{"id":34702,"date":"2023-12-11T13:55:21","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T19:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T09:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T09:02:14","slug":"best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/","title":{"rendered":"Best New Restaurants 2023 \/\/ No. 1 Wright&#8217;s Tavern"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Owner Matt McGuire and executive chef Cary McDowell&#8217;s initial motivation for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/a\/60032\/first-look-wrights-tavern-in-clayton\" target=\"_blank\">Wright&#8217;s Tavern<\/a> was to create a restaurant that served the kind of food they wanted to eat. McGuire and McDowell built themselves a place to enjoy a great steak and a Caesar salad, but more importantly, their Clayton steakhouse also tapped into a communal longing: for delicious food and drinks, genuine hospitality, and the unbridled enjoyment that a really lovely restaurant can deliver. <\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34710\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;the classic ribeye steak with pommes pur&amp;eacute;e at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34710\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-3.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">the classic ribeye steak with pommes pur&eacute;e at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>McGuire believes Wright&#8217;s Tavern has proved itself a perfect fit for this moment in time. &#8220;For this time, for that neighborhood, for that space,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You never know until you do it, but I think it&#8217;s hit all of those things for sure.&#8221; Wright&#8217;s promises \u2013 and delivers \u2013 consistency, certainty and comfort in an era lacking those qualities. <\/p> <p>McGuire never reads the reviews of Wright&#8217;s, positive or negative, but he can take a guess at what irks its critics. &#8220;The negative reviews are probably that it lacks exoticism: It&#8217;s a French dip roast beef sandwich, a hamburger, steak frites, halibut, salmon, whatever,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Those criticisms, if you can consider them to be criticisms, are true. But I celebrate the straightforwardness of it. It personally makes me feel very at ease when I&#8217;m there.&#8221; <\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34712\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;front of house staff at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34712\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-03.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">front of house staff at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>People dress up to go to Wright&#8217;s, and the servers are sharply attired, but it&#8217;s never stuffy: You&#8217;re here to feel good, not to feel judged or observed. You&#8217;re never far from other diners, and conversation between tables comes easily. This isn&#8217;t everyone&#8217;s style, and that&#8217;s fine, but we love a restaurant where a civilized meal feels like it could imminently spill over into a rambunctious party. <\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34713\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;shrimp scampi at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34713\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-02_ph1padd.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">shrimp scampi at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>Wright&#8217;s is driven by the conviction that the simple food is the best; its ambition is to cook the best version of that food you&#8217;ve ever had. The greatest hits collection at Wright&#8217;s already includes the shrimp scampi with its addictive garlic-and-chile sauce, the wedge salad with blue cheese and smoked bacon, the perfectly flaky potato-crusted halibut with lemon beurre blanc, and the salt and cream of the heady dauphinoise potatoes. McGuire said the simplicity and familiarity of these dishes creates its own challenges. &#8220;You can&#8217;t hide behind anything with some notions of novelty,&#8221; he said. <\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34714\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34714\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-04.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>Sourcing and execution make all the difference here. Take Wright&#8217;s baked crab cake for example, which features colossal lump crab from Fortune Fish &amp; Gourmet in Chicago. &#8220;Colossal is just basically the largest pieces of blue crab that you can get,&#8221; McGuire said. &#8220;There&#8217;s not any filler in there.&#8221; The crab cake is seasoned with salt and pepper, has just enough egg and dairy for binding, and is plated atop a delicious red pepper remoulade. It&#8217;s one of the very best dishes we&#8217;ve had this year, and no visit to Wright&#8217;s is complete without it.<\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34715\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;wright&amp;#8217;s tavern executive chef cary mcdowell&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34715\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-08.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">wright&#8217;s tavern executive chef cary mcdowell <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>McDowell has worked in the kitchens of some genuinely top-tier restaurants in New York City; he knows and respects the value of creative, innovative cooking. But at Wright&#8217;s, he embraces the pursuit of metronomic consistency and excellence. &#8220;I enjoy the discipline and the challenge of staying excited about what are seemingly simple things,&#8221; he said. <\/p> <p>It&#8217;s difficult to rally a kitchen crew&#8217;s enthusiasm for making a roasted chicken every day, but McDowell said consistency flows from the application of fundamental principles. He tastes everything, every day. As a result, the cooks know the ingredients are right \u2013 and that simplifies the act of cooking. &#8220;It was drilled into me years ago, at the very beginning, that was the key,&#8221; McDowell said. &#8220;Most people are flippant and don&#8217;t take the time to do simple things.