Mike Shannon�s Steaks and Seafood serves USDA Choice dry-aged and wet-aged Midwestern beef, as well as fresh seafood.

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When former St. Louis Cardinal Mike Shannon wanted to open his own restaurant in 1986, he insisted on the best of the best, says Pat Shannon-VanMatre, present-day owner and one of his six children. That’s why Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood operates as a fine-dining steakhouse serving only the best USDA Choice dry-aged and wet-aged Midwestern beef, as well as fresh seafood.

The St. Louis restaurant sets itself apart from its competitors with its sports-oriented atmosphere. Unlike traditional fine-dining establishments, Mike Shannon’s patrons can watch the baseball game on flat-screen TVs. And, unlike the standard sports bar and grill, Mike Shannon’s boasts an award-winning steak menu and wine list.

According to VanMatre, it’s a win-win scenario for a Midwestern city that’s as proud of its Grade-A cattle as it is of its sports teams. “The history of the St. Louis Cardinals is right up there with the Red Sox and Yankees,” she asserts. “The Cardinals have such a rich history in the Midwest.”

Mike Shannon has a rich history in the area, as well. Born and raised in St. Louis, Shannon began his big-league career with the Cardinals in 1962. He became the team’s regular right fielder two years later, but eventually shifted to third base in 1967. He played in three World Series: 1964 against the New York Yankees, 1967 against the Boston Red Sox and 1968 against the Detroit Tigers.

In 1970, Shannon contracted nephritis, a rare kidney disease, which ended his playing career. He joined the team’s promotional staff the following year and was soon moved to the Cardinals’ radio booth, where he continues to reign today. He received an Emmy award for his work on Cardinal broadcasts in 1985.

Shannon has become known for his baseball aphorisms affectionately called “Shannonisms.” For instance, when opposing pitchers are being victimized by a Cardinals batter, Shannon will simply shrug and say, “You can’t sneak the sun past the rooster.” Other times, he’ll quietly note, “A hit up the middle right now would be like a nice ham sandwich and a cold, frosty one” – evidence that his admiration of food often mirrors his love of the game.

Home Base
Shannon was the last Cardinal to hit a homerun in the original Busch Stadium. He was the first to hit a homerun in the second version. Now, the former player has ties to the newest stadium. In 2006, Mike Shannon’s moved its location to the former Mark Twain Bank, which is near the new ballpark. Floor-to-ceiling windows front two sides of the restaurant, offering views of downtown St. Louis and Busch Stadium III. “We have the best see-and-be-seen tables in the city,” VanMatre says.

Residing in a former bank has its perks, she notes. The restaurant’s large size allows employees to serve up to 300 people in an hour-and-a-half game rush. Aside from its main dining room, which is adorned with her father’s personal collection of 352 autographed baseballs displayed in an illuminated glass column, the restaurant houses smaller dining rooms named after Cardinal legends Albert Pujols, Bob Gibson and Stan Musial. There are also small alcoves, or “snugs,” which seat up to four people. They’re perfect for double dates or a girls’ or guys’ night out, VanMatre says. These, too, are named after Cardinals players.

“In the lower level of our building is a bank vault,” VanMatre notes. “And that’s not an easy thing to remove, so we simply integrated it into our operations.” What was originally a nuisance became a blessing in disguise; the former vault now acts as a wine cellar and intimate dining room. VanMatre says dinner in the vault is perfect for special occasions such as graduation parties. The restaurant also sports a beer garden nicknamed “The Outfield,” which can accommodate up to 1,000 people. It is “the place to be” before and after home games, she says.

A Doubleheader
The company’s plan is to open a second restaurant in Springfield, Mo., next year. Mimicking its St. Louis location, the restaurant’s southern Missouri operation will also be set up in a landmark; in this case, an old department store called the Heer’s Building. VanMatre’s brother-in-law specializes in rehab construction projects and will be the developer on the project. 

“The St. Louis Cardinals own the Springfield Cardinals, so it makes a lot of good sense for us to be close to their minor league team down there, as well as their new stadium,” she notes. “We thought it would be a good fit. Springfield’s downtown is going through a bit of a renaissance the same way St. Louis has in the past few years, so there are a lot of common factors between the two cities.”

The new location will also be adorned with Cardinals memorabilia, she adds. “We will have quite a few other sports represented, but it will certainly be heavy on the baseball end of it, and heavy on the St. Louis Cardinals,” VanMatre says. “We stick with memorabilia that we feel is unique and is, to some degree, difficult to get for most people. My dad has a direct connection to most of the memorabilia in our restaurant, so he’ll always have a connection to it in some way.”