Fast Eddie's Bon Air

While in Alton, make plans to eat at Fast Eddie’s Bon-Air, but don’t be surprised if you have to wait for a table. The well-known eatery and bar draws a huge crowd (mostly out-of-towners) and has been known to have standing room only on weekends.

“We’ve got tons of seating and an outdoor patio, but we get packed on weekends because of our atmosphere – it’s good cheap food, cold beer and live music, and that’s hard to beat,” says Danielle Sholar, a manager at Fast Eddie’s and sister of owner Eddie Sholar.

With only eight items, the menu at Fast Eddie’s may seem short and sweet, but the roadhouse somehow manages to serve up big flavors for small prices. Peel-and-eat shrimp from the cool waters of Mexico cost just 29 cents each, while Fast Eddie’s big ol’ basket of French fries comes to 99 cents, as does the half-pound Fat Eddie burger.

“Our Big Elwood on a Stick is really popular,” Sholar says. “It’s marinated steak tenderloin with green peppers for $2.99.”

Other favorites include pork and chicken kabobs, as well as skewers of Cajun-seasoned chicken wings. The menu also features homemade bratwursts – also only 99 cents – prepared from an old recipe.

Fast Eddie's Bon Air

Anheuser-Busch built the yellow brick building in 1921, calling it simply Bon-Air. Ten years later, Busch had to sell the tavern due to a law that prohibited breweries from owning bars. Eddie Sholar bought the Bon-Air in 1981, quadrupling its size from 80 chairs to more than 400 and transforming it into a “hot spot of the Midwest.”

Live music Wednesday through Sunday showcases everything from country to rock and roll.

If You Go...

Location: 1530 E. Fourth St. in Alton
Hours: Monday through Thursday from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Phone: (618) 462-5532
fasteddiesbonair.com

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