The smell of burgers and fried food fills the air. Light music flows throughout the room, slightly covered by the noise of the TVs that line every inch of the wall. The TVs are occupied with any sport, such as basketball, soccer, hockey, etc. It is a standard bar vibe, with posters and signs everywhere emphasizing the Texas Ranger style filling the room. 

Drake’s Come and Play opened on Feb. 12. The corner of Hanley and Dale features the newest St. Louis excitement. 

Drake’s is drawing attention due to its unique combination of foods. Like other bar restaurants, it offers steaks, burgers and sandwiches; unlike other restaurants, Drake’s also specializes in sushi. 

The back of the menu has individual and combo sushi rolls. The sushi offers a refreshing alternative to the beer and burgers, contrasting the greasy options.

Drakes also had many seating options and attractive decorations that kept the mood enjoyable and light. However, the wait was long, and the servers seemed confused about what they were doing, which is understandable because it is so new. Even with the wait, I still enjoyed the extensive menu and appreciated the extra time to take in the surroundings. The restaurant was loud enough that others could not hear your conversation, but you could talk to others without raising your voice. 

I ordered fried pickles as an appetizer, which were nicely presented. Three people shared this, and there were plenty of leftovers. The ranch had a strong horse radish taste, differentiating it from other ranches. The batter had a good crunch, coating the pickles well. 

Then, I dived into the regular bar food, including their famous sliders. These were definitely rave-worthy, as they left my mouth watering and wanting more. They were the perfect amount of food, with a juicy patty in between and pickles on the bottom. The bun was toasted perfectly, and the fries were seasoned well, making it a perfect game-time meal.

While the regular food was delicious, the real treasure was the sushi. I got the Crunchy Texas Roll. The roll consisted of teriyaki salmon, avocado and seaweed, topped with crab, fried onion, sushi sauce and spicy mayo, which was delightful and way better than what was suspected. The roll added a nice balance to the abundance of fried food and oil and was a good option for those looking to enjoy a fun night out with friends but are not in the mood for bar food.

Overall, the food was an excellent option for a night out with friends or if you are looking for a place to catch a sports game. The environment was great, with the servers being incredibly nice and the place very clean and fun. The food, being bar food, exceeded my expectations and added a little spin with the sushi. I loved the option and recommend going if you are in the mood for grease (or not) and a good time.