A bar and restaurant, Johnny’s Hideout, 3367 High Ridge Blvd., opened in High Ridge on Sept. 20.
Co-owner Johnny Daus of Oakville said the business is named after him. The restaurant opened in the former Iron Barley, which has been closed since March after owner Tom Coghill died.
Daus said the restaurant menu features his wings and Cajun food.
“My chicken sandwiches are great,” he said. “My buffalo chicken sandwich will rival anything that anybody’s ever had. My gumbo and my red beans can be compared to anything that you have had in New Orleans.”
He said the restaurant also offers burgers.
“There is a burger called the Johnny’s Favorite,” he said. Accompanying the beef are American and provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato.
“I am not an onion guy, so that is why I don’t have onion on my favorite burger. I make my own homemade burger sauce, which is on the burger,” Daus said.
A unique item on the menu is his fried garlic bologna sandwich.
“It’s the best bologna sandwich you will ever have, I guarantee it,” he said. “We serve it on Texas toast with lettuce, tomato, and cheese and I make a homemade deli sauce that we put on there.”
The restaurant also features Smokey D’s, which formerly was a small barbecue restaurant at 4561 Gravois Road in House Springs. Daus said Smokey D’s owner, Daryl Gilfillan, rents space in the kitchen and customers can order his barbecue.
“We kind of combined his menu with my menu,” Daus said. “He’s got a signature 26-ounce pork steak that will knock your socks off. It’s terrific.”
Daus said the restaurant was packed on opening day and had a steady stream of customers.
“(Opening day) was really hectic, but we got through it.”
Daus said the business has a game room, TVs and a front patio that seats 40 people. He plans to build on a back patio.
“We can seat 85 people inside,” he said.
Daus has more than 35 years of experience in the restaurant industry and said he is excited to open a business in High Ridge.
He said one of the co-owners, Jacob Kaestner, lives in High Ridge and suggested the location.
“When they were telling me about High Ridge, I thought it might be an untapped market for my Cajun food,” Daus said.
Daus said his other co-owner is Rick Pogue.
Daus said he has hired 40 employees so far and will eventually hire a total of 50 to 60 employees once the back patio is open.
He said Johnny’s Hideout is open 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday.
