Stella Blues, the long-running Tower Grove South bar known for its Korean-American spin on pub food, is finally sliding back into its old spot on Morgan Ford this weekend after a kitchen fire shut it down in April 2024. The crew is kicking things off with a soft launch on Friday, May 8, and aiming for a full official reopening on Saturday, May 16. Owner Paul Choe has tapped executive chef Xavier Dorsey to lead the kitchen, with a mix of longtime staff and fresh hires helping roll out the comeback menu.
Soft launch details, hours and what to expect
For the soft launch, Stella Blues plans to open from noon to 1:30 a.m. Friday through Sunday, with the kitchen cooking until 1 a.m. Regular hours are penciled in for 3 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. seven days a week, according to Sauce Magazine. Drinks at the bar will be cash-only for now, while the kitchen will take card payments, so neighbors might want to hit the ATM before settling in for a round.
Two years of rebuilding after the blaze
The road back has not been quick. A kitchen fire in early April 2024 caused heavy smoke and water damage to both the basement and the upstairs, forcing an indefinite closure, according to reporting by the Riverfront Times. In the meantime, staff and supporters kept the business afloat with pop-ups and benefit events while the slow grind of insurance claims and permitting played out in the background.
What is back on the menu and who is running it
Regulars will see plenty that looks familiar. Stella Blues has brought back fan favorites such as bulgogi bowls, its signature torpedoes and the OGX wings, while the kitchen experiments with new Korean-American riffs under Dorsey’s direction, according to Sauce Magazine. “It’s like the old Stella’s on turbocharge,” Choe said, and staff describe the reopening as a collaborative push to stay true to the bar’s roots even as they tune things up.
Licensing, safety checks and next steps
On the paperwork side, public records show that C3 Hospitality Group LLC, doing business as Stella Blues Sports Bar & Grill, applied for a Full Drink and Summer Garden liquor license, with Choe listed as the managing officer, according to the City of St. Louis calendar. The application received approval from the Excise Division, clearing a key regulatory hurdle before the doors officially swing open.
A neighborhood spot returns
Neighbors can expect a warm but likely crowded soft-launch weekend as the team works through service kinks and staffing in real time. For the owners and crew, the relaunch is about restoring a neighborhood hangout as much as serving food, and they say they are ready to welcome customers back to 3269 Morgan Ford Road.
