First Look: Steve’s Meltdown at City Foundry STL in Midtown

The team behind Steve’s Hot Dogs launched its latest restaurant, Steve’s Meltdown, on Monday, March 11, as the 19th stall in the food hall at City Foundry STL at 3730 Foundry Way in Midtown St. Louis.

Steve’s Meltdown began in January 2023 as a ghost kitchen at Steve’s Hot Dogs on South Grand offering a variety of “elevated” grilled cheese sandwiches. The concept was developed by HuSTL Hospitality Group team members Steve Ewing, Danni and Marcus "Ike" Eickenhorst, culinary director Joseph Zeable and chief growth officer Jeremy Robinson. After doing great business, mainly through third-party delivery apps, they began looking for a spot where the ghost kitchen could have its own space. 

“We’ve been wanting to get in [City Foundry] for a long time,” Ewing said. “With all the development in the area, I think the timing is right.”

The overhead costs of operating in a food hall such as City Foundry is roughly 1/10th of that of a standalone storefront, the team explained. “The traditional model of brick-and-mortar is not super sustainable in the industry, so we’re really leaning into ecosystems where there’s already community happening,” Danni Eickenhorst added. In line with that ethos, Steve’s Hot Dogs can also be found at CityPark Stadium, The Dome and the Enterprise Center, as well as the Delmar Maker District by late spring or early summer.

The majority of the ghost kitchen offerings have been ported over to the new spot, including the Forever Young Adult Grilled Cheese with Colby, American and mozzarella cheeses; the Sweet Caroline with Brie, sharp white cheddar, cranberry jam and apple slices; the War Figs with goat cheese, white cheddar, bacon, balsamic glaze and fig jam; and the Don Ho with pepper jack cheese, ham, pineapple jelly, Steve’s honey-chipotle barbecue sauce on sourdough served with a side of the honey-chipotle sauce for dipping. 

The new location allows them to expand upon the ghost kitchen menu, adding a variety of loaded mac and cheese, along with fries and more soups. They added a few vegan and vegetarian options as well. “We also try to be as approachable for kids as possible, so we think we’re the most child-friendly concept here,” Eickenhorst said.

Beverages include Excel soda products, but the Kitchen Bar is just around the corner for those seeking an adult beverage.

Once the team has settled into their new digs in a few weeks, guests can be on the lookout for specials and collaborations with other local businesses as well, including collabs with their City Foundry brethren. 

For now, the opening of the Foundry stall means Steve’s Hot Dogs on South Grand will no longer operate the cheese-centric ghost kitchen, but it’s possible it could be added back at a later time and could also eventually operate at the forthcoming Delmar Maker District location of Steve's Hot Dogs, though nothing has been confirmed.

The first week of operations will feature daily giveaways, discounts, raffles, debuts of new menu items and other fun. You can even win a pair of tickets to see Steve Ewing perform at City Winery on Saturday, March 16. For a double dose of Steve, stop by the new eatery for dinner before heading to the 7:30 p.m. show.

Steve’s Meltdown is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. Check out the slideshow below for a First Look at the new eatery.