&#8221; McDowell estimates that he&#8217;s made every creme brulee that Wright&#8217;s has produced to date. So far, only two have failed the taste test. &#8220;That&#8217;s not bad, if you play the odds,&#8221; he said.<\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34717\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;the crab cake at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34717\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-06.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">the crab cake at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>The kitchen invests the same level of care in each item, regardless of price or perceived significance. For McDowell, the butter served with your bread deserves as much attention as the rib-eye sourced from Iowa Premium, a co-op run by several family farms producing corn-fed Black Angus beef. &#8220;It may not be expensive butter, but it&#8217;s good butter, with great salt and great olive oil, done correctly at the right temperature and the right composition, with a really good piece of bread,&#8221; he said. <\/p> <p>&#8220;Variance is not rewarded,&#8221; McGuire said. &#8220;If you come in and you have something and you enjoy it, and hopefully you do, the way that the business works is that you bring your friend in the next time and it has to be the exact same way that you had it when you were there, otherwise the business doesn&#8217;t work.&#8221; He puts the restaurant&#8217;s pommes frites forward as an example of the rigorous processes the kitchen repeats, day after day: Russet potatoes are cut, soaked in ice cold water, then blanched. The blanched potatoes are chilled again before finally being fried during service. &#8220;It&#8217;s an arduous process and it&#8217;s a little bit of a pain, but it&#8217;s also what adds up to be a really good chip [in the British sense],&#8221; McGuire said. <\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"795\" data-attachment-id=\"34719\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?fit=795%2C795&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,795\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;the ice cream sundae at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?fit=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?fit=795%2C795&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=795%2C795&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34719\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=600%2C600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?resize=780%2C780&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-07.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">the ice cream sundae at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>As a customer, it&#8217;s easy to take a well-oiled restaurant operation for granted \u2013 as some do at McGuire&#8217;s other restaurant, Louie \u2013 but what looks effortless to the untrained eye is the result of years of experience, untold hours of hard work and a diligent, gifted team that includes capable lieutenants. McGuire oversees operations on the restaurant floor, but gives credit to Sean Thomas and Rickey Whalen for leading the front-of-house team, while Sam DeClue and Josh Poletti run the kitchen under McDowell&#8217;s overall guidance. <\/p> <p>McDowell said being present in the restaurant is another simple but critical part of his, and McGuire&#8217;s, contribution to Wright&#8217;s success. &#8220;I&#8217;m confident that I don&#8217;t have to be here on any given day, because these guys are prepared, but I also see the benefit of me being here every day,&#8221; McDowell said. He talks about his &#8220;daily dialogue&#8221; with McGuire, aided by the wealth of experience they bring to the table, their understanding of the other&#8217;s role, and the deep respect and friendship between them. It&#8217;s rare to find a restaurant where the front and back of house are so finely balanced, and the diner reaps the rewards. <\/p> <p><br><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"575\" data-attachment-id=\"34721\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/attachment\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"795,575\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;the martini and sidecar at wright&amp;#8217;s tavern&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?fit=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?fit=795%2C575&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?resize=795%2C575&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-34721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?w=795&amp;ssl=1 795w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?resize=768%2C555&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?resize=780%2C564&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?resize=400%2C289&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-sm-4.webp?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">the martini and sidecar at wright&#8217;s tavern <span class=\"image-credit\"><span class=\"credit-label-wrapper\">Credit:<\/span> greg rannells<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure> <p><br><\/p> <p>Wright&#8217;s is earnest about the things that really matter, but isn&#8217;t averse to a dash of mischievous fun in the appropriate places. From the indulgent martini (with accompanying sidecar) to the riotous ice cream sundae, the moments of jaw-dropping awe and delight are the cherry on top of a rich feast, served with charismatic aplomb. Whether it&#8217;s your place for special occasions, or a weekly haunt, Wright&#8217;s Tavern was the restaurant we all wanted to eat at in 2023, and there&#8217;s really no debate: It&#8217;s this year&#8217;s Best New Restaurant.