It's odd that I have done the entire Route 66, ate at a lot of the legendary places on the Mother Road, and haven't eaten here until recently. To be fair, I've always heard and read about this place closing and changing hands frequently. But I did get to finally experience Spencer's. They do have limited hours (closes at 2pm) but I'm sure it is for the right reasons. In other words, open only during breakfast and lunch. I should've gotten breakfast but it was lunch time at the time of my visit so I got the Oklahoma Burger, which was supposed to be onions galore. It was alright. Not a fan of breaded fries. But hey, the service was great and I got to see my food cooked right in front of me. Kirkwood is not really a Route 66 destination or stop, but if you do find yourself there - make this place a priority! read more

not bad but painfully slow the weird thing about the slowness of this place is that they actually seem to be pretty well staffed. for a diner of this size (a small one), they had something like three line cooks and three waitstaff (or maybe even four), so i don't think it was understaffed, so i don't get it the food was decent. i got the standard diner stuff. i did think the biscuits were pretty good, i would get them again if i came back. it's okay value, not bad, not exceptional would be great if they could pick up the pace here read more

Honey Bee's up the street from Spencer's Grill bought it and reopened it after a short closure. Spencer's was always a favorite breakfast place in Kirkwood and its popularity continues. A diner breakfast for me always hits the spot. This was my first visit since the switch of ownership and I am glad to say, it is still a quality breakfast at a good price. I went with Breakfast #7. Which is two eggs, meat of choice and one biscuit with gravy. My scrambled eggs were nice and fluffy and the sausage patties had a peppery taste. Of course the main attraction of the breakfast was the biscuit and gravy. It simply was delicious. Sitting at the counter at the end closest to the grill was like watching a show of the Food Network. I was amazed at how fast and organized the two short-order cooks worked. Seeing them prepare pancakes and crispy hash browns, made me wish I had gone hog wild and ordered them, too. I'll have to give them a try on the next visit. My visit was a Saturday morning and there was people waiting for booths and multiple stools together at the counter when I arrived and when I left. Being a single diner, I lucked out and got a seat immediately. If you are dining with friends you may have to wait, so bring your patience. The service is good and attentive. It's as if Alice and Mel are taking care of you. I didn't see a Flo or Vera. When: January 10, 2026 Why: Breakfast while dog was getting groomed. read more

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Went to Spencer's Grill for a late breakfast, and we weren't disappointed! I had the Slinger and my other half had the Slammer. Both were fantastic...and of course too much food. I had leftovers for later! A note to late risers, you want to get there semi early as it fills up fast and gets very busy!!! Great food and great service!!! And this place has been around since 1947 (new owners now), has a very cool diner vibe!!! read more

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I had high hopes for a place that has been around since 1947 but I was really disappointed. It's a very cool old school diner and the vibe is awesome, unfortunately the vibe didn't overcome the breakfast we were served. My wife had the pancakes and they were visibly burnt, I'm actually surprised they sent them out looking like that. On the upside both of us had two eggs and they were perfectly cooked. Unfortunately the hash browns I had were just blasé. I hate to be giving them two stars but if you want more you have to earn them... read more

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Old school diner...period! There are maybe 7 tables and 10 counter stools, I would not take a group over 4, The staff was very kind, helpful and prompt. The food is "greasy spoon" food - old school diner. The ambiance is the same (clean!) old school diner. I had a #4, pancakes, eggs, bacon - all good. and Cheap eats compared to everywhere else! read more

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Lovely ambience, delicious food and warm friendly service. If you are a fan of Old School Diners, but want fresh locally sourced food, Spencer's is the ticket! East at the counter or in a booth. You will be thrown back in time when good simple food tasted great, not like the junk fast food restaurants peddle. Support this wonderful trip back in time, in the heart of Kirkwood. Note: Hey Spencer's I just drove by, can you put a neon OPEN sign in the window? It's hard to tell you're open. read more

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Absolutely amazing. Proper diner, with subtle updates for the 21st century. The 'new' burgers are amazing, fries equally good. The staff are friendly and fantastic. The diner experience is maintained but cleaned up and accessible to all. Cannot recommend enough. Seeing people just sitting at the bar reading library books made it especially charming. read more

Spencer's Grill - Double burger and fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kirkwood, Missouri

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Took my daughter out for breakfast this morning and had a blast! Food was good and came out quickly. Server was friendly and kept our drinks full. It was clean and well organized. Spencer's is a landmark in town and a great place to grab breakfast or lunch! read more

