Frequently asked questions

Do you take reservations?

No. We have never taken a reservation and we are not going to start. Walk in, order at the counter, take a number, and sit wherever you want. The wait at 7 PM on a Friday runs fifteen to twenty minutes and the line moves. The one exception is a full buyout of the back room, which is a different thing and is handled by email at hello@thirdrailburgers.example.

How late is the griddle on?

The griddle runs until close, not an hour before it. We serve until 11 PM Tuesday through Thursday, until midnight Friday and Saturday, and until 9 PM on Sunday. We are closed Mondays. Last call at the bar is fifteen minutes after the kitchen stops. Holiday hours differ, and the location page lists every exception.

Where do I park?

There is a free lot behind the building, in off Delmar Alley, with about twenty spots. Street parking on Kessler Avenue is metered until 6 PM and free after that. Do not park in the auto glass lot next door. They tow, and they are fast about it.

Do you deliver?

Yes, through the usual third-party apps, and you can also order pickup direct through Toast from the link at the top of this page. Direct pickup is cheaper for you and better for us. Fries do not travel well. If you are within ten minutes, order them. If you are not, order the rings instead.

Do you have gluten-free or vegetarian options?

Yes to both, with one honest limit. Most burgers go on a gluten-free bun or in a lettuce wrap, and the patties contain nothing but chuck, brisket, salt, and pepper. The Black Bean Smash is a real burger, not a garnish, and it presses on a clean corner of the griddle; ask and we make it vegan with no cheese and a mustard-based sauce. The limit is the fryer. We run one, in beef tallow, shared with battered items, so nothing out of it is gluten-free or vegetarian. Slaw, side salad, and the dry cider are safe on both counts.

Is it BYOB, and do you charge corkage?

No. There is no corkage here, because there is nothing to cork: we run twenty taps, and the whole point of the bar is that a good beer costs five dollars. Bringing your own alcohol into a licensed room is also against Missouri law and we would lose the license over it. If you have booked the back room for a party, the beer packages on the catering page are the way to buy in bulk.

Is this a place to bring kids?

Yes, until about 9 PM. The Little Rail is one patty, cheese, and a small fries for six and a half dollars, and the root beer float is the reason most kids come back. We have four high chairs and a changing table in both restrooms. After 9 PM the room gets loud and the bar side fills up, so we stop being the right call.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, on the patio. The patio is fenced gravel with eight tables and it is open whenever the weather allows. There is a water bowl by the gate and the counter will hand over a plain patty for a dollar. Dogs cannot come inside, which is a health code rule and not ours.

Is the building accessible?

Yes. The Kessler Avenue entrance is at grade with no step, the order counter is thirty-four inches at the left end, and the aisles between tables run at least thirty-six inches. Both restrooms are accessible. The patio is reached through a level side gate rather than the interior door, and the lot behind the building has two marked accessible spaces by the back entrance.

Can I rent the place out for a private event?

The back room holds forty seated or sixty standing, and we book it most weeknights for parties, work things, and one annual dart league banquet. A full buyout of the whole building is possible on a Monday, which is our dark day. Email hello@thirdrailburgers.example with your date and headcount. The catering page has the packages and what a truck run costs.