Chubbies

By Sean McGroarty, Charlie McGroarty, Brendan McGroarty, Joe McGroarty

April–May 2014

Charlie, Brendan and Joe Mc Groarty dining at Chubbies; individual positions not printed.

Historical April–May 2014 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.

What happens when Dad is left alone with three boys under the age of 15 for the weekend? Many things, none of which involve a low-fat diet. So, when my lovely bride, Cristina, took the three youngest children to Chicago for the weekend, Dad, Charlie (age 14), Brendan (12) and Joe (10) had to fend for themselves.

The decision tree looked a little like this: Make, or buy dinner? Ha! American, or international? Well, do we live in Bora Bora? Meat, or seafood? How far does fish have to travel to get to St. Louis? Destination: Chubbies! For anyone who has not darkened the doorway of Chubbies, it is located at 6227 Delmar, just a couple of doors east of Mission Taco.

I never had the occasion to go there before, but Charlie had visited the establishment several times with his eighth-grade buddies. That sounded like a good enough reason to me to head that way, and so we did. Chubbies occupies a nice space on Delmar, perfectly sized for its operation.

The inside is comfortably familiar, with wooden tables dispersed along one wall and next to the front window.

The walls are decorated with completely-guy material: a basketball hoop, a Sopranos poster, and another poster listing tips to survive the Zombie Apocalypse (#8: Run For Your Life).

The man behind the counter greeted us warmly and immediately once we entered.

When I told him that we had never eaten there before, he said, ‘Don’t worry – everything is terrible.’ The staff at Chubbies could not be nicer.

As a particularly appreciated touch, Chubbies does not accept tips. So, you are not faced with that awkward coffeehouse moment of wondering why you would leave a tip after paying $6 for a venti (whatever that means) coffee. Feeling welcome and at ease, we ordered.

I will let the boys take it from there. Joe (Age 10): So I went to Chubbies, just to try it out.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but our server was SUPER-nice, and man, that burger that I had was one of the best ever! [Saying I’m only ten doesn’t really help, but still]. Chubbies has a television, a movie rental kiosk, and almost e v e r y t h i n g they could fit in there!

The t e m p e r a t u r e was perfect, there was also good lighting, and you could just step in and see everything! So overall, it was a great place! Dad’s note: Joe ordered a Chubbie Burger with cheese, fries, and a fountain soda.

After managing to divert his attention, I snuck a quick bite, and the boy speaks the truth. Outstanding burger: pink in the middle, wellseasoned, yet still moist. Brendan (Age 12): Chubbies is, in no way, a formal restaurant.

It just has a laid-back feel to it. It’s more of a place you would go on a Friday night.

The back room has an industrial look about it, which gives an edge to casual front seating area.

The service was good, and the wait is not long.

I ordered chicken wings with barbeque sauce, fries, and a fountain drink.

The fries were amazing, but I am not sure that I would order the chicken wings next time I go there.

I prefer wings to be almost crunchy, with a the sauce.

These wings were a bit sweet for my taste; next time, I might order the cheeseburger. Charlie (Age 14): Out of the four of us, I was the only one who had come to Chubbies before, so I was excited to show the place to my Dad and my brothers.

When I came before, it was always with a bunch of my eighth-grade friends, so I was a little surprised to see that it could be relatively quiet.

I ordered the Shrooms & Swiss burger, fries, and a soda.

The burger was perfect, as always.

It helped that I also ordered bacon to go with it. Everything goes with bacon.

The man behind the counter was very friendly, and we did not have to wait long for our food to come. Chubbies is, in my opinion, a perfect place to go for dinner. Dad (Age 40): Typically, the quality of a Philly Cheesesteak is inversely proportional to your distance from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Growing up in D.C., I came across decent cheesesteaks on a regular basis.

I once made the mistake of ordering one in Winston-Salem, NC. Tarheels know how to race cars, but they don’t have a clue about cheesesteaks. Luckily for me, Chubbies does.

If you have never had a cheesesteak, allow me to expound a little. Picture thinly-sliced steak, covered in melted provolone cheese, sauteed onions, green peppers, and wonderful gooey goodness. Why has this delicacy not come in force to St. Louis?

I have no idea.

The Chubbies cheesesteak reminds me of the ones I used to eat in D.C. About the only thing that would make it better would be a cold bottle of Yuengling beer (Pottsville, PA).

I did have Schlafly Pale Ale, which is not a bad substitute. Overall, the four of us had a fantastic dinner, casual, laid back, and very reasonably priced.

If you are in the mood for a burger, give it a try. Better yet, try the cheesesteak. You will not be disappointed.