Sacred Heart - 350 East 4th Street, Eureka, MO

Wayfinding / Greening
(2 out of 4 Fishes)

Church was easy to find - right next to the interstate with fish fry signs visible from the highway. Plus, the church has its own entrance road. Cars parked along the entrance road was first sign that there might be a large crowd awaiting. Did have to wait a little to park. Clear signs to lead you to carry-out, not so clear as to where to go for dine-in, but long line quickly made it clear where the dine-in was. Buy your meal ticket in advance and then wait in line. Line was long, and we ended up doing the "sit-down" alternative, but everything was very efficient, so it seemed to move fairly quickly. Sit down service was also available at a higher price. Styrofoam everywhere and plastic silverware, even in the "reserved" dining experience. No visible recycling.

Food


Plenty of choices as long as you like fried cod. Which was OK since the cod was excellent. Sacred Heart serves alot, someone said last year they averaged 2,000 dinners. So focus is on fewer choices and high efficiency. Fried cod was lone choice. Sides included cole slaw, green beans, pasta. Which were all well done. Cod, as mentioned, was top notch. Breading was very subtle with its flavoring, maybe a little too subtle. But it was refreshing to have a fried cod where the flavor of the cod was able to shine, and not an overly spicy or salty breading. Desserts were a highlight also. The night's special was church baked cherry dumpcake, which was super.

Value


Good value with "first class" and "coach" options. The main dining is in the school gymnasium with $6 for small plates, and $10 for large plates. Large plates is obviously "larger" plus includes seconds. Not sure the quantity difference between small and large, but we got "larger" takeout for our friends, and it was more than they could eat. We ended up doing the "first class" reserved seating option, which was a $13 all you could eat buffet in the elegant Father Dowling Hall. Same food, just no line. Kids three and under were free, so for our family of five, it ended up being $52 compared to $24-$28 if we would have dined in the gymnasium. Dessert is included, along with tea, milk, or coffee. Soda is $1, beer $2. Wine also available.

Atmosphere


Good atmosphere whether is was the gymnasium or the Father Dowling Hall. Everyone was very friendly and efficient. The "reserved" experience in Father Dowling Hall includes wood paneling, a fire place, tables of 8, plus a maitre d'. The gymnasium was rows of tables with metal chairs.

Overall
3 out of 4. We enjoyed the "first class" experience of the reserved seating, plus I appreciated the capitalistic aspect of having a higher priced area to avoid the long line. Even though it was more expensive, not having to wait in line with the kids was worth it. Plus, in the end, it's all for a good cause.
Although there was space available in the reserved dining when we were there, reservations are recommended in advance. Check the church website for information. The gymnasium line appeared to move fast, but they did sell drinks for people in line, so be prepared to wait.
Limited food choices, but cod was top notch. If you are a fried cod aficionado, and want a high end dining experience, check out Sacred Heart.

Reviewed 2/26/10