Bourbon Street Rhythm & Ribs, 1031 South Grand Ave. East, has reopened its kitchen and is now offering food service Thursday through Sunday.
“It’s been at least six years since we had food service, and I’ve been trying for some time to bring it back,” said bar manager Deb Smith. “There’s a market for it, and we get a lot of requests.”
Bruce Clark opened the bar at 11th Street and South Grand Avenue East in 1996. The addition of food service is one of several recent changes at the longtime business. Clark recently added a walled-off beer garden and second-floor deck, thanks to funds the city provided via the first round of cannabis grant funding and the east side TIF district.
Springfield’s business grant program, unique in Illinois when it began, resulted from a Springfield City Council decision to devote half of the city’s 3% sales tax revenue from cannabis sales to economic development on the east side. More than three-fourths of it is allocated to the business grant program and the remainder for an exterior home improvement grant program.
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While Clark said the grant award wasn’t directly connected to the decision to begin offering food service, having access to the funds to address other needs allowed him to devote resources to build a new kitchen next to the beer garden. He has also recently acquired the adjacent properties to 1023 and 1011 South Grand Ave. East.
“We got the buildings next door, so now we’re working on them,” Clark said.
Smith said the menu will focus on ribs – “our specialty” – plus fried chicken and classic sides such as potato salad, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and spaghetti. “We’ll also have chili as we approach the winter months,” she said.
Clark said the new beer garden will allow for hosting outdoor events, and he plans to open at noon on Sundays for those who want to watch NFL games.
Food service will be available Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon until 9 p.m.
This article appears in SBJ September 2025.
I have noticed the beautiful beer garden when driving past. I just told my daughter we had to go soon!! Great article and thanks for bringing to my attention.
Bourbon Street is a Springfield classic! So excited to see they have food service again! The back patio is beautiful! Bruce is a great guy & Debbie is a fantastic addition to the Bourbon Street family! This venue space is a gem!
Congratulations Bruce I am so proud of You.
Sister 💕