Robert E. Lee Restaurant

The romance evoked by the Mississippi River gives the Robert. E. Lee restaurant an atmosphere leg-up. The riverboat is not too difficult to find, though certainly not walking distance from the shopping area in Kimmswick. The area is so much more scenic than what you see upriver as there is no industry in the immediate area. There is a helicopter landing pad and you will often see parasailing over the river.
There was a short wait upon boarding the boat as there were no employees at the front. We were given an option of sitting by the window with an inspiring river view. The wine list was small and only included Missouri wines, a nice selection though. However, after ordering an Augusta Cynthiana followed by Chambourcin, we learned that the only red they had in stock was a Crown Valley Norton. The service was quick and polite and our server was quick to apologize for not having the first two wines that we ordered. The bread arrived and provided a very aromatic touch but there was no butter. We had to ask for water but once we did, it came quickly and so did the subsequent refills. The salad was crisp and their Caesar dressing was worthy. Again, we had to ask for more bread and the second round was less aromatic than the first.
I had the tenderloin with cognac mushroom sauce and it was done very well. The meat was done to my requested temperature and was tender and of good quality. The sauce was delicate and the cognac flavor was very complementary. The waiter recommended the garlic mashed potatoes and they did not disappoint. The Crown Valley Norton was a good accompaniment.
Although you feel like you are in a Victorian era steamboat, the boat was actually built in the late 1960s by the James B. Eads Corp. using an old U.S. Army Corps of Engineers boat. She came to the St. Louis riverfront in February 1970 and opened as a restaurant two months later. She spent the early part of her career at the downtown St. Louis landing but was ultimately severely damaged during the flood of 1993 and remained closed for a while. In 1997 four local businessmen bought and renovated her. Most of her wooden structure has been replaced by steel and she got a new paddlewheel. A new owner later moved the boat to Kimmswick and opened her back up as a restaurant.