Review of Cicero's Restaurant, Tavern and Venue in St. Louis, Missouri

A mainstay of the St. Louis bar and restaurant scene, Cicero's on Delmar in St. Louis offers a great place to watch music and have a couple of drinks, and any St. Louis veteran should be sure to visit the place at least a couple of times.

Cicero's is divided into a venue and a restaurant, with adequate seating in each and a bar in the restaurant. Occasionally, bands will play in the restaurant portion of the establishment.

The venue portion of Cicero's is dark, a little musty, and small, yet it supports some of the best local and up-and-coming national acts around. Bands such as Uncle Tupelo have graced the stage, and the mix is always clear, if a bit loud on some nights. Because Cicero's books bands from every genre, it would be wise to check out the Myspace pages of the night's bands before going to Cicero's for the music, especially if you're not accustomed to heavier acts (which are being booked at the venue more and more regularly).

Cicero's not famous for its food, and it's probably not the best place to try an authentic St. Louis style pizza, as the cheese is often runny and the pie overcooked. However, some of their sandwiches stand up to task, and they've got a decent enough burger that should please most tastes.

What Cicero's is famous for is its beer selection--and with good reason. You can get dozens of different types of beers there, from seasonal selections from local brewer Schlafly to obscure microbrews, all sorted on the menu by their types with well-written descriptions for those of us that haven't seen much of life outside of Budweiser and Miller Lite. Fans of stout beers should try the double chocolate stout, which tastes like it should be illegal, and the Schlafly Hefeweisen is a fantastic choice for a lighter beer.