Jims Bar & Grill in Tebbetts
Anonymous from Lisle IL on 07/01/2011 08:09 PM:
Went through Tebbets in Aug of 2010. Jim came by and opened up for us. He saved me and my sister from a long hungry night. He is the best. I hear he is retiring this year. It makes me so sad to loose this place. I will never forget him. We were so grateful for his hospitality. Thank God for Jim.
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
CG from Rogers, AR on 04/18/2010 08:04 AM:
Jim's was boarded up when we rode through April 15, 2010. The lady at the post office next door said it was closed for good.
jd from gkc on 04/20/2010 09:31 AM:
Stunning news!
Anonymous on 04/22/2010 08:23 AM:
Stunning for sure. Mr low-key Jim and his sign-less antique-filled bar-grill have been iconic standbys to locals and trail users for years. You wouldn’t know his corner place was a bar-grill unless someone told you first or you knew it ahead of time. Often, Jim would open up his weekend place during the midweek for hungry bikers staying at the Turner-KT Shelter next door to the west. He served pizza and big sandwiches plus snacks of all kinds.
His place is renown for fun-filled evenings of karaoke and local jam sessions. If you’d never sung before in your life, you did at his place. Some of the jammers arrived on horseback, and played all kinds of instruments, from old-time mouth harps, strings, squeeze boxes, and horns, to wash-boards. Always an eventful evening for first-time visitors from the trail.
vito from Iowa on 04/28/2010 01:45 PM:
I just talked to Jimtoday at 573-295-6100. He is only open 3 days per week, but give him a call. He is most accomodating
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Coop on 11/03/2009 08:08 PM:
A must! Won't say another word!
jd from gkc on 11/05/2009 09:59 AM:
Open on weekends mostly.
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Anonymous on 10/18/2009 09:43 AM:
Jim made us a great cheeseburger and entertained us with his unique music abilities. Come prepared to sing!
Anonymous on 10/30/2009 02:48 PM:
Who is Jimmy, and is he wanted some where?
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Lonnie from Kansas City on 10/06/2009 03:24 PM:
A lot of fun but not for the faint of heart! I enjoyed it but there was no food that night so I went hungry. Good conversation and cold beer however. A real slice of Americana if there ever was one.
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
B.B. from Clinton on 08/10/2009 02:20 PM:
Arrived in Tebbetts to discover that Jim's was closed. Who would guess a bar that's closed on saturday. So, we spent a long and hungry evening in Tebbett's. Not exactly the high point of our trip.
jd from gkc on 08/11/2009 07:36 PM:
It's been said on this forum Jim will open up if he knows you're there, and are hungry. The lady next door can call him if he's around.
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Paul Marlin from Quincy, IL on 11/01/2008 05:08 PM:
Stopped at Jim's and he scared the heck out of me with his Hell's Angels outfit. I forgot it was Halloween. The supreme pizza was one of the best I've had in a long while. Reminded me of the Bandera's that used to be near Saint Louis U.
Katy Trail Shelter (Tebbetts)
Ray (webmaster) on 08/23/2004 01:45 PM:
We have heard of one cyclist who had a bad experience at the hostel: loud, drunk non-cycling hostel guests who kept him awake most of the night with their fighting, vomiting, yelling, etc. Apparently there is no supervision of guests, so it is up to the guests themselves to regulate their behavior. Hopefully this was just an isolated incident. If you've stayed at the Tebbetts hostel, please feel free to "Add Your Reply" and share your experience, good or bad.
TR in Jonesboro from Jonesboro, AR on 09/02/2004 12:47 PM:
Stayed there two nights in April. No problem with anything, in fact it was an extremely pleasant experience. The shelter has hot, running water, showers, and heat and air. It is sparten, but very clean and comfortable.
Dan and Jamie A from St Louis, MO on 10/28/2004 10:18 AM:
We stayed at the shelter and had a very nice time. The room is warm the beds just right (if you have a sleeping bag) and the town's people are very friendly. Try the pizza next door at Jim's.
roadlitter from Alabama on 03/22/2005 04:58 PM:
Yep, had a couple of dudes stumble in about 2:00am, loud, overbearing, etc. I informed them, get control of themself, or I would (and two friends) would tear their heads off. Soon, the youngins' settled in and all rested well. Kudzu kid.
Bruce from O'Fallon, IL on 09/06/2007 05:57 PM:
Stayed there over the Labor Day weekend, Sunday eve, and had the place to myself. The log book indicated heavy use in May and June w/ one in Aug. With the place to myself, I locked the front door so nobody would enter late at night. The way I saw it, the place is a shelter for cyclists and they can't ride the trail after dark anyway. The only place in town for food is the bar next door. I got a good ham sandwich there, but I'm not fond of smoking and the other patrons were so that detracted as expected. The bar is very redneck too w/ Confederate and redneck items for sale.
JasonA from Omaha, NE on 10/15/2008 06:02 PM:
Stayed there Saturday night, along with a family of five. They took the upstairs, I took the downstairs, and we got along just fine. Plenty of hot water made for a nice shower to get the trail dust off. Missy's was closed, so I ate at Jim's Bar & Grille. The menu is frozen hamburgers or frozen pizza. I had a pizza, it was enough for me plus a couple slices left over for breakfast. The bar closes at 8 on Saturdays so there wouldn't be any problem with drunken folks -- but I locked up at night just to be sure. Highly recommended.
