slight hiccups with service, but there were multiple issues that made our outing less than stellar. Their wine dispensing machines broke down the minute I got in line for my first glass. I had just purchased a $50 "wine card" to use them, so that was disappointing. It was still early in the day and they had quite a few people standing in line waiting to serve themselves. It took the staff a while to figure out how to help everyone since they were unable to fix the machines. I ended up asking if I could buy two bottles so I could join my friends and avoid the long lines. They were not going to let me buy the bottles using my wine card until I insisted. Why would I keep a $50 wine card for your machines when they don't work and I'm not sure that I would be back?

For me, the wine selection seemed a bit limited, especially for dry reds or red blends. I'm partial to Italian reds and don't recall seeing a single one there. No one walks you through the selections either, like they would at a winery or vineyard, so you risk spending money on something you may not enjoy. They do have other options if you aren't a wine drinker which is nice.

Everything was way overpriced. A measly charcuterie tray consisting of 5 slices of cheese, 5 cubes of cheese, 5 soggy crackers, two carrots cut in half & and a handful of chocolate almonds was around $28. I can get braised short ribs, mashed potatoes, and roasted seasonal veggies for $28! It was also the only option because they were out of everything else...on a Saturday...of their opening weekend...at 1pm. One of the waitresses/bartenders said we could Doordash food if we'd like, so I guess that is an option. The bottles of wine were a little over $40/piece, at least the ones I selected. With tips, I spent over $130 for a below average experience and was only there for a little over an hour.

The scenery was serene and well landscaped, but the outdoor seating was pretty terrible - uncomfortable, cramped, plastic, and under a lawn tent. The paper menus and plastic food trays were flying all over the place. I wouldn't recommend for large groups as the place is actually pretty small. We had 8 in our group and could only fit outside and just barely.

The most enjoyable part of this place was the live music! Not sure if it is a regular thing or was just for opening weekend, but it was a welcome addition. In the end, we decided to drive 5 min down the street to Coopershawk and had a way better experience with a nice warm meal and table service.

I'm open to returning if some things change. (Maybe they already have changed - my visit was in October 2021. I just realized this has been sitting in my drafts folder since then.) I love the concept of a wine bar, but I think they need to trash the machines and hire a few more staff to serve and provide tastings, stock more and better food options, and vamp up the outdoor space to make it more comfortable and welcoming.

If you are looking for an authentic winery experience, this isn't the place. If you are looking to sample different wines and you don't care as much about atmosphere or dining, then give this...

We visited today on only the second day of Wild Crush officially being opened, so needless to say, they’re still working out the kinks.

First off, the barn is a huge building but Wild Crush only takes up a portion of it, so it’s really not that big of a place. We sat on the patio which was covered and had heaters since it was gloomy today (though the heaters stopped working).

The appeal of this place, other than a place with a nice view to drink wine that isn’t all the way out in Augusta, is that you can self pour your own wine and sample a lot of varieties. The way it works is that you sit at a table and someone in your party scans the QR code that’s specific to your table. You order a wine card preloaded with $25, $50, $75, or $100, then you add a tip and check out. We ordered two cheese boards ($20 each, which ended up being small, pre-made boxes with soggy crackers) and a $50 wine card for the 4 of us to start. Instructions weren’t really clear after that. We didn’t know if we showed our receipt at the bar to get our card or if a waitress was supposed to drop it off at our table or what. We asked around the the bartender was able to get it for us.

The pouring station has, I believe, 24 different varieties ranging from sweet whites to dry reds, mostly from California but a few French, Italian, and Argentinian ones mixed in. You insert your card and choose your pour size - 2 oz, 4 oz, or 6 oz. The cheapest was $4 or $5 for a 2 oz pour, I believe. The larger the pour, the better the deal. Overall, expect to pay more than you would for a typical glass of wine.

The layout left a lot to be desired. We’ve done similar self-serve wine experiences before and they’re typically in a circle so you can navigate around easily. The setup here is a straight line across a narrow entry, which is terrible. It gets very crowded and you can’t really see the options without being in everyone’s way. Furthermore, since our party was sharing a card, we hit a limit at one point because it thought we were one person getting trashed and it automatically cut us off, so we had to get it reactivated.

The wine itself was good, but they seriously need to change the layout. We also tipped up front ($20) and everything was self serve, so we basically paid that for them to drop off our prepackaged cheese boxes.

Like I said, they just opened, so maybe we’ll come back in the spring and give them another chance if they’ve made some changes. But till then, I’d rather just drink our own wine on...

Arrived around 6:00, asked the bartender about seating and it was seat yourself. We went outside and sat there for 12 min, no one came. I went inside to talk to the bartender again and asked about the process since it was the first time. I asked if it was self serve or what. She said the wine is or you can have a server serve you. I said I was sitting outside over 10 min with no one showing up. There was a server standing there and said she would be right out. I stood there and looked at the menu for a moment so I knew what to order when she came out. I asked the bartender if I needed a card for self serve and she said yes, I asked if I needed one for being served she said no. I went back out and sat down. Over 5 min later a different server showed up and brought menus and water. I said I would like to order a couple glasses of wine. She said she was a fiend of the owners and was helping out and just dropping the stuff off, and a server would be right out. Another 5 min goes by and another server who said she doesn’t work there came to the table and took our order, and asked for a credit card and said we have to hold on to it. I asked why and she said that’s how they operate. She brought the wine out timely and we ordered our food then. A chartruterie board and risotto cakes.the food came out and was a poor example of meat, cheese, and crackers for $24. The risotto cakes were warm at best. We ordered 2 more glasses of wine and we had had enough, and asked for the bill. The bill shows up and the wine and she walks away. A minute later I get my card charged while I’m reviewing the bill. She brings it out and I have 2 charges for $2, I asked what these were. She went in and came back out to explain that when your bill gets to $50 they reload the wine card which has a $2 reload fee which was not what I was told, she said they can’t take the fees off which I didn’t get. $140 dollars later for 4 wines, board, and cakes, I won’t be back and will pass my experience along so others don’t have to experience one of St Louis worst places for service,...