The Quarter restaurant says ‘au revoir’ to downtown Belleville. Say “Hi!” to Lexi’s BFF
Things are always changing in downtown Belleville.
I got a text from The Quarter Restaurant owner Brandon McGraw about a new social media post regarding some upcoming changes.
So I took a look.
Whoa! The Quarter is moving to St. Charles, Missouri.
The Belleville restaurant closed Saturday night.
I took a walk over to 126 E. Main St. on Monday to see if there was any activity.
And there was.
McGraw happened to be there, so I got some details.
He said a new owner purchased the concept for The Quarter – the name, the menu and all the rest.
McGraw said he’s “proud that someone wanted this [concept].”
He enjoys developing and designing new concepts and does this not only for his own business but for others too.
The Quarter will reopen in its new Missouri location at a later date. He didn’t have those details, but I’ll try to keep you all posted on that front.
But I’m sure you’re wondering, now that downtown Belleville’s own little French Quarter bid us all “au revoir,” what’s to become of the space formerly known as The Quarter?
Coming (very) soon
Well, a new concept is preparing to open.
Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun (BFF) is set to hold a soft opening Saturday, April 15, according to McGraw.
Yes, this Saturday. (Talk about a quick turnaround!)
McGraw said all of these changes were already in the works, but the sale of The Quarter happened much sooner than planned.
And he wants to get Lexi’s, named for his 11-year-old daughter, ready and open asap so he won’t lose any employees.
The Quarter’s signs are gone, and the building front is being painted. (Goodbye peachy pink walls.)
Door and window frames are now black (they were green).
McGraw said new LED lights will replace the current fixtures, and the front-facing wall will be a tan color.
Other parts of the wall are rocking colorful, almost graffiti-like, artwork. Among the wide brush strokes are treble clefs, “Lexi’s” and the occasional “BFF.” I even spotted a hidden Mickey.
McGraw said some boxwoods and large planters will be added along the front wall.
From the outside, it already looks like a completely different place.
The inside hasn’t changed too much. Some fresh paint, bar-height tables added to what was the dining area and no more hostess stand (please seat yourself).
If you hadn’t been there for a while, the wall between the dining room and the bar was previously opened up, giving the space a more continuous feel, like it’s one building instead of two (which it originally was).
It feels a lot bigger now.
The bar, the food, the fun
So what can one expect at Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun?
McGraw said it’ll be a bar experience with good food.
The bar area hasn’t changed, so mixed drinks and beer will be available. McGraw said they will go back to beer in glass bottles, and a specialty drinks menu is in the works.
(The Dole whip machine is still there too.)
And Lexi’s won’t be the kind of restaurant The Quarter was, but the menu will have some really good eats.
Plenty of appetizers will be on offer: pretzel sticks, taquitos, toasted ravs, tater tots (chili cheese and fully loaded), mac & cheese bits, wings and a few other options.
Pizza (freshly made in-house), spaghetti & meatballs, quesadillas, chicken fingers and sandwiches, street tacos and pulled pork are also on the menu.
You can also get smash burgers and other sandwiches.
A soup and salad bar and several desserts (including pineapple upside-down cake) are options too.
The best part is that all of the menu items will be easily affordable for customers.
Nearly everything on the menu is under $10. (The only items over $10 are a few of the pizzas.)
Lexi’s will also offer catering services with a separate menu. (Ask a bartender or server for those details.)
As for the fun part of the BFF, McGraw said they’re getting a pool table (dibs!), an arcade console loaded with about 30 1980s arcade games, dartboards and a Golden Tee golf arcade game (his dad’s request). Slot machines are also on order.
And they’ll have a jukebox!
Guests will continue to enjoy live entertainment on the weekends.
In fact, music will continue to be a big part of McGraw’s latest business venture.
A musician himself, he will continue to support music programs of grade schools, high schools, and colleges in the area.
Not only will Lexi’s BFF support music programs via fundraisers, McGraw will continue to have local musicians and music students perform at 126 E. Main St.
When The Quarter was open, McGraw said they had musicians and bands from schools including Wolf Branch, Belleville East and McKendree University.
Lexi’s BFF’s first contribution to the music world involves classic rock band Foghat, in town for a concert at the Lincoln on Friday.
“We’re feeding them,” said McGraw, whether they’re ready to open or not.
About The Quarter Restaurant
The Quarter Restaurant opened Aug. 26, 2021.
The New Orleans-inspired restaurant offered some great dishes that included jambalaya, fried green tomatoes and shrimp & grits.
And beignets.
A grand opening event was held in October 2021.
“Talk about a fun place to run,” McGraw said at the time.
That year, The Quarter won second place in Belleville’s Chili Cook-Off for their gumbo chili.
The Quarter Restaurant took first place in a BND reader poll for best new restaurant to open in 2021.
The Quarter was active in the community, participating in downtown Belleville events and joining other Main Street businesses to collect donations for charities.
The latest event was a charity pub crawl for Kellsie’s Hope earlier this month.
McGraw hopes to continue this with Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun.
About Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun
Lexi’s Bar, Food & Fun is located at 126 E. Main St. in downtown Belleville.
Hours will be 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For updates and info about Lexi’s, call 618-416-1000 or visit the Facebook page.
