Lunch and Pie at Kimmswick’s Blue Owl

A flaky croissant sandwich, a bowl of soup, and a towering apple pie can turn a simple lunch south of St. Louis into a full afternoon out. In Kimmswick, the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery has long made that progression easy: sit down for a substantial meal, study the bakery counter afterward, then wander the town’s small shops with something sweet packed for home.

The restaurant has the friendly, old-fashioned character people hope to find in a little river town. Its rooms are rustic and home-like, closer to a small-town diner crossed with a tea room than a hurried roadside lunch stop. Apron-style staff uniforms and employee testimonies displayed near the entrance add a few personal touches to the setting.

This is a place to allow some time. Lunch can become dessert, dessert can become a box for the car, and Kimmswick’s walkable streets give the outing another chapter after the table is cleared.

The Blue Owl’s calling card is its Levee High apple pie, a tall, generous bakery creation offered in variations including caramel apple and caramel pecan. Apple slices coated with cinnamon sit over a buttery bottom crust, with sugary crumble and a rich caramel topping adding to the considerable height of the slice.

The caramel apple pie is often served slightly warmed, a good argument for taking a seat before deciding what goes in the carryout box. Ice cream is a natural companion when dessert is staying at the table, though the pie has plenty going on by itself.

Caramel pecan gets extra richness from its nutty topping, while rhubarb pie offers a pleasingly less-common alternative when it is available. The selection changes, so it is wise not to arrive with only one particular flavor in mind.

The apple pie may have the marquee, but the bakery display invites a slower look. Pies, cakes, cheesecakes and cookies spread the decision-making well beyond one famous dessert, and it is easy to see why a meal here often ends with additional sweets going home.

Chocolate lovers can look for French silk pie or chocolate cream pie. Carrot cake and assorted cakes add more choices for a celebration, an afternoon treat, or the practical question of what will travel best in the car.

The gooey butter cheesecake has a gooey butter cookie crust, a regional-minded detail that gives it more personality than a standard cheesecake. Large gooey butter cookies are another option, with a soft, cake-like texture that makes them feel more like bakery goods than an afterthought at the register.

Before pie enters the picture, the restaurant gives lunch plenty of range. Homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, quiche and daily specials make it comfortable for a table where one person wants a light lunch and another has arrived ready for a comfort-food plate.

White chili is a warm, flavorful choice, while vegetable beef soup and the creamy soups have a devoted following of their own. On a cooler day, soup can easily become the main event rather than merely the side that comes with a sandwich.

Spinach-and-artichoke quiche brings a cheesy, flavorful filling to the table. The chicken salad comes on a croissant, and the turkey melt also uses a flaky, buttery croissant—an appealing bit of bakery influence carried into the lunch menu.

There are more classic sandwich directions, too: a Reuben, patty melt, turkey club on rye and egg salad sandwich. Side options have included chips, fries, curly fries, cottage cheese and soup, leaving room to steer the meal toward either diner-style indulgence or a more modest plate.

The daily-special lineup heads squarely toward familiar comfort food. Southern fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, steak and gravy, and meatloaf with mashed potatoes have all appeared, often with country green beans, a roll and side salad completing the plate.

Portions are generous enough that taking home part of lunch is common, which is useful when the dessert counter has already caught your eye. A trio option also provides a sampler-style lunch by allowing diners to choose three items from a selected menu.

Brunch brings another branch of the menu, with combinations such as a BLT alongside eggs, bacon and a homemade biscuit with apple butter. Sweet tea fits neatly into the unhurried lunch mood.

Inside, the dining rooms provide the cozy country setting that suits soups, quiche and a long dessert decision. The Blue Owl also has a front veranda, porch or deck for outdoor seating, offering fresh air and a peaceful view of the town. Fans help on warmer days.

The outdoor tables give the meal a different pace, especially when Kimmswick is being explored on foot. Still, they are weather-dependent, so the indoor rooms remain the dependable option when conditions turn.

The Blue Owl works especially well as the center of a town outing rather than a meal squeezed between errands. Kimmswick’s nearby small shops and walkable streets encourage a browse after lunch, and a pie or cake in hand gives the drive back toward St. Louis a nice built-in souvenir.

A free parking lot is available, with additional parking reported across the street. Parking can grow tighter on Saturdays, busy weekends and during Kimmswick festivals, when the town’s relaxed scale draws a larger crowd.

Hours are limited, so current hours are worth checking before making the drive. Indoor and outdoor seating are available, and the restaurant has been identified as handicapped accessible; reservation practices can change, so confirm directly if you want to reserve a table.