Landmark Glen Carbon bar gets a facelift

Many people considered the Judy Inn in Glen Carbon a “dive bar” before it closed two years ago, and that’s exactly what Justin Pickering liked about it.

The St. Louis restaurant manager would stop by on his way home from work and drink a couple of beers in the friendly, relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere.

“It had a great eclectic mix of people,” said Justin, 38, of Glen Carbon. “I’d be sitting next to a farmer on one one side and a city official on the other. I would get into some great conversations. It was hilarious.”

Justin, who recently leased the landmark 1895 building for his own bar and restaurant, knew that major renovations were needed to attract a wider clientele.

“It had to be cleaned up enough that the average Joe or a female wouldn’t mind going into the restrooms,” he said.

Justin went to work with his wife, Carrie Pickering, an event coordinator in St. Louis, and his father, Scott Pickering, of Collinsville. They installed new bathrooms and a kitchen. They peeled off seven layers of flooring to reveal century-old pine. They covered walls with reclaimed wood from barns and fences.

“I cut over 250 logs into slices about an inch thick,” Justin said. “I sanded them and polyurethaned them, and my wife and I strategically placed, glued and screwed them onto the bar. It was a labor of love.”

Justin went with the name The Cabin at Judy Creek, partly because of the nearby creek and partly because of fond childhood memories from his grandfather’s cabin.

The menu consists of simple but interesting appetizers and sandwiches with as many local ingredients and products as possible. People order at the counter.

Drinks range from domestic and craft beers to wine and specialty cocktails, including the Bad Ass Margarita and Aviation, a gin-based classic from Prohibition days.

“I still want it to be a cozy, comfortable, rustic, saloon type of place, but with an upscale twist,” said Justin, father of two sons, Conner, 9, and Nolen, 5.

The Pickerings opened The Cabin on Dec. 5. They serve food from 3 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturdays and 11 a.m. to closing Sundays.

“I’ve never seen anything like it on this side of the river,” said friend Tom Yenne, 38, owner of the Huddle Bar & Grill in Caseyville. “It’s homey. It’s unique. It’s creative.”

Tom’s favorite menu item is the Cabin Cuban sandwich with pulled pork, thinly sliced ham and Swiss cheese on Dutch crunch ciabatta ($8).

Justin gets all his meats from Kenrick’s in St. Louis and smokes them out back. He also offers hoagie pizzas and grilled-cheese paninis with herbs, bacon, even roasted apples and peanut butter ($6 to $8)

A favorite appetizer is Bacon Fat Popcorn, which is popcorn drizzled with bacon grease and tossed with Parmesan, crushed chili flakes and rosemary ($5).

“I like the menu that Justin’s put together,” said his sister-in-law, Libby Davidson, 37, of Maryville, a marketing manager for Purina. “He’s put a lot of his journey into it.”

Libby was referring to his 23 years in the restaurant business, which went from dishwashing to serving to bartending to managing.

Justin caught the “food-and-wine bug” at Porter’s Steakhouse in Collinsville and helped open two of its Chicago franchises. At the same time, he created his own upscale catering business.

Justin then worked at Harry’s in St. Louis before a stint at the renowned Saddle Peak Lodge in Malibu, Calif. That’s where he learned about tri-tips, a West Coast version of brisket, now on The Cabin menu.

“That’s one of my favorites,” Libby said. “You don’t see it much in this area. People will be asking for it. It’s delicious.”

Justin later owned Lindell Coffee Kitchen in the Central West End of St. Louis and managed The Side Bar on Washington Avenue and Social Gastropub in Edwardsville.

Justin is fascinated by The Cabin building, which housed a grocery store in the 1800s, across from Peter’s Station railroad stop. Judy Creek is named after Illinois Militia Col. Samuel Judy, one of the area’s first white settlers.

“(The building) has been many things, including a brothel,” Justin said. “There’s a three-bedroom apartment upstairs, and if those walls could talk ...”

Justin lined a hallway with historic photos from Glen Carbon. Other decor includes a mounted elk and other wildlife.

“That’s the second largest elk shot in the United States,” Justin said. “It was shot in Idaho. It was given to me by a friend of a friend.”

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 4:13 AM with the headline "Landmark Glen Carbon bar gets a facelift."