BY DANIEL HILL // MARCH 1, 2024
The new eatery opened for business last week at 6197 Delmar Blvd. in the space that housed Chicken Out’s Loop location before its closure in October. (Chicken Out has since closed its remaining storefront in Kirkwood.) As with the original Up Late, the Loop spot slings its wares from a takeout window on the side of its building at night, and will serve as a Strange Donuts outpost on weekends during the day.
Nathan Wright, who co-owns Up Late with Jason Bockman, was manning the window on a recent visit. He told the RFT that there are no plans to utilize the space in the building that served as Chicken Out’s dining area for that purpose — the spot will be takeout-only, as with the original location. The windows of the building will soon be covered in large neon signs, he added, sure to attract the ravenous late-night hordes leaving concerts at the nearby Pageant and Delmar Hall like moths to a flame.
Up Late’s original location opened in February 2023 and quickly proved itself a hit, with this publication dubbing it “some of the greatest late-night food in St. Louis” by June. Former RFT Food Critic Cheryl Baehr credited that success to the fact that the space “nails the small details” on what is otherwise straightforward fare, celebrating in particular the inspired inclusion of housemade blackberry jelly and habanero aioli on its sandwiches.
Additional offering include street tacos, donuts, beer, coffee, milk and Red Hot Riplets, naturally.
Up Late is open from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, and the space will operate as a Strange Donuts location from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit uplatestl.com.
This article was originally published by the Riverfront Times.
