A former Soulard mainstay is returning to South City under a new roof with a new name. Nadine’s Hash House will soon open at 1802 S. Broadway St. in the former home of Billie’s Fine Foods, as reported by St. Louis Magazine. Owner Nadine Soaib, formerly of Nadine’s Gin Joint, which closed in August 2021, is hoping to get up and running in the next couple weeks.
“My menu is pretty much the same from Nadine’s Gin Joint,” Soaib explained, adding it’s not quite as extensive but similar. Such items include slingers in a few varieties, corned beef hash and the comeback of the Healthy Plate, a seasoned grilled chicken breast served with a generous helping of steamed vegetables, butter and Parmesan cheese. New additions, like a vegetarian hash, breakfast sandwiches and smash burgers, will appear alongside popular recipes perfected in the Gin Joint kitchen and the historic OT Hodge chili parlors, one of which Soaib owned years ago.
As far as beverages go, there will be a full bar stocked with beer, wine and spirits, along with specialties like bloody marys and mimosa buckets “where you buy a bottle of Champagne [and] you get a bottle of orange juice,” Soaib said.
The space will seat 50 to 60 customers. Soaib collaborated with acclaimed St. Louis muralist Phil Jarvis on her new logo, which evokes neon signage vibes and adds to the overall diner feel.
“I had about three or four weeks of retirement under my belt and I didn’t like it. I didn’t know what to do. A lot of my social life comes from serving people – it’s always been that way,” Soaib said of her decision to remain a restaurateur. “This [sale] with Billie’s happened – literally – in under two days … I just off-the-cuff made an offer for it.”
Soaib views Nadine’s Hash House as a second chance. “I’ve been a community girl for 40 years in this neighborhood. I’ve been involved in Mardi Gras since it was a house party,” she reflected. “I spent 22 years at Nadine’s [Gin Joint] trying to find my identity. … This is a chance for me to start fresh with structure.”
Nadine’s Hash House will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
This article appears in April 2022.