Going to a new restaurant when you’re out of town is always an exciting experience. During the last day of my stay in Saint Louis for the Saint Louis International Film Festival, my family and I had brunch in the Lafayette Square neighborhood of Saint Louis close to downtown. The restaurant was called Polite Society. That has to be the most gastropub-worthy title for a restaurant I’ve ever heard of.

My family and I parked down the street from the restaurant. We had to park away from the restaurant because there was no handicapped parking available, which is a significant misstep for St. Louis. When we arrived at the restaurant itself, we discovered that there were steps to get inside. This completely disheartened the entire family because the dishes sounded terrific. My mother goes inside to speak with the Hostess, and we learn that a side entrance is not at all handicap accessible. However, it was made accessible because they brought out a long, wide piece of sheet metal and attached it to the curb’s edge so that my manual wheelchair could roll into the restaurant. This is a genius idea to provide accessibility to those who use chairs daily. After gaining access inside the restaurant, we are treated to the fact that because I’m physically disabled, I get seating priority in the restaurant.

The primary thing I noticed inside the restaurant is that it looks like a room built with a library and a cafe simultaneously, even though it’s supposed to be a fully functioning restaurant.  The room is littered with people from down the road who are either working professionals or college students, so you can tell that this restaurant attracts a broad spectrum of patrons.  The menu was eclectic and featured several classic brunch items and a few twists on old favorites.  This is the only point in the trip where I was an idiot because I decided to go with a breakfast burrito that turned out to be the size of my head and part of my neck.  Needless to say, as enjoyable as it was, I didn’t finish the whole thing.  I got close, though.

Despite the accessibility challenges, which were numerous in this particular instance, I did enjoy my time at Polite Society.  My only wish is that they more clearly define what accessible options they have to get into their restaurant so that others, after me, do not have to struggle to learn their whole solution.  It’s better for all individuals and families because they know access is possible rather than having to ask for it.  Much like their food, Polite Society would have a chance to be a cut above the rest.  Time will tell if they implement the proper changes.