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Breakfast smiles back at Spencer's Grill! When Noah's order hit the table--grinning egg to egg--we knew we'd picked the perfect place to kick off our weekend! Spencer's delivers the quintessential diner experience, vibrant vintage vibes and all. We grabbed seats at the counter, front row to the magic happening on the grill. Noah went for the #4: two eggs, two pancakes, and choice of meat. (Bacon, of course!) I had the #5 Breakfast Sandwich with sausage--plus, a side of hashbrowns, because... obviously!) 10/10 would order it all again--only next time with an order of biscuits and gravy as well! read more

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Reopened and ready to go, the new owners have done a great job keeping the Spencer's tradition alive with a familiar menu, same local diner vibe, and upgraded food and service. Very friendly staff working together as a team. Food was served fresh and fast and very tasty. Had the classic slinger with sausage. And it hit! Fantastic dish! The chili is definitely house made and the way I like it. Hashbrowns were generous, crispy and tasty. Love the Union Loafer toasted bread. Best in town Slinger? Perhaps. read more

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Spencer's Grill just reopened under new ownership - the team behind Honey Bee's & Tropical Moose! The food is really good quality diner food! The vendors are all local - Honey Bee's, Union Loafers, and local butchers for their meats. The diner is small but very efficient. Don't be intimidated by the likely wait... which is totally worth it! I loved their slinger! The chili on it is 10/10! The pancakes look amazing! Parking lot in rear of building or street parking. read more

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When we travel, we always seek out a local diner. We found Spencer's Grill and we weren't disappointed. Place was packed on a Wednesday morning, which shows we found the right place! Typical diner menu, great vintage atmosphere and super friendly staff. Food was delicious, good portions, quick service. Sourdough toast was homemade, sausage gravy was a hit with real 1/2 & 1/2 and butter on the table. Will definitely be back! read more

Step into the 50's for a great atmosphere and enjoy a great breakfast! Spencer's is a classic American dinner serving breakfast and lunch. Seating is limited, but if you have to wait for a table, it will be worth it. The waitstaff shares tips, so everyone is happy to serve. The pancakes are great! read more

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Finally, the long awaited reopening for the classic style breakfast diner in Kirkwood, Spencer's Grill has arrived! It is located in the same location, still with the bar stools at the counter, a few booths and two tables in the back. The new owners have kept the original recipes (like pancakes and omelets and other fan favorites) and dialed down the menu while dialing in on the execution of the core items on the menu. There were a few small details that changed for the better. Such as real cheddar cheese inside the omelette (instead of the old Velveta squared slices on top). It came out hot and fluffy. The hash browns were perfect with some crispy doneness on top, not soggy at all. The short stack of pancakes came out piping hot and had delicious hints of buttery vanilla, and perfect crispy edges. I'm glad this community jewel remained in place, and even kicked up a notch. read more

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Everything you could want in an old fashioned diner! Good food, good service, good atmosphere. I love that you can watch them cook your food right there behind the counter! read more

Took our granddaughter for breakfast this week and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The young man who took our order was very nice and treated us very well. I had the Breakfast sandwich which was outstanding . Fresh ingredients and perfectly done. My wife had the omelette and that was also great. Great restaurant ..... read more

I tried Spencer's Grill quite a few years ago, it was ok. I put it back on my list to try when I learned it was under new ownership. Finally able to go back on a Saturday morning. About 9:00 and it was packed! The staff was hustling but with smiles on their faces. Everyone we interacted with was great. I was nervous about the food since it was only ok the first time I went but no need to worry, my meal was great! Eggs over easy, ham, hash browns and wheat toast. Eggs were cooked and seasoned perfectly. Ham and toast were good. Hash browns were great after a dash of salt. Thumbs up for Spenser's! read more

The eggs were cooked perfectly (over medium). The hash browns were tasty and crispy. The piece of ham with my breakfast platter was about the size of my small palm. The bacon was fantastic. Service was fine, but definitely not overly friendly. Probably won't go back, as pricey for what we got and we drove quite aways to come here, as we were excited that they re-opened. The cafe is cute. read more

Pancakes were served burnt. Not once were we asked how everything was. I tried to eat around the really burnt parts but that's all you could taste. Bacon was greasy. My husband had country fried steak, it was decent. Our first and last time here I think we stick to the other breakfast options around town. read more

Spencer's Grill - Pancakes were burnt. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kirkwood, Missouri

Quick service and everyone was friendly- food was tasty and comes out quickly. Had a nice meal

We have passed by here for years and never knew it was a classic American diner. We stopped in, and everything was so good! It's a small diner with some tables and counter seating. I ordered the plate with biscuits and gravy, two eggs, and choice of meat. My husband ordered the Slinger. Yum! So good. And now that we know what we've been missing, we'll be back! read more

