× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

“A dive bar with boards and snacks—that’s all it was originally supposed to be,” John Barr says of The Frisco Barroom, the 250-seat restaurant/bar that he opened last week with wife Kelley Hall-Barr. “Needless to say, it got a little more involved than that.”

Over the past year, the couple has transformed the building at the corner of Big Bend and Log Cabin Lane (formerly The Natural Way) into a handsome, unpretentious "barroom," which is where the story begins.

“It’s more of a nod to this historic row of buildings than to a direct connotation with trains or the city,” Barr adds, “so you won’t see any Frisco melts or cioppino or Rice-A-Roni or model train sets. We will, however, have Frisco lager, which is made in Rolla, just down the tracks.

“We thought a barroom would have likely serviced people getting on and off the trains, and from the 80 or so Thesaurus words for 'restaurant,' we couldn’t think of a place specifically called a 'barroom.' Plus it had my name in it.”

Barr had been buying and selling houses when his wife started “a little candle company,” K Hall Studio. When that business blossomed, he sold the properties and jumped in 100 percent with his wife. Over the past 15 years the couple built four retail stores and distributed to thousands of outlets worldwide, before selling the company to a private equity firm in 2015.

“After we sold the company, we took a year’s sabbatical," Barr says. "We wanted to be involved with the community and were lucky to be in a position to have a second career. I had wanted to do some sort of main street development—somewhere—for 20 years. Our dream was for Kelley to start a flower shop, and I would own a little bar. Well, her Civil Alchemy turned into a big shop, and Frisco became a lot more than a bar.”

Barr acted as the general contractor for the project (“something else I’d always wanted to do”), which gave him the freedom to design, tinker, and redesign the décor if necessary. The result became “exactly like the places we like to hang out, both here and on vacation," he says. "Unpretentious spots where people feel comfortable."

The main floor is divided into The Barroom and The Dining Hall (after the couple's surnames). Under three layers of hardwood flooring, Barr found “the biggest treasure of the entire place,” the original strip pine floor. His crew restored the original storefront and tin ceiling, and they painted the walls and trim a “neutral classy blank-slate black.” Hall-Barr matched the original milk glass pendants and chandeliers from the 1930s with more modern iterations. The result is a modern—and very sleek—classic corner bar.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The most breathtaking design element is the rear patio, which has been transformed from an unused open space with a gravel bed into a stunning 50-seat space. On the walls of the courtyard are six kinds of espaliered apple trees, which will, in time, grow together to cover the side walls and the wooden arbor above. “This is the Old Orchard part of Webster,” says Hall-Barr.

Some of the exterior chairs and tables are made of teak and its lookalike, eucalyptus wood. A see-through fireplace shields the area from a large (78-space) parking lot. “We get almost as many inquiries about the parking as the food,” Barr quips. “St. Louisans love to park close by.”

Barr converted the former upstairs apartments into a multi-use space. There’s a second bar, a private dining room for 20, additional tables, and a leather-seated lounge area with a working gas fireplace that looks and smells like a Rocky Mountain retreat.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

A cozy, street-facing rooftop deck is the prime perch for cocktails at sunset. The decking material is made of sealed Brazilian ipe (EE-pay) wood. Also known as Brazilian Walnut, the hard-as-nails wood is reputed to be the finest quality of board decking available. Regardless, the patchwork effect is stunning.

“There were, like, 30 requests to rent the upstairs before we even opened,” Barr says.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

At present, the second floor functions as a waiting area with beverage service only. Frisco’s bakery kitchen is also on that level. While its current function is strictly bread baking, a limited upstairs food menu might also be possible in in the future.

Greg Hard, a serial corporate restaurateur and eight-year veteran of Billy G’s, is the general manager/consultant. “Because of his knowledge of practical systems and policies, Greg balances every “Why can’t we do this?’ question with three logical reasons why not,” Barr says. Both he and Barr realize the importance of holding back the reins for weeks or even months—hence Frisco’s limited menu and restricted service areas.

The full menu and lunch service will be introduced slowly and deliberately. Barr would like to be fully functional by September 1. “If you rush operations, especially in a bigger place like this, you’re taking a big risk,” he says. “There’s no harm in taking a few months to get up to full steam.” (The theory appears to be working, as evidenced by the positive early reviews on Yelp.)

To wit, reservations will not be taken immediately. Look for Frisco to appear on Nowait (the digital waiting line app) in the short term.

The two-page menu is broken into the usual sections—Snacks, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers—and then some. The chef crew—executive chef Tim Montgomery, sous chef Mike Roos, and John Hopfinger—have experience in meat markets, as evidenced in the sandwich meat offerings (pastrami, corned beef, turkey, sausages, and salcissia) prepared in house. The loaf breads, baguettes, and burger buns are also made in the onsite bakery located upstairs.

Jonathan Craft, another industry veteran, heads up the bread program. "I can't tell you how talented that guy is," says Montgomery, who refers to Craft as his mentor.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts Poutine - French fries covered with cheese curds and brown gravy. A vegetarian option contains mushroom gravy.

A few of the menu categories reflect the cuisine of Northern Michigan, Hall-Barr’s birthplace. “The Northern Europeans tended to settle up there, hence Kelley’s mom’s family recipe for pierogies,” her husband says. “Smoked whitefish is a staple, as is rough-cut beef jerky. Poutine (pictured above) is big up that way, too.”

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts Vegetarian Pasty - baked hand pie filled with rutabaga, potato, onion, and mushrooms, sided with mushroom gravy.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts Fisherman's Board (with smoked whitefish dip, lox, smoked mussels) and a Civil Alchemy Aviation with lavender garnish.

Pasties (pronounced PASS-tees), or filled pastry pockets, “are huge in the UP [Upper Penninsula],” Hall adds. “A lot of Frisco’s menu is things we love that we can’t fine here. Some, like Pierogis and Pasties, have their own section that can grow, as needed. Down the line, we’d love to open a shop that sells all those things…pasties, pierogies, jerky, whitefish…”

A entire menu section is devoted to Boards, as well, with four currently available: Fisherman's, Farmer's, Hunter's, and Gatherer's.

An early frontrunner is the burger ($8 single, $12 double, served with a side) that Barr describes as a “a smash burger—but not smash, smash, smash,” as in a patty that’s been reduced to only crunch and char. “There are crusty edges but also texture and flavor,” he says, comparing it to the illustrious Booches burger at the eponymous billiards bar in Columbia, Missouri. And just like at Booches, “the single is fine, but the double is the way to go.”

When entrées are introduced, Barr hopes to keep the prices in the high teens, with “clean, straightforward, non-pretentious small portions,” Barr says, similar in concept to Cyrano’s Café, located up the street. “They deliver a great product at a great price," he says. "It’s our favorite place and our kids’ favorite place.” His wife adds that having a kids' menu at Frisco is mandatory, too, because people in Webster tend to take their kids "everywhere they go.”

The bar manager is Derek Fleig, who ran the beloved Riddle’s Penultimate Café & Wine Bar back in the '90s. “Drinks will run the gamut, from a $3 can of beer to a $100 bottle of wine," Barr says. "We really want to cater to the neighborhood, to encompass the whole community, where the working man can get a Busch and a burger, and a couple can get a crafted cocktail and a $24 steak.

“In the end,” he says, “I just want us to be known as a classic, iconic, corner dive bar. Webster needed a place like this. If in 10 or 20 years we’re known only for a really good roast beef sandwich and a great burger, and people look at us like they do O’Connell’s, I’ll be happy."