Obar will open in Edwardsville in mid-May

By Adam Rothbarth // May 1, 2019


Edwardsville will see the opening of Obar at 1516 Troy Road, Unit B, a fast-casual restaurant aiming to provide healthy breakfasts, brunches and dinners to people on the go. Owner Chelsea Coughlin comes from an entrepreneurial background, and this will be her first restaurant.

“I think being an entrepreneur, it’s hard to find the time to cook a real wholesome meal at home,” Coughlin said. “If I’m on the go, and I don’t want to go through fast-food drive-thru trying to stay healthy and fit... It kind of originated from that concept.”

The menu will include dishes like eggs offerings, French toast and pancakes. Nearly all the dishes will have protein in them in some form, Coughlin said. Obar will also have a breakfast pizza option.

“It’s essentially create-your-own. You can go through the food bar line – it’s set up resort-style, or Mod Pizza style, if you’re familiar with that. You can go through the line and create your own dish,” she said. The pizza will then be baked in a specialty oven.

As for morning drinks, Obar will offer numerous signature coffee, tea and juice beverages. Their coffee is sourced locally from a private roaster, Coughlin said, and most of the drinks will include orange. Obar’s Signature coffee drink will include orange peel, while the Buddha will feature orange peel, cinnamon and Asian spices. Many of the original tea drinks, like the Flower and the Refresher, will include fresh fruits and herbs.

In the evening, Obar will turn into a dinner and tapas joint that features dishes like a egg-topped burger, egg tacos, egg rolls and chicken wings (which aren’t fried, Coughlin specified). The bar menu is slated to feature original takes on Manhattans, Old-Fashioneds, Moscow Mules, bloody marys and sangria.

While May 15 will see the restaurant’s soft opening, the grand opening will be May 18. Obar will be open 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday, with dinner service from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday (with a happy hour from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.). On Sunday, diners can come in from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Adam Rothbarth is a staff writer at Sauce Magazine.