BizBeat: New High Street hangout to open Dec. 1

Red Tail Lounge will breathe new life into a very old home when it opens in Jefferson City at 623 E. High St. on Dec. 1. Pictured, from left, are building owner Helmut Steiner, business owner Brenda Stock and Stock's partners
at Red Tail Lounge.
Red Tail Lounge will breathe new life into a very old home when it opens in Jefferson City at 623 E. High St. on Dec. 1. Pictured, from left, are building owner Helmut Steiner, business owner Brenda Stock and Stock's partners at Red Tail Lounge.

Red Tail Lounge will breathe new life into a very old home when it opens in Jefferson City at 623 E. High St. on Dec. 1.

The historic home, built in the 1830s, most recently housed a sort of "second location" for Das Stein Haus, where owner Helmut Steiner held more private gatherings. While Steiner stopped using the location in 2012, he is now leasing it to new tenant Brenda Stock, owner of Red Tail Lounge, who plans to maintain its "private" atmosphere as a "classy, quiet place to come have dinner with your loved ones."

"I've wanted to do this all my life. It is my dream. Cooking is my stress-reliever, and I love people," Stock said. "We didn't want just another sports bar. We wanted something unique."

Stock, with the help of friends and partners who have varying experiences in restaurant food preparation, will offer an opening menu of appetizers like stuffed mushrooms, hummus and shrimp cocktail; sandwiches and wraps including an Italian sandwich, vegetarian sandwich, grilled chicken breast sandwich and cheeseburger; and sides such as the house soup, spinach bisque.

"As we grow, we'll get into more dinner options like steak," Stock said.

Red Tail Lounge will also feature a full bar with a wide selection of wines.

With a few small improvements, the building will remain largely the way Steiner left it, with decorations collected from his extensive travels and gift rooms with such items available for purchase, as well as unique features like an elaborate painting of a castle on a lower-level wall.

"It was beautiful. It's all unique," Stock said, explaining her decision to maintain the building's decor. "It's like you come in here and you're not in Jefferson City anymore. Most people don't want to leave."

Red Tail Lounge will host an official grand opening Dec. 6, alongside the Jefferson City Jaycees Christmas Parade downtown. For more information, visit the Red Tail Lounge Facebook page.