Fast Eddie's Bon Air is more than cheap bar food.
It's an Alton institution.
Pork tenderloin kebabs and burgers sizzle on the grill, drinks are icy cold, and there's a spring breeze on the outdoor patio.
Regular customer Melody Leezer of St. Peters, Mo., doesn't mind crossing the Mississippi River to enjoy the 300-seat patio.
"We came out in January. They had the heaters blowing. I even forgot I was outside," said Melody, sitting at a patio table under an awning on a warm Friday afternoon.
She was enjoying a "Chick-on-a-stick" with a glass of beer before heading to a Cardinals baseball game with friends Wes Blankenship of Hutchinson, Kan., and Curt Balding of St. Charles, Mo.
"Chick-on-a-stick" is a skewer of seven or eight spicy grilled chicken wings.
Wes and Curt each ate a half-pound Fat Eddie burger.
"I love this place. We started coming in the early 1990s," said Curt.
Pop music plays on the radio, but Thursdays through Sundays nights are known for live music. A cook at the grill calls out orders over a loud speaker so patio patrons and those sitting indoors can hear when their food is ready.
"The response to the patio has been fantastic," said Eddie Sholar, who owns the popular bar at the intersection of Broadway, 4th and Pearl streets in Alton.
The patio area has tables under awnings as well as umbrella tables out in the open. Smoking is allowed on the patio.
His dad Ed, better known as "Fast Eddie," bought the bar in 1981. It never was meant to be fancy.
"It's not a low-end cafeteria, this is a bar," said Eddie as he checked the bar on the back patio to make sure it was well stocked and headed inside to peruse the crowd.
"Bon Air," Eddie answered the portable phone he carries in his pocket.
It's the original name for the bar built in 1921 by Anheuser Busch to sell its beer. The family sold the bar 10 years later when new laws prohibited breweries from owning bars.
The Balaco family bought it in 1931 and owned it for 50 years before selling it to "Fast Eddie" Sholar.
Fast Eddie's added a short, but tasty menu of shish kebabs, burgers, fries, grilled chicken wings and bratwurst. Inside, colorful neon signs remind customers where to order and pick up their food.
The Big Elwood, roasted chunks of pork tenderloin, is named after Eddie's uncle, Mike "Elwood" Sholar.
"We go through 2,000 pounds of burgers and 2,500 pounds of shrimp a week," said Eddie.
Indoor lighting is dim and casual with more neon signs and a wall of collected license plates from regular customers. Baseball memorabilia also is on display.
The Sholars added a large parking lot next to the bar and patio construction began last summer.
"We're just here to sell fun. The cheap food and cold drinks bring 'em in," said Eddie.
On the menu:
Big Elwood (roast pork tenderloin, $1.99)
1/2 pound Fat Eddie Burger (99 cents)
Bratwurst (99 cents)
Pork kebab with vegetables ($1.29)
Shrimp (29 cents each)
Cajun style Chick on a stick ($2.99)
Basket of fries (99 cents)
If you go:
Where: 1530 E. 4th Street, Alton
Hours: Food service 1-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 11-1 a.m. Fridays-Sundays.
Bar service: 1 p.m.-2 a.m. Mondays-Thursdays and 11-2 a.m. Fridays-Sundays.
Information: 462-5532 or www.fasteddiesbonair.com
