The number of dining options in Cottleville is increasing substantially. What kind of options and exactly how many depends on the day of the week and the time of day.
The food-truck park and entertainment venue Frankie Martin’s Garden debuts July 1 at 5372 St. Charles Street along Highway N. The venue is open daily with lunch and dinner service from a rotating roster of more than two dozen food trucks.
Scheduled to serve lunch on opening day are Beast Craft BBQ Co., the Crooked Boot, Lion’s Choice and Soul Burger. Beast and the Crooked Boot are slated to return for dinner alongside Daddy O’s Cheesesteaks, Doggie Mac’s, Locoz Tacoz and Sugarfire Smoke House.
Other trucks on Frankie Martin’s roster include Angie Burger, Cluck Oink Moo, Super Smokers, Truck Norris, Zacchi and Zia’s on the Hill.
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Frankie Martin’s is a spinoff of 9 Mile Garden, which opened in July 2020 in the Affton area. Managing partner Brian Hardesty, himself a former food-truck operator (Guerrilla Street Food), said the new venue incorporates lessons learned from 9 Mile — more artificial turf in the garden, more fire pits for cold weather — and adds new features.
Frankie’s Martin took design inspiration from the site itself, most notably the property’s 130-year-old house. This has become the House, a small, reservations-only bar featuring wine and an extensive selection of whiskies.
The beer pavilion at the new food-truck park Frankie Martin’s Garden in Cottleville
Separate from the House — and open to all — is the 2,400-square-foot beer pavilion. This is a change from the Canteen at 9 Mile, which is an enclosed building with garage doors.
“Everybody just wants (those doors) open all the time,” Hardesty said. “What’s the point of building up a whole enclosed building — you know, that’s relatively slow in the wintertime — if we don’t need to?”
Frankie Martin’s also offers courts for sand volleyball and (eventually, but not yet open) pickleball.
“People just want stuff to do,” Hardesty said. “So we’re like, ‘OK, we’re gonna take this extra acre and a half or whatever we have, and we’re going to turn it into (things) for people to do.’”
Frankie Martin’s Garden is open 11 a.m.-midnight daily. Lunch service is 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner 5-9 p.m.
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