Just 10 minutes from Washington University in St. Louis’ main campus sits a burger gem that was recently converted from a 1980’s drive-in. Now a hopping local favorite, this gem is called Hi-Pointe Drive-In. In keeping with the history of the building and the neighborhood, owner Mike Johnson (whose name might sound familiar, if you’ve ever been to Sugarfire) decided to keep the name of his restaurant the same as the previous business that resided there. When I moved to St. Louis, I was craving a no-nonsense, college budget-friendly burger. Hi-Pointe received the majority of recommendations from St. Louis natives, and I became convinced that I had to try their take on the American classic.
Foundations
Under the leadership of Mike Johnson, who already holds a tremendous amount of influence in the St. Louis dining community, Hi-Pointe has partnered with other local restaurant favorites to enhance basic foods into new and inventive creations. While the restaurant offers standard burgers and fries, they have also created dishes using products from Strange Donuts, the ever-popular Mission Taco, and more, to give a fresh perspective on milkshakes and other food. They even have a crazy combination of a grilled cheese-taco-burger. These collaborations illustrate the sense of community that many locally-owned restaurants value.
Drive-in to sit-down
Upon approaching the entrance of Hi-Pointe, it is immediately obvious that it used to be an open air space. There is a patio open in the summer, and huge windows along the walls that look out into the celebrated Hi-Pointe neighborhood. However, the most unique feature of the building itself is the fact that it’s made of recycled shipping containers—holding true to the mission of sustainability that Johnson aims to actualize in his restaurants.
Main courses
Served on classic plastic cafeteria trays, burgers are truly the stars of the show at Hi-Pointe Drive-In. The patties are thin and have the perfect amount of flattop-induced crisp that mixes perfectly with melted cheese and fresh toppings like tomatoes and grilled onions.
The icing on the cake is Hi-Pointe’s signature sauce, which has the perfect amount of spice to contrast the richness of their burgers. If you’re not in the mood for a heavy meal, the diner also offers a huge variety of remakes on traditional sandwiches (made with bread from Fazio’s Bakery). The veggie sandwich and deluxe salads are perfect for vegetarians or vegans in your group.
Sides and drinks
The accompaniments to the burgers are just as important as the burgers themselves. Veering from traditional American-style fries, Hi-Pointe opts for the Belgian style that is smaller, crispier and perfectly suited for dipping into that delicious signature sauce. Drawing on southern influences, the sides menu includes options like mac & cheese, coleslaw, and bacon green beans. The coleslaw is creamy but slightly spicy, which is a nice change of pace from traditional, fairly bland coleslaws. The mac & cheese is loaded with white cheddar and the sauce is a perfect balance between thick and thin.
While they have none themselves, the milkshakes are truly the cherry on top of the entire experience at Hi-Pointe Drive-In. The standard vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry flavors are perfectly thick and piled high with whipped cream. But in addition to those typical flavors, rotating flavors include Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie (made with Sugarfire cookies) and the periodically changing Strange Donuts collaboration that features flavors like Pumpkin Pie around the holidays. These shakes are the perfect note to end your meal on at Hi-Pointe and represent the sweet mixture of local business cooperation, original flavors, and passion for doing a classic favorite right.
Overall, Hi-Pointe Drive-In should be on the top of your cheap eats bucket list in St. Louis. It is inventive, but it doesn’t stray too far from traditional American fare. On top of that, it incorporates the ideas of sustainability and community that are essential to the popularity and success of local businesses today. So take 20 minutes of your day to go check out this special little place and see for yourself just how perfectly the simple burger and fries can be done.