County of restaurant: St. Charles County
Location of restaurant: Veterans Memorial Parkway, near Sonderen St., O'Fallon
Phone: (636) 978-7755
Menu
Elaborate neon, like a movie house marquee, but for a restaurant. The gas pumps even light up. This is a first class, all working, bright as you can imagine, light display.
"Savory BBQ, wing, burgers and beer headline the experience at Ethyl's Smokehouse. This family-friendly hangout serves tasty grilled dishes in a relaxed space that comes with TVs and outdoor seating. The menu features tasty starters like barbecued chicken nachos and toasted ravioli. It also includes ribs, sandwiches steak, seafood, burger, chicken and a special pizza menu. Soft drinks, beer and a tidy wine list round off the beverage menu. The laid-back vibe at this neighborhood plays well to leisure dining. Visit after hours and enjoy a juicy burger, made with the freshest ground beef, while catching up on the game. Diners rave about the happy hour specials and generous dining portions. Ethyl's Smokehouse also boasts an outdoor kid playground and volleyball courts, making it an appealing pick for family outings. Ethyl's Smokehouse is open until midnight most days of the week." ~ Open Table
History if this building:
"In September of 1923, Highway 40 made it’s way past this property (it is presently Veteran’s Memorial Parkway). So, on September 5, 1925, a man by the name of Gerhard Sonderen bought it for $1000.00. One year later, he completed a structure that was called: The Wildwood Saloon. We hesitate to mention this because, first of all, we paid a lot more for it than he did, and as you probably know, it took us a lot longer than a year to complete it. However, we are proud to say that part of the building that you are sitting in right now has been an eating and drinking establishment since 1926.
"History does not stop there. When the depression struck in October of 1929, Gerhard sold out to a man named Edward Hesskamp. He would keep the tavern for nearly 20 years before selling it to Gene and Marge Reed in the late 1940’s. They appropriately named the place “Gene and Marge’s”. From that point, there were a few more owners and a few more names including The Normandy Athletic Club, Borders, Shady Grove, and lastly, Bubba and Coy’s Catfish House.
"I guess most people remember this place as Shady Grove, where you could sit outside under the various hardwoods and have a glass of wine or beer. Some people remember even prior to that, when it was Gene and Marge’s. In fact, our Aunt Mary met our Uncle Ray here and supplied the picture that we have of that period.
"But even farther back than that, Edith Obrecht remembers when it was called The Wildwood Saloon in 1926 when she was a mere girl of 16. She told me that “it was a beautiful place, we danced in the woods.” Wildwood was an appropriate name.
"Which brings us to today and our choice for a name. We are a place to have fun, a place to relax, a place to enjoy the outdoors, a place to have fun indoors as well, with the best food that we could possibly offer…
"We are Ethyl’s Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon. After careful consideration, we decided that you can never have too much fun, be too relaxed, have too much of the great outdoors, eat too much barbecue, and you can never get too full of Ethyls." ~ Ethyl's