<\/p> <p><br><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Owner Matt McGuire and executive chef Cary McDowell&#8217;s initial motivation for Wright&#8217;s Tavern was to create a restaurant that served the kind of food they wanted to eat. McGuire and McDowell built themselves a place to enjoy a great steak and a Caesar salad, but more importantly, their Clayton steakhouse also tapped into a communal 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This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Best New Restaurants 2023 \/\/ No. 1 Wright&#039;s Tavern<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Owner Matt McGuire and executive chef Cary McDowell\u2019s initial motivation for Wright\u2019s Tavern was to create a restaurant that served the kind of food they...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Best New Restaurants 2023 \/\/ No. 1 Wright&#039;s Tavern\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Owner Matt McGuire and executive chef Cary McDowell\u2019s initial motivation for Wright\u2019s 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He has also contributed to a number of St. Louis publications, as well as writing for Digiday, Vinepair, Today\u2019s Hotelier and Roads & Kingdoms.","url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/author\/iain-shaw\/"}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Best New Restaurants 2023 \/\/ No. 1 Wright&#8217;s Tavern","url":"http:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-lg-01.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-lg-01.webp?fit=1900%2C1069&ssl=1"},"articleSection":"Best New Restaurants","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Iain Shaw"}],"creator":["Iain Shaw"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Sauce Magazine: Intelligent Content For The Food Fascinated","logo":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cropped-sauce-magazine-logo-color-Katrina-Behnken.png"},"keywords":["home feature","wright's tavern"],"dateCreated":"2023-12-11T19:55:21Z","datePublished":"2023-12-11T19:55:21Z","dateModified":"2025-08-06T09:02:14Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Best New Restaurants 2023 \\\/\\\/ No. 1 Wright&#8217;s Tavern\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.saucemagazine.com\\\/places-2\\\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/www.saucemagazine.com\\\/places-2\\\/best-new-restaurants-2023-no-1-wrights-tavern-17339248\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.saucemagazine.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-lg-01.webp?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.saucemagazine.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/12\\\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-lg-01.webp?fit=1900%2C1069&ssl=1\"},\"articleSection\":\"Best New Restaurants\",\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Iain Shaw\"}],\"creator\":[\"Iain Shaw\"],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"Sauce Magazine: Intelligent Content For The Food Fascinated\",\"logo\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.saucemagazine.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/cropped-sauce-magazine-logo-color-Katrina-Behnken.png\"},\"keywords\":[\"home feature\",\"wright's tavern\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2023-12-11T19:55:21Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-12-11T19:55:21Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-08-06T09:02:14Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/saucemagazine.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/wrights-tavern-best-new-restaurants-st-louis-2023-lg-01.webp?fit=1900%2C1069&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":29727,"url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/louie-owner-matt-mcguire-will-open-wrights-tavern-in-former-i-fratellini-space-in-clayton-this-fall-17338458\/","url_meta":{"origin":34702,"position":0},"title":"Louie owner Matt McGuire will open Wright&#8217;s Tavern in former I Fratellini space in Clayton this fall","author":"Iain Shaw","date":"May 9, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Matt McGuire, owner of Louie, will open Wright's Tavern, a \"classic city tavern and steakhouse\" in the former I Fratellini space at 7624 Wydown Blvd. in Clayton. McGuire confirmed to Sauce on May 9 that he has signed a lease on the location and is aiming to open Wright's Tavern\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bars&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bars","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/category\/topic\/bars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wrights-tavern-louie-matt-mcguire-demun-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wrights-tavern-louie-matt-mcguire-demun-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wrights-tavern-louie-matt-mcguire-demun-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wrights-tavern-louie-matt-mcguire-demun-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/wrights-tavern-louie-matt-mcguire-demun-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2768,"url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/wrights-tavern-is-the-steakhouse-of-our-dreams-in-clayton-17655390\/","url_meta":{"origin":34702,"position":1},"title":"Wright\u2019s Tavern is the steakhouse of our dreams in Clayton","author":"Sauce Staff","date":"March 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This Clayton steakhouse tapped into a communal longing: for delicious food and drinks, genuine hospitality, and the unbridled enjoyment that a really lovely restaurant can deliver.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bars&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bars","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/category\/topic\/bars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/new_york_strip_steak_-_wright_s_tavern_-_michelle_volansky.png?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/new_york_strip_steak_-_wright_s_tavern_-_michelle_volansky.png?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/new_york_strip_steak_-_wright_s_tavern_-_michelle_volansky.png?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/new_york_strip_steak_-_wright_s_tavern_-_michelle_volansky.png?