Belleville restaurant holds grand opening with more Big Easy fun through the weekend
The Quarter Restaurant in downtown Belleville celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting Wednesday, Oct. 6.
I arrived before the ribbon cutting ceremony and had the opportunity to sit at the bar and speak with owner Brandon McGraw.
“Talk about a fun place to run,” said McGraw, when I asked how business is going.
McGraw’s excitement about The Quarter and its early success was obvious. He joked that it’s hard to go home at night because everyone’s always having such a good time.
During the ribbon cutting, McGraw said of Belleville that “the city has been great to work with. We love it here.”
He also said that in all his travels, “Nobody has a Main Street like this” and that he’s “very honored” to be part of it.
Mayor Patty Gregory attended the ribbon cutting and thanked McGraw for choosing Belleville for his business.
As fun as it can get on a normal night, The Quarter kicked it up a notch for its grand opening, which included live music by Rodney the Saxophonist and samples of gumbo, jambalaya and Dole Whip (vegan-friendly!), all of which are on the dinner menu. The evening’s finale was a Queens of The Quarter Drag Show.
McGraw described it all as “very New Orleans.”
The Quarter opened to the public on Aug. 26. There’s been a steady stream of customers without it being overwhelming, McGraw said.
While running the restaurant and serving customers, McGraw and his staff wasted no time getting involved in the local events.
McGraw said that the grand opening festivities will continue through the weekend as The Quarter and Signature Tap House, his Fairview Heights restaurant, participate in the Belleville Chili Cook-Off Friday and Saturday. He said, in addition to the food, they’ll be serving up their popular Belleville’s Original Hurricane, a cocktail of dark rum, light rum and a blend of tropical juices.
There will also be live music at the restaurant Friday and Saturday night.
The Quarter also ran a booth at the Metro East Pride Fest last week. McGraw said they served around 35 gallons of their hurricane.
Customers can find the hurricane on The Quarter’s NOLA Cocktails menu, which also includes the Grasshopper, Main Street Sangria, The Quarter Modern Old Fashioned, and Boozy Dole Whip.
McGraw said that a new partnership with Stumpy’s Spirits, in Columbia, has resulted in other cocktails like the Bourbon Street Lemon Drop and the Bayou Bliss, composed of Stumpy’s Unbroken Vodka, ginger beer, lime juice and blackberry flavor.
The Quarter Restaurant is located at 126 E. Main St. in Belleville. Hours are 4-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 4-11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. They are now serving lunch on weekends. For more information, call 618-416-1000 or visit online at quarterrestaurant.com.