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Anonymous on 08/29/2008 01:17 PM:
Jim's was a life saver! We came through in June of 2008 and the trail was flooded in places and mud everywhere else! Jim gave us food and a ride to our car. We are already planning on finishing the trail this spring!
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Tim and Scott from Collinsville, IL on 02/17/2008 10:51 PM:
We stopped here in February. Had a great night socializing with the locals. The gal that must cook was sick and we were offered only hot pockets for the "grill" portion. Jim was a great man and helped us with all we needed. We will show back up later in the season to enjoy the karaoke again.
Jim's in Tebbetts
ET from Columbia on 06/11/2007 08:50 AM:
We stopped for lunch at Jim's over Memorial Day. His menu was VERY limited (he has a sign that says "I gots what I gots," but he is in the process of putting in a full kitchen, supposedly to be ready soon. Then he will expand the menu. A highlight of this stop was his old Model T parked out front--he gave all of our kids rides around the block in it! Behind the store he has a large garage containing 4 or 5 other historic cars in various states of restoration, and he let us wander around and have a look at them.
arlo on 07/23/2007 01:58 PM:
Jim's was a hoot, a real throwback. I asked what they had to eat and he turned and looked in
the fridge. "Well, I got some ham and there's some pizzas in the freezer." There was plenty
of cool Gatorade, though, so I was happy.
Jims Bar & Grill (Tebbetts)
Jeff from Ottumwa, Iowa on 04/29/2007 09:30 PM:
We came through Tebbetts about 11:00 AM from Jefferson City and discovered this place is only open from noon to 1 on Fridays and noon to 8 on Saturdays and Sundays. Luckily we had a big breakfast.
Michele on 07/10/2007 12:25 PM:
I just called them. Jim said they are open Tues through Sunday from noon until close.
Jim's Bar and Grill (Tebbetts)
Paul Marlin from Quincy, IL on 09/19/2004 09:45 PM:
I could not find a Turner's Store (Sept 16, 2004) and it would be pretty hard to miss anything in Tebbetts. However, there was a Jim's Bar and Grill across the street from Turner's Katy Trail Shelter that served good hamburgers and had some general store type items.
savage24 from Kansas City MO. on 10/08/2004 03:43 AM:
Alas, Turner's store is long gone. It closed after Mrs Turner died in 2001 or 2002. Jim's Bar & Grill is in the same building that the Turner Store was in. The building sat empty for one season and there was nothing to eat in Tebbetts. I was sure glad to see Jim's open for business!
TRinJboro from Jonesboro, AR on 10/08/2004 10:53 AM:
Stayed at the shelter next door twice this year and ate at Jim's both times. He has a pretty good pizza too.
Dan and Jamie A from St Louis, MO on 10/28/2004 10:16 AM:
The shelter is very nice and convenient. We had a nice time at Jim's next door. We had a chicken alfredo pizza there that wasn't too bad either. A very nice break. Just right.
Mike and Leigh Ann from Kirkwood on 01/22/2006 10:19 PM:
We stumbled upon Jim's after riding for several miles without water. We were thirsty and hot and on the edge of miserable, then we walked into Jim's about 1:00 pm on a Sunday in June. There were several men in overalls jamming. It was a great time. We forgot we were hot and tired and thirsty and had a great time. The man working filled my waterbottle with ice and water and offered us the Katy Trail book to sign. That stop was one of our highlights of our ride.
Osaka-BuckyBoy from Lancaster, South Carolina on 05/29/2006 09:42 AM:
I was so sorry to learn that Turner's Store no longer exists, but thankful that a business has opened there. Tebbetts is one of my favorite places. We lived there when the Callaway Nuclear Power Plant under construction and my husband worked as a start-up engineer. Mrs. Turner was so nice to me on my first visit to her store and we became great friends. She was a fine lady who loved antiques and had so many stories to tell. I would go down to see her just about every day. Tebbetts was a wonderful community, we liked all the people we met. Mary Autenreith was the post mistress and my son rented a little house from her husband, Sonny. I guess what amazed me most about was the wonderful soil. Everything you planted, flowers and vegetables would flourish because the soil was so rich. Often I think about the people there and wonder if they or any of their families are still in the area. If anyone is passing through please ask about these people and what happened to them. For sure, if I ever get a chance I will go back to Tebbetts and stop by Jim's Barr and Grilll just to see what's going on.
tina from st. louis on 06/05/2006 06:14 PM:
We visited Jim's Bar and Grill last week on a rainy day of our five day trip. It turned out for both families to be a highlight. The food was good (especially the pizza) and he made us feel welcome and talked to the kids and gave us some history of the store etc. We were glad we stopped in this little town.
Tim from NYC on 08/10/2006 04:13 PM:
I stopped by Jim's on the third night of my five-day ride. It was a Friday and I had the shelter
next door to myself. Pizza was good, beer was cold and the karaoke--every Friday night
apparently--was exceptional. A nice slice of Missouri for the city boy to enjoy.
hummingbird from new bloomfield,mo on 08/26/2006 04:50 PM:
A delightful ride among quiet nature and scenic views. The friendliness of people in the area only enhances the overall experience.
Brad & Quinn from Staunton IL on 09/06/2006 11:19 AM:
Stopped at Jim's Bar & Grill and the first thought off the top of my mind was Whistle Stop from the movie Fried Green Tomatos. Went inside, very nice guy...bought a couple of sodas and a candy bar, also took a couple pictures with the vintage model T someone had restored. unfortunatly, we couldnt stay long because we had to get back on the trail.