Hank's Top 10 Katy Trail bars

Enjoyed my first trip to the Mokane Bar this past weekend, which got me thinking of my favorite Katy Trail bars. Here are my Top 10, in reverse order:

10. Treloar--A little more ambiance might move this up a notch. Still good food and friendly service and a must-stop amid the Katy Trail "desert."
9. Dutzow Deli--Love this place, especially on a weekday afternoon when it still seems to keep busy. Good food and porcelain plates and cold beer. A place to relax on the porch. Probably underrated.
8. Cooper's Landing--Tops the list for strangeness, which I mean in a good way. Love the canned beer selection. Always a must stop.
7. Hotel Frederick bar--We had some high-end green martinis here once, which I forget the name of but which were excellent. More pricy than usual but the deck is very nice. The trail literally dumps you right there.
6. Les Bourgeoise--Not really a bar and not exactly trail-side, but still, trek up the bluff and have some Riverboat Red and enjoy the views. Too bad the big bridge is there. Great wine and the view more than worth the lug up. Friendly folks serving it up. Crowded on the weekends.
5. Deon's in Pilot Grove--I loved this place the only time I was there, which was a weekday afternoon where we had fried pickles and conversed with the locals, one of them a finely dressed man drinking straight Amaretto. We had a Busch beer instead. After talking to Mr. Amaretto we decided to have two.
4. Augusta Brewery--This used to be my number one but has fallen a bit due to sometimes shaky service. No worries though. The beer is excellent (best beer on the Katy I say) and the food is good when they're not too busy. Comfortable fun place.
3. Mokane Bar--Downside: It's dark and maybe smoky. Upside: It's dark and maybe smoky. Only been there once but the food was great, the hospitality was "country" and the beer was good and cold. Lookin forward to goin back. Will be a must stop going forward.
2. Defiance.

2. Defiance. Not Terry and Kathy's but the other one, the Roadhouse. Probably my favorite but for sentimental reasons. Excellent food, good beer selection, but the crowd is what does it. Bikers, bicyclists, and half and whole drunk winery stragglers. Usually a bachelorette party or two. Did I mention the good food and drink? And the fact that the Katy is just right across the street? Maybe the best stop going.
1. Portland--I think Portland will always be my number one, been going there for years. It's always open, or at least seems to be. Many many Katy stops come and go, but the Portland bar just keeps chugging along. Stag beer is a must. Excellent jukebox. The food is excellent what you'd expect to find beside Stag and a country jukebox. Yes, the look at you funny, even though they've seen bikers there for years. Drink a Stag or three and then head east on the trail and enjoy some of the prettiest three miles the Katy has to offer. Love love love the Portland bar.

Love Stag Beer. Been drinking it since I was two and that was a long long time ago. In Saint Charles my Dad would drink Griesedieck beer in a bar every Sunday after church, then head back home to Cottleville for Mom's cooking and a nap.