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/new_york_strip_steak_-_wright_s_tavern_-_michelle_volansky.png?fit=1200%2C791&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7746,"url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/first-look-wrights-tavern-in-clayton-17332922\/","url_meta":{"origin":34702,"position":2},"title":"First Look: Wright&#8217;s Tavern in Clayton","author":"Iain Shaw","date":"December 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"View of the exterior of Wright's Tavern in Clayton.Cr\u00e8me brul\u00e9e at Wright's Tavern.The Negroni Bianco at Wright's Tavern.The Manhattan at Wright's Tavern.Martini & The Car at Wright's Tavern.The Tavern Julep at Wright's Tavern.The Wright's Cola cocktail at Wright's Tavern.Bartender Trevor Johnson mixing cocktails at Wright's Tavern.The classic ribeye at Wright's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Places&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Places","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/category\/places-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-01.webp?fit=795%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-01.webp?fit=795%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-01.webp?fit=795%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-01.webp?fit=795%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":28474,"url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/first-look-wrights-tavern-in-clayton-17334089\/","url_meta":{"origin":34702,"position":3},"title":"First Look: Wright&#8217;s Tavern in Clayton","author":"Iain Shaw","date":"December 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Wright's Tavern, the second restaurant from Louie owner Matt McGuire, will open on Monday, Dec. 5. The restaurant, a steakhouse in the classic tradition, has moved in to the former I Fratellini space at 7624 Wydown Blvd. in Clayton. Matt McGuire and head chef Cary McDowell said the impulse behind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;First Looks&quot;","block_context":{"text":"First Looks","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/category\/topic\/first-looks\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/wrights-tavern-louie-clayton-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":38930,"url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/places-2\/wrights-tavern-louie-owner-opening-box-hill-grocer-in-clayton-in-september-17368054\/","url_meta":{"origin":34702,"position":4},"title":"Wright\u2019s Tavern, Louie owner opening Box Hill Grocer in Clayton in September","author":"Alexa Beattie","date":"June 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"When we tell you Matt McGuire \u2013 epicurean brainiac behind Wright\u2019s Tavern and Louie \u2013 is opening a\u00a0 \u201cgrocery store,\u201d definitely don\u2019t go thinking Schnucks. You\u2019ll be way off. Box Hill Grocer, directly next door to Wright\u2019s Tavern at 7628 Wydown Blvd., will open around the first week in September\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Places&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Places","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/category\/places-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/box-hill-wrights-tavern-louie-shop-clayton-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/box-hill-wrights-tavern-louie-shop-clayton-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/box-hill-wrights-tavern-louie-shop-clayton-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/box-hill-wrights-tavern-louie-shop-clayton-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/box-hill-wrights-tavern-louie-shop-clayton-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C668&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37281,"url":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/people-2\/wrights-taverns-bar-manager-trevor-johnson-is-obsessive-about-the-details-17339189\/","url_meta":{"origin":34702,"position":5},"title":"Wright\u2019s Tavern&#8217;s bar manager Trevor Johnson is obsessive about the details","author":"Matt Sorrell","date":"January 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Age: 27 Job title: Bar manager, Wright\u2019s Tavern Why watch him: He\u2019s obsessive about the details Trevor Johnson has been around. Among other gigs, he\u2019s worked the bar at the Missouri Athletic Club and served as the daytime dough prep guy at Louie. He spent a bit of time in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bars&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bars","link":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/category\/topic\/bars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/trevor-johnson-bartender-wrights-tavern-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/trevor-johnson-bartender-wrights-tavern-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/trevor-johnson-bartender-wrights-tavern-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/trevor-johnson-bartender-wrights-tavern-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/trevor-johnson-bartender-wrights-tavern-st-louis-lg.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34702","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/248"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34702"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34702\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34702"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34702"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34702"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_collection_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_collection_taxonomy?post=34702"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_collection_section","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_collection_section?post=34702"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=34702"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saucemagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=34702"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}