Lost Tables: Romine's

Romine's

John Franklin Romine was born on April 3, 1897 in Miller Township, four miles north of Rolla, Missouri. His father, John Clark Romine, owned a farm in Miller Township which was referred to as the "old John Romine farm" in the Rolla Herald when it was put up for sale in 1933.

The younger Romine worked on his father's farm growing up. At age 21, he worked for the Ludlow-Saylor Wire Company at 634 South Newstead in St. Louis. In 1921, at age 24, he married Edith D. Cox of Rolla.

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Theodore Clay Hickman was born in St. Louis in 1856. In 1850, his father had acquired a small farm on Columbia Bottoms Road in north St. Louis. When his father died in 1921, Hickman, who was unmarried and lived on the farm, inherited the property.

By 1920, Columbia Bottoms Road had been renamed Riverview Drive. On June 24, 1923, Hickman advertised in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for a man to work on his farm at 9049 Riverview Drive. According to the St. Louis City Directory, Hickman still lived on his farm in 1926. However, by 1929, John and Edith Romine were living at 9049 Riverview Drive.

Riverview Drive, 1935

While John Romine listed his occupation as a farmer in the 1930 census, by 1929, he and his wife were already operating a restaurant at 9051 Riverview Drive, adjacent to their home. And while Romine's restaurant would one day be renown for its fried chicken, it's not clear when the frying began.

Edward Krueger, who owned the restaurant beginning in 1974, claimed that Romine's was a fried chicken restaurant from the beginning.

Romine's started out as a little white shack where people could drive up and get chicken to take out. The owners – the Romines – raised the chickens in the back and, gradually, the restaurant expanded and you could eat inside in addition to carry-out.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sept 10, 1986

However, there's no record that John and Edith Romine's restaurant specialized in chicken. Romine's was listed as both a "sandwich shop" and a "barbecue stand" in the 1940 census. A 1940 St. Louis Post-Dispatch help wanted ad referred to the restaurant as "Romine's Sandwich Shop," as did a 1945 Post-Dispatch news article.

By 1939, the Romines had expanded their restaurant into a larger space at 9053 Riverview Drive. By 1940, at least three waitresses were employed, and by 1942, curb service had been added.

John and Edith Romine lived on their farm at 9049 Riverview Drive until at least 1959; John Romine died in St. James, Missouri in 1962. But sometime between 1948 and 1952, the Romines sold their restaurant at 9053 Riverview Drive to Albert and Catherine Milke.

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Albert Elmer Milke was born in St. Louis on July 4, 1914. His father was a grocer and restaurateur. Milke worked as a clerk in his father's grocery store at 2500 Semple at age 15 and was a bartender at his father's tavern at 1967 Arlington at age 25.

In 1942, Albert Elmer Milke married Catherine Mary Schorman. And sometime between 1948 and 1952 they bought Romine's Restaurant.

The Milkes began advertising Romine's in the newspaper in 1963. By then, fried chicken was indeed their specialty.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dec 1, 1963

In the May 16, 1973 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, restaurant critic Joe Pollack gave Romine's chicken a rave review.

As hoped, the chicken was special. The crust was dry, thick, fresh and flavorful. Inside, the chicken was cooked to the proper turn, still juicy and tasty and with the meat perfectly done right to the bone. The chicken was outstanding, and the crumbles of crust falling gently into a lap brought a fond memory of things past.

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The Milkes' son, Albert J. Milke, grew up at Romine's. In his teens, he bused tables and washed dishes. When his parents decided to retire and sell the restaurant in 1974, Milke took over the business, with Edward Krueger, his wife's brother, as his partner.

Romine's Restaurant, 9053 Riverview Drive
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oct 17, 1976

Romine's developed a reputation for the best fried chicken in St. Louis. In July of 1985, Milke and Krueger opened a second restaurant. Romine's West was located at 2330 West Port Plaza Drive across from West Port Plaza.

The new restaurant was short-lived. In April of 1985, Milke had been indicted as part of a major marijuana and cocaine trafficking ring. He was eventually fined and sentenced to two years in prison. By August of 1985, Romine's West had closed and Krueger had taken over operation of the restaurant at 9053 Riverview Drive.

Romine's West, 2330 West Port Plaza Drive
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jul 28, 1985

In a September 10, 1986 St. Louis Post-Dispatch interview, Krueger explained why Romine's fried chicken was so special.

It's in the cracker meal that we use to coat the chicken. It's made in New York. It used to be made here in St. Louis, but not anymore. Anyway, we dip the chicken in flour, then milk and then the cracker breading and we fry it in lard.
Most of the people who come in here don't even look at the menu . . . They've been coming here for so long that they know what they want – chicken. But surprisingly, we also sell a lot of roast beef dinners.

Romine's Fried Chicken

Romine's Dining Room, 1998

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In 1995, Steve Schafermeyer opened Malone's Grill & Pub at 8742 Watson Road in Crestwood. By 2003, there were additional Malone's locations in Ferguson, Creve Coeur, Maryland Heights and St. Peters.

On June 11, 2003, it was announced that Schafermeyer had purchased Romine's from Edward Krueger. Schafermeyer had worked at Romine's while attending high school and college.

But on November 20, 2006, Schafermeyer closed Romine's, saying he was "driven out by crime in the area and a decline in dinner sales."

Schafermeyer said he planed to convert the St. Peters Malone’s to a Romine’s. He also said that Romine’s fried chicken would be sold at the Malone’s in Ferguson.

Romine's Restaurant, 9053 Riverview Drive, Nov 20, 2006

The St. Peters Malone's never became a Romine's, although Romine's fired chicken was added to the menu. It would eventually close.

By 2021, only the original Malone's Grill & Pub in Crestwood remained open. And as of 2021, "Romine's Award Winning Fried Chicken" was available on its menu.


Malone's, 8742 Watson Road	Romine's Fried Chicken