Spencer's Grill - #8 Two eggs, ham, sausage gravy and biscuits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kirkwood, Missouri

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Though we usually have a great meal at this cafe, this recent experience left us wondering what has happened to the service. We were a party of three, and our server somehow managed to forget to order my son's breakfast. Mine and my wife's food was brought promptly but nothing for my son. When we asked about his order, the server informed us that only the two breakfasts were ordered. It appeared to us that the server felt it was our responsibility and not his, to make sure our order was correct. No one ever apologized for the mistake, egregious as it was. I suppose for the server, mistakes happen, and there is no need to address them or attempt to remediate the error. This was our second time visiting this month and fourth time since April. My wife and I noticed that business has declined for the Grill and I guess now we understand why. read more

First time trying this nugget in Kirkwood. Sat at the counter to be apart of the diner vibe. I ordered the #2 which was 2 eggs, meat and toast. I got my eggs scrambled with bacon and I upgraded the toast to a pancake. Everything was delicious. Eggs cooked perfectly. The pancake was hot and fluffy and the bacon was delicious. I sat by the grill area which was fun. I picked up a trick to try when I make pancakes at home. I enjoyed talking with the cooks and others at the counter. Cute and comfortable diner that serves a great breakfast. Small parking lot in back and plenty of available street parking. I'll be back, for sure! read more

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Went for breakfast and everything was overcooked. 4 people eating breakfast and they were all bad.

For those who love to seek out the historical, small, corner diner experience - this is a great (simple and straightforward ) experience. Local regulars eat here everyday. Several four person booths and classic counter stool dining. Nothing fancy but great food and service. When I drive 100 miles to drop my wife off at the airport early in the morning, i don't leave town without driving the 14 minute drive across town for breakfast here before heading home! My favorite menu item - " the Slinger" read more

Spencer's Grill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kirkwood, Missouri

Used to be the best pancakes in Saint Louis. No more, since the reopening.Too thick. Too puffy. Watered down syrup. And no more French toast. Don't get it. Won't return. read more

I've been wanting to visit Spencer's since we moved to downtown Kirkwood. The space is fairly small and there's normally a wait outside when we drive past. We visited on a Saturday around 9:45am and they were able to sit us right away in the small back room. It is the perfect greasy spoon diner (and they accept credit card)! The service was incredibly fast. The staff walks around to refill coffee every few minute. We loved the biscuits and gravy, pancake and western omelet. We can't wait to come back! read more

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Classical American diner food - breakfast and lunch only - in a classic, only slightly-updated building on a small corner in downtown Kirkwood. (Parking in the rear). St Louis style "slammer" served with your choice of chili or gravy; large mickey-mouse style pancakes for the kiddos, solid eggs, hash browns, burgers and fries for the rest of us. Great (Kale's) coffee too! Service is friendly, increasing the small. hometown feel to your wonderful experience. Perfect!! read more

Spencer's Grill - Masters working at the grill !! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kirkwood, Missouri

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I grew up coming here, worked here on winter and summer breaks throughout college, and my neighbors growing up are now the owners. So, yes, this review IS a little biased. But, my love for Spencer's Grilled started long before these things! As a kid, my dad and I use to wake up early while my teenage brothers and mom slept in on the weekends. We would sneak out and head over to Spencer's for crispy pancakes and hashbrowns. It a special memory that comes to mind when I think back on my childhood (and those are still my favorite menu items!). Nowadays, I make a point to visit my favorite breakfast joint anytime I'm back in St. Louis, typically 2-3 times a year. I'll tell you what, it's certainly not enough considering the love I have for this place! The renovations made have just made it cozier and more homey on the inside. The staff continues to be made up of friendly locals, and you can tell that they truly love what they do. Most importantly, the food is still as good as ever. Whatever you do, don't come here without ordering the crispy pancakes and hashbrowns please! Come early if you want a seat on the weekend, as the rest of Kirkwood will be joining you. I'm thankful for all the special memories I've made at Spencer's from over the years. read more

Enjoyed our breakfast here. Stopped in at a busy time on a Saturday morning (9:15 am) and was told there was a 10-15 min wait, or we could sit at the counter. We chose the counter and were served delicious coffee and some water right away. There were two in our party, one ordered the waffle with eggs and bacon...the other ordered 2eggs, hashbrowns toast and bacon. Came out quickly even though they were hopping!! Service was excellent!! Food was standard breakfast fare, nothing really special, but the cute diner atmosphere and delicious coffee will have us going back when we're in Kirkwood. If there is one negative, it's that the place is very tiny. 6 booths and counter seating in this quaint little gem. read more

