When you walk into Merle’s Hot Dog Emporium the first thing you notice, is everything covered in Cardinals red. From pennants to bobbleheads, this is the unofficial lunch home for St. Louis/Springfield Cardinals fans – at least the SGF players. If you ever want to rub elbows with a future big leaguer, Merle’s for lunch is your best bet. One of the first things SGF Cards players receive when they get to town is a laminate to eat for free at Merle’s, and they do. A lot. When they move on, they still check back in and leave memorabilia from their new spot – most of which you can find behind the counter.
But even if you don’t have your own walk-up music at Hammons Field, you can eat for extra cheap. Merle’s, downtown on Walnut – in the front half of what was once Harpo’s – was built for the $5 Lunch. There’s nothing on the menu that costs that much. The menu centers around a delicious and creative list of styles of hot dogs, but ventures into burgers, wraps and sandwiches. Delicious homemade sides, headlined by potato selections (fries, homemade chips and tots), won’t push the cost past the $5 barrier either. The freshly baked desserts and pies line the counter top, eyeballing you as take down the city’s best Memphis Dog.
The dogs are split on a fresh bun and covered in toppings. The list is various so you can go several different directions (Chicago, Downtown, the Bull Dog, Memphis, Southern Sam, Chili Dog, and more). Those varieties cost per size (small – $1.99, Medium – $2.99, Big – $4.99) and trust me you don’t need bigger than medium. If none of them suit your fancy, you can always build your own.
My wife and I both went for the Chicago Dog (pickle, tomato, onion, relish, mustard and celery salt). Simple, yet incredibly satisfying. She had the small, and I had the medium, and we got an order of the fries of cheese. It was the perfect amount for both of us and our total was a little more than $7 (time to start a $3.50 lunch series?). Merle’s is the game-changer of $5 Lunches, and immediately etched its way into my family’s weekly lunch schedule.
Daily Specials
Monday: Philly Cheesesteak – $2.99
Tuesday: Fish Sandwich and Fries – $3.99
Wednesday: Frito Chili Pie – $2.75
Thursday: Bratwurst – $2.49, Double Cheeseburger – $3.99
Friday: Pork Tenderloin – $3.99
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