Well... this is a small restaurant. There is one row of booths, a path to walk and then the counter seats with the grill. All conversations by the waitstaff are spoken in a public forum. We take year long breaks from this restaurant it seems because of small hickups they have in staffing waitresses or cooks. How this basically goes is I forget why I stopped attending and end up there. We have been back at least 5 times this time around and we were happy to see the cook now is AWESOME, he makes a great meal. Unfortunately this time around some of their wait staff are VERY combative and passive aggressive. Ever have someone angrily snatch plates off your table? I didn't even know that was possible. Additional another day we were there was a gaggle of waitstaff with a huge loud conversation about how customers suck and how one in particular she was going to tell off and or hit... I blankly stared at the angry waitress in complete wonder as we were just trying to have a peaceful Sunday meal. I waited for a few visits to update this review as everyone has a bad day. Certainly not use to being the customer and hearing a bash session about how awful customers are. That was 4 visits ago. There was another time, another conversation this time about how the owner is out of town so they are going to close early as we were still eating. One particular visit conversation they had bothered me quite a bit. There was very elderly woman who was weakly complaining about the staff to the cook and after she walked out the bash session started. Even if it is legitimate that the elderly woman was strangely rude, besides talking loudly about her in front of customers the cook was the only employee that showed any empathy for a possibility old and lonely woman who might need help in her life. The rest of the employees were bashing away. It was disappointing and I had to control myself so I wouldn't interject to this unsympathetic conversation. I just didn't want to hear any of it. The last straw this time is a sign posted saying they are closing at 1pm today, Sunday, after driving longer than we could have for breakfast. Time for another year wait. TLDR: Cook is great! Half the waitstaff, one especially is weirdly combative for zero reasons. Conversations about customers take place loudly in front of other customers. Not a peaceful weekend breakfast/lunch. Bummer. read more

Spencer's Grill - So tasty! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Kirkwood, Missouri

It's back to good old fashion diner breakfast and some things are even better!!!! The bread is so so good and biscuits are delicious !!! Warm service!! Very attentive... just all around good OG Spencer's read more

Traditional diner with a relaxed & welcoming atmosphere that first opened in 1947. Very small with some counter seating. Sign has the oldest working clock on a neon sign west of the Mississippi. Serves all day breakfast and lunch. Known for pancakes, which they make with "crispy edges". I got the veggie omelet and a pancake. The pancake was very fluffy and delicious, but portions of it were burned on top. I understand that this is what makes it crispy, but I was not a huge fan. The omelet was cooked perfectly, but had gobs of cheese that were overwhelming. read more

This is a great little traditional diner type restaurant, the seating is pretty limited but we got right in and the service was great. The grill area is in plain view in the main dining area so you can see your food being prepared. Everything we had was cooked perfectly, definitely a good place for breakfast! Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of our food read more

I went to Spencer's Grill yesterday for breakfast. If you are in the mood for a classic breakfast this is the place to go! It was packed, but we were able to quickly get a seat. If you have a large group this would not be the place for you. They have booths and seating at a bar. I got the #3 breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon, and sourdough toast. The hash browns were some of the best I have had. They were crispy on the outside but smooth on the inside. The service was good, but they did forget part of my friend's order and we had to ask if it was ready after waiting a little while. read more

What are great space to go early in the morning after working out at the Y with my daughter. The food is great. And Service. Very helpful. Not many places open at 6:30 in the morning. Glad we found this place.! read more

I hate writing this negative report because I really do like the food at Spencer's. This most recent visit was a disappointment for a few reasons. First, there were ants crawling on the wall along side our booth. We also noticed food tickets from the grill laying on the floor where servers pick-up the cooked food. There was also a lot of food scraps on the floor. It looked like no one cared to clean up. It was not busy when we were there and the employees seemed to be more interested in conversing with one another than attending to the customers. Our server never returned to our table after receiving our food. We eventually had to ask someone else for our bill and a box for leftovers. read more

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Breakfast here is like stepping into the past and enjoying a sidewalk diner breakfast. I'm tired of modern coffee shops and places that have their "unique twist" on breakfast food. If you are wanting an old school, classic American diner breakfast, this is your place. And yes, that does including standing around and waiting for a seat to open up for you. read more

Everything tasted really good and we're glad they're open again. My only feedback is it's tough to watch the cook (who is working very hard) use the same gloved hands to crack raw eggs and raw meat, then touch finished food. I can only assume this happens in many restaurants behind the scenes, but it's easy to observe at Spencer's since they cook in front of you (which is really fun). Other than